Science and Colonial Development 



closely what is meant by the words, " colonial 

 development." It is the object of this chapter 

 to consider how far scientific methods have been 

 applied to the development of British colonies, and 

 a fundamental distinction at once arises. Some 

 of these colonies being financially, as well as 

 politically, in a position of practical independence, 

 their rate of progress depends upon themselves, 

 and not upon the Mother Country. In the case 

 of the crown colonies, on the other hand, as very 

 little opportunity is given for local initiative, the 

 responsibility of the Mother Country is direct and 

 unquestionable. There are also a few colonies, 

 of which Barbados may be taken as a type, that 

 occupy an intermediate position. They possess 

 an elective legislative authority which has the 

 control of the purse, but the executive officers 

 are not subordinate to the legislature as in the 

 self-governing colonies. (The new constitution of 

 the Transvaal, which is admittedly transitional, 

 partakes of this character.) Here, there is a 

 theoretical division of responsibility, but, without 

 entering upon a discussion for which there is no 

 space, it may be said that, practically speaking, the 

 responsibility rests with the Mother Country. 



We have, then, two main types of colonies, and 

 it will be our purpose to consider whether the 

 self-governing colonies 1 are alive to the value 



1 The writer strongly objects to the use of the term " self- 

 governing colonies " as applied to such countries as Australia, 

 Canada, and New Zealand, but he is unable to find any other 

 applicable term when reference has to be made to them, not 

 individually, but as a group of self-governing communities. 



