Hoiv io Expand 37 



Life. The main points' on which we are inchned to differ 

 substantially include (but are not necessarily exhausted by) 

 the following. If these can be modihed, therefore, it would 

 help forward the progress that we all want to see made : — 



(i) As Mr. Wilson-Fox leaves no doubt that he strongly 

 objects to being told that his scheme, so far as can be 

 judged by what he has written or told us, will cause the 

 natives to be "exploited," either he must modify his 

 estimates very considerably, or else tell us liow many years 

 it will take for the Government and the Development 

 Board to secure an annual income, as estimated before the 

 Society of Arts, of /'50, 000, 000 (see their journal of 

 January 6, 191 7, also the paper before the Royal Colonial 

 institute, p. 5 of rough proof given out to the Press). 

 How can any organization on this earth expect to obtain 

 such an income per annum from the two centres mentioned, 

 Africa and the Pacific, or even in the entire world, in the 

 lifetime of Mr. Wilson-Fox, Mr. Bigland, or Mr. Victor 

 Fisher ? 



If there is no hurry, and if this huge income is not to be 

 forthcoming in our lifetime, then the scheme (which a 

 Labour Unionist at the R.C.I, meeting said should be 

 tried because it is so attractive and bright) will not appeal 

 to the working classes, as it does at present, because they, 

 the same as ourselves, apparently think or thought these 

 ^50,000,000 a year alone from palm products in Africa and 

 the Pacific would be ready when the ^600,000,000 to 

 ^700,000,000 a year already mentioned falls due, i.e., on 

 the declaration of peace. 



(2) If the E.R.D.C. wishes to gain the confidence of 

 the tropical public, they must not hide themselves behind 

 the excuse of not being experts when talking to those who 

 have been entirely wrapped up in tropical development for 

 years and generations back. Above all, they must not 

 allow Mr. Bigland, M.P., and Controller of Oils, &c., to 

 tell us, time after time, his funny story of being able 10 

 produce 2,000,000 tons of sugar from British Guiana " if 

 I am ordered to do so." To those who know British 

 Guiana and its labour conditions, this statement is such 



' As outlined by Mr. Wilson- Fox in the paper he read before the 

 Royal Society of Arts in December, 1916, and reproduced in their Journal 

 of I3ecember 15, 19 16, in his article in the October issue of the Nineieentk 

 Century Review, and now in his paper before the Royal Colonial Institute 

 (see United Empire for April, 1918). Mr. Fisher's views can be "guessed 

 at" by a study of hi.s paper, the British Citizen and Empire Worker. 



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