58 



once. I am profoundly ignorant of the subject ; there- 

 fore I have accepted the conclusions of the President 

 implicitly. 



Now, if you are going through that programme which 

 has been set down to be discharged in a week, you will 

 have to do several more sensible things than any other 

 body of men that I know of has ever accomplished. 

 You must not adopt parliamentary methods. You must 

 consider that all the general observations that are neces- 

 sary for each of you have been uttered for all of you in 

 this Presidential address ; and then you need not 

 individually assure us that you are not competent for 

 the tasks which you undertake. 



Personally I am delighted that the marvellous and 

 hitherto obscure resources of the tropical soil are 

 beginning to be enlightened by science ; and one of the 

 grandest things about this task and these subjects is 

 that they equally promote the welfare of all the races 

 and all the countries on the face of the globe. Agri- 

 culture seems to me to have always been the Cinderella 

 of human enterprise and investigation. What a great 

 thing it is that men of science, and intellect, and 

 research, are beginning to exploit these magnificent 

 resources of creation. Then, when I listened to the 

 references of the President to rubber, I could not help 

 hoping that some day a similar Congress will assemble 

 in order to endeavour to establish, on behalf of the 

 producer and the public, a more equitable distribution 

 of the profits. When the price of rubber went up with 

 marvellous leaps and bounds, I saw the upward progress 

 faithfully reflected in the accounts which I received 

 for motor tyres. I understand the price of rubber has 

 come down tremendously of late years, but I see no 

 downward tendency in my bills for motor tyres. I do 

 not suppose you have time to deal with that subject just 

 now. 



I again say that this is a grand Congress, with grand 

 objects in view, and I wish it every success. 



Sir HUGH CLIFFORD, K.C.M.G. (Governor of the 

 Gold Coast) : Mr. President, my Lords, and Gentlemen 

 To me has been confided the task of seconding the 

 motion which has been put to you with so much elo- 

 quence by Sir George Reid. He speaks for the Great 



