io8 How to Pay for the War 



that has been brought about in India, and I suggest that a 

 similar increase could be brought about in Africa and the 

 West Indies by the same means." 



It is interesting to remember that whilst Lord Henry 

 Bentinck, half-brother of the Duke of Portland, was so 

 earnestly pleading for these colleges and all that they 

 stand for in the way of scientific agriculture and research, 

 the Indian mail arrived in London bringing reports of the 

 Budget speech made by Sir Claude Archer Hill, K.C.S.I., 

 &c., the member in charge of the Department of Revenue 

 and Agriculture of India, at the meeting of the Imperial 

 Legislative Council on March lo last, when that gentleman 

 also mentioned Pusa, and Mr. and Mrs. Howard's work 

 especially in connection with the No. 12 Wheat. During 

 the course of his remarks Sir Claude said (quoting the 

 Supplement of the Agricultural Journal of India for July, 

 which published it in full) : " Turning now to agriculture, 

 the first subject to which I propose to refer is agricultural 

 education .... and I propose to convene a confer- 

 ence on agricultural education to assemble in Simla some 

 time during the ensuing summer, to be composed of expert 

 agriculturists and educationists together with, I hope, 

 additional members interested in the subject." 



This important conference duly took place at Simla on 

 June 18, at the Committee Room, Orton Castle, and a very 

 full report of the proceedings has been published in the 

 Madras Weekly Mail on June 22, pp. 383-384, and from this 

 report we are able to give quotations from Sir Claude 

 Hill's speech, but those interested in the matter, and we 

 trust everyone is so, should turn to the full account of the 

 proceedings. Speaking of agricultural colleges in general, 

 but especially of one for Upper India, Sir Claude said that 

 it should be possible to arrange that students taking the 

 degree course should be able to qualify by an intermediate 

 examination for employment in the lower ranks of the 

 department. Continuing, he said : " I would first of all 

 reiterate the remark I made at the outset of our delibera- 

 tions at Pusa (February, 1916), viz., that our needs are 

 first and for all time to improve the agricultural methods 

 of India, and to secure this end we must have : (i) scientific 

 investigation, (2) courses of instruction to fit Indians to 

 help in these investigations, (3) practical instruction on 

 agriculture, (4) courses of practical and theoretical in- 

 struction to fit men to give instruction in practical agri- 

 culture as well as to qualify for service in the Department 

 of Agriculture, and (5) instruction for agriculturists . . . 



