38 TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



of the Empire by the united effort of all as well as for 

 the benefit of all, either driving away the slackers or 

 reforming their ways on a tramp-farm or labour colony? 

 T say this because I think the bulk of those who at 

 present work at half or quarter pressure only would be 

 much more healthy, as they would be more useful if they 

 worked at full pressure, and their help is certainly needed. 

 Standing next to me at a meeting held at the Mansion 

 House in support of the British Dominions Exhibition, 

 to be held at the Crystal Palace next year, was' Mr. Will 

 Crooks, the well-known Labour M.P., who, in the course 

 of his speech, claimed, and rightly claimed, that the lower 

 classes, because they are used to rough it, were often 

 just the very ones who got on best when they went forth 

 into the world to make their way; and once educated 

 men with capital who have had the advantage of being 

 trained at an agricultural college in the tropics are 

 induced through this training to go thence to increase 

 our supplies of foodstuffs and raw materials, then these 

 others will follow, especially if slackers are discouraged, 

 if not coerced at home, and every workman compelled 

 to do a minimum share of his country's work, in the 

 same way as these same men are so very keen just now 

 to compel their employers to pay them all good, bad, 

 or indifferent an equal minimum wage. One day 

 perhaps our Government will find that it is their duty to 

 round us all up once a year, as the ranchers do their 

 cattle, take stock of all, asking each what they are doing, 

 ascertain what they can do, and then see that it is done. 

 This may sound autocratic, but it will be at least fair 

 far fairer than the world is to-day, when a minority of 

 us work, and work hard, to pay the major portion of the 

 taxes and help slackers have an easy time. 



Since the Government of to-day has found the money 

 necessary to ensure the health of the workers in this 

 country and to keep the aged from having to depend on 

 charity, so also is it their duty that is to say, the duty 

 of ourselves to spend an amount far less than i per 

 cent, of the total of this year's Budget to ensure this 

 country receiving those regular and increasing supplies 

 of foodstuffs and raw material without which we cannot 



