Science in Public Affairs 



the direction of the Colonial Office ; while Mr. 

 Mackinder 1 is dealing with communications which 

 must otherwise have been included in a discussion 

 of the trend of colonial development. To some 

 extent, no doubt, it will not be possible to keep 

 the two lines of inquiry quite distinct. For in- 

 stance, the great frozen-meat trade of New Zealand 

 could not have grown up in the absence of facilities 

 for cold storage upon the steamers, but it would 

 not have become what it is if the New Zealanders 

 had not erected the most modern plant for the 

 delivery of the meat in exactly the right condition 

 to the shippers. Again, perishable fruit is now 

 transported many hundreds of miles in chambers 

 upon the steamers which are kept at a uniform 

 temperature throughout the journey. But a re- 

 munerative trade depends upon the regularity 

 of the supply of fruit at the point of departure, 

 and to an even greater extent upon the degree of 

 ripeness at which it is picked. Jamaica has been 

 fairly successful in solving this problem, but the 

 attempt to establish a similar industry in some of 

 the smaller West Indian islands is still in the ex- 

 perimental stage. Moreover, uniformity of supply 

 is as important as regularity, and it is by the 

 standardisation of its butter, under governmental 

 supervision, that the State of Victoria has been able, 

 in co-operation with the steamship companies, to 

 build up a large export trade in that commodity. 

 It will now be convenient to consider more 



1 Mr. Mackinder, owing to pressure of work, has been unable 

 to contribute tp this volume. ED. 



130 



