liduciftioii 105 



CHAPTER XVII. 



British Agricultural Colleges in the Tropics. 

 Their Establishment discussed in the 

 House of Commons and in India. 



Tropical Life, September, 191 7. 



Those who read the leaders in our May and June issues, 

 when we discussed two of the several plans now before the 

 public to increase the resources of the Empire, will agree, 

 we feel sure, that we, as an Empire, cannot be too deeply 

 and genuinely interested in the matter, and since this is so, 

 we trust sincerely that the man or men with the best plan, 

 i.e., the plan that will be to the greatest ultimate and last- 

 ing benefit to the Empire and its people, will come up top 

 and be allowed full scope to put that plan into practice to 

 serve as a basis on which to mould similar schemes, but 

 with variations to suit each and all centres. 



Favoured with a seat under the gallery of the House of 

 Commons, so that he was on a level with the floor of the 

 House, and thus able to follow the debate closely whilst the 

 Colonial Office vote was being discussed, our Editor heard 

 as clearly as any Member of the House itself what 

 was said, and we, therefore, have much pleasure in repro- 

 ducing a portion of the speeches, together with our own 

 comments on same. 



First of all the Secretary of State for the Colonies (Mr. 

 Walter Long) practically devoted the whole of his remarks 

 to informing the House how magnificently the Overseas 

 Dominions, from the Australian Continent and the Dominion 

 of Canada down to invisible islets in the Southern Seas, as 

 Marakeis in the Gilbert Islands, or on the Mainland, the 

 Liwali or Chief of Vanga in British East Africa, were 

 continuing to support the War, each in their own way, but 

 all to a degree and in a manner that was equally valuable 

 and praiseworthy, and thus entitled them to the eloquent 

 earnest tribute paid them in the House. 



Having spoken of these Dominions and Colonies, Mr. 

 Long was equally emphatic in his tribute to those officials, 

 in the various departments that governed Greater Britain, 

 for the way they had remained at their posts (not without 

 vigorous protests, and often, as he explained, vigorous per- 

 sonal attempts, either directly or through friend sat home 



