394 



NA TURE 



[March 23, 1922 



kept the " luck-stones " of the village, to which the 

 Lhotas attach great importance. Other " luck- 

 stones " are kept in the " bachelors' halls " and in the 

 houses or granaries of individuals. Cultivation is of 

 the shifting type known as jhuming, and there are 

 numerous ceremonies connected with it. 



The tribe is composed of three phratries, each of 

 which contains a number of clans, which are in turn 

 often subdivided into kindreds. Formerly a man was 

 forbidden to marry a woman of his own phratry, but 

 now intermarriage in the clan is often allowed pro- 

 vided the parties are of different kindreds. The 

 classificatory system of relationships obtains. In- 

 heritance is in the male line. Each village is run as a 

 separate unit by an informal council of old men, and 

 has an old man duly qualified who takes the lead at 

 religious ceremonies. They believe in no Supreme 

 Being, -but in a world of godlings above the earth. 

 The underworld is occupied by the dead, and elaborate 

 precautions are taken at funerals to ensure that the 

 soul goes there in comfort. Each male Lhota tries 

 to perform the full series of feats of merit, and, like 

 the Angami, sets up a monolith to mark their comple- 

 tion. A man's cloth varies according to the stage 

 which he has reached in the series. 



The Development of Ceylon.^ 



CEYLON has large and successful agricultural 

 industries, and in 1916 a Commission was 

 appointed to consider the development of existing 

 industries and the establishment of new ones, in other 

 branches of activity. The report of the Commission 

 has just been issued, and is a very practical document, 

 fully recognising that scientific knowledge is only one 

 item, and that not the chief, in ensuring success. 

 Many industries, desirable in themselves, do not offer 

 sufficient financial prospects to attract any one away 

 from the established agricultural and other trades. 



The report goes on to say, " We have been pro- 

 foundly impressed by the importance of scientific 

 research in the progress and development of most of 

 the industries we have examined " ; and this theme 

 is developed at some length, the final recommendation 

 being that as private individuals can rarely afford the 

 cost of the necessary research, this should be largely 

 the affair of the Government, which is urged to estab- 

 lish a Bureau of Industry and Commerce, that 

 should aim at a greater degree of co-ordination between 

 the various scientific departments, and prevent over- 

 lapping of work. It should also establish a central 

 Economic Museum, collect and collate statistics, 

 foster new industries, aid them with scientific and 

 other advice, and do other things. This would involve 

 the establishment of a staff of research workers, and 

 it is to be hoped that they may be generously paid, 

 for, as it has been said, " A paternal Government may 

 desire investigations to be made on some defined 

 subject, and may duly engage an explorer to map that 

 bit of country. . . . Then the poor sportsman, if he 

 is to carry out his part of the agreement, is no longer 

 free. And in that case he deserves good pay for the 

 surrender of his freedom." 



It is first pointed out that industries cannot be 

 established without power, and as Ceylon has no coal 

 this power must be hydro-electric. There are indica- 

 tions, however, that some scheme of utilisation of the 

 considerable amount of water power that runs to 

 waste in the hills may soon be put in hand. 



Various possible industries are then considered, in 

 which, bearing in mind the above considerations, it is 

 conceivable that success might be attainable. Cement, 



» Report of the Industries Commission, Ceylon. (Sessional Paper i of 

 1922.) 



NO. 2734, VOL, 109] 



for example, is considered to have little prospect, 

 inasmuch as Ceylon could not consume the whole 

 output of a factory large enough for proper efficiency. 

 Spinning and weaving, on the other hand, offer good 

 prospects, if the cultivation of cotton can be extended, 

 for there is a large local demand, and the excellent 

 wearing capacity of the cloth made from the short- 

 stapled Indian cotton has already been fully proved. 



The possibility of providing the wood used for the 

 making of the vast numbers of chests used for packing 

 tea, rubber, etc., is then considered, and it is thought 

 that, with proper attention to seasoning, Ceylon should 

 be able to supply all her own material, provided that 

 the requirements of the grower of the wood, the 

 maker of the box, and the user of the same, can be 

 properly harmonised — a matter which would fall to 

 the suggested Bureau. 



For the encouragement of home industries, such as 

 weaving, silver and brass work, embroidery, and the 

 like, the establishment of a central School of Arts and 

 Handicrafts is recommended. 



The question of the fisheries is then dealt with, and 

 it is pointed out that while there is more fish available 

 in the sea than the island requires, it nevertheless 

 imports to the value of about Rs. 6,000,000 yearly. 

 It is suggested that a Department of Fisheries be 

 established, in place of the Marine Biological Depart- 

 ment so ably carried on by the present Director of 

 the Colombo Museum in addition to his other duties. 

 This new department should attend, among other 

 things, to increasing production, to improvement in 

 methods of curing, to canning (for example, of 

 sardines, which are plentiful) , to the manufacture of fish 

 manure and oils, to freshwater fisheries, pearl fisheries, 

 chank, window-pane oyster, and beche-de-mer fisheries, 

 to encouragement of research, and other things, in 

 all of which there seems to be great opening. 



It is further suggested that experiments should be 

 made with such industries as the manufacture of 

 glass, cyanamide, paper, soap, etc. ; and the improve- 

 ment of the mining industry is also considered. 



In conclusion, stress is laid upon the necessity for 

 wise action by the State in regard to provision 

 of power, and establishment of the Bureau above 

 mentioned, when it is considered that industries 

 dependent upon forestry and fishing would show the 

 most promise. It is also urged that the youth of 

 Ceylon be given the opportunity, by technical train- 

 ing, etc., of taking part in any future industrial 

 development. The whole report is of a practical and 

 statesmanlike character. 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



Cambridge.- — The Allen Scholarship has been 

 awarded to J. C. Burkill, Trinity College. 



The annual report of the Appointments Board 

 shows a total of 349 men placed in the past year, the 

 highest figure for the past nine years. In view of 

 the prevailing conditions in the industrial and com- 

 mercial world, this is a satisfactory report. The 

 chief subjects in which men have been placed by the 

 Board are : Educational appointments, 143 ; ad- 

 ministrative appointments in commerce and industry, 

 65 ; manufacturing and technical appointments, 47. 



Oxford. — Mr. A. L. Dixon, Fellow and Tutor of 

 Merton College, has been appointed Waynflete 

 Professor of Pure Mathematics in succession to 

 Prof. E. B. Elliott. 



The honorary degree of Doctor of Science has been 

 conferred on Sir Thomas Muir by the University of 

 Cape Town, in recognition of his researches in 

 mathematics and mathematical history. Sir Thomas 

 Muir was Superintendent-General of Education for 



