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although you have expressed your opinion, Mr. President, 

 that it is an extremely simple resolution, I should be 

 obliged if you would allow me to read it again. I have 

 the greatest admiration for this International Institute of 

 Agriculture at Rome, and for the work it is doing, and 

 I would wish very much to do what Sir James Wilson 

 "suggests that is, when I go back to my own colony 

 to urge upon the Government the desirability of their 

 adhering without delay in order to secure upon that body a 

 due representation of tropical agriculture. But the difficulties, 

 Sir, are enormous. Take our own case. In the West Indies 

 we are all separate Crown Golony Governments. Some could 

 afford to pay a subscription of 100 a year; others could 

 not do so, because they would ask themselves, " What is the 

 advantage of our being represented on this International 

 Institute at Rome, when the matters that are dealt with there 

 are principally concerned with products cultivated in temperate 

 climates?" Then again, Sir, supposing that in the case of 

 Trinidad I succeeded in persuading the Government to sub- 

 scribe 100, the next difficulty I would have would be this : I 

 take it that the mere subscription without sending a qualified 

 representative to attend the meetings would not be of any 

 great benefit to my colony. I think, Sir, that it would be 

 absolutely impossible for the Government of the Crown 

 Colonies in the West Indies to spare their qualified agricul- 

 turists to attend the meetings at Rome. First of all as regards 

 the time occupied; there are very few men, as Sir Sydney 

 Olivier is aware, and as all those who have had experience in 

 the West Indies are aware, there are very few men in the 

 agricultural departments who can be spared to attend these 

 conferences, and the expense of sending them has also to be 

 considered. The colonies have small revenues, and the con- 

 sequence is they have very seriously to consider any expendi- 

 ture of this nature which does not produce a result which they 

 consider satisfactory. They would very probably feel that they 

 were giving a very nice holiday to one of their officials, and 

 that he was enjoying himself thoroughly. Now, Sir, unless 

 tropical agriculturists were sent to this institute at Rome, I 

 do not think the agriculturists, extremely able men as they 

 are in their own country, would have any knowledge that 

 would be of any practical value in connection with tropical 

 agriculture. I will give you an example. We introduced into 

 Trinidad examinations in agriculture the questions in which 

 were set from Cambridge. No child who had been brought 

 up under tropical conditions could have answered some of the 

 questions, and we were obliged to advise the examiner as to 

 the kind of questions he should set. It would be very much 



