SOME STRAY THOUGHTS ON OUR PEOPLE. 



By Edgar Beckett. 



More and more every year is it becoming a fact that, the future 

 agricultural prosperity of the Colony, must lie in a great degree with our 

 peasant class. 



Now that East Indian immigration is practically a feature of the 

 past, it is obvious that only such companies which possess the most 

 up-to-date factories and which are ready to successfully solve the peculiar 

 difficulties which present themselves to those who would substitute 

 mechanical devices in place of our primitive methods of culture, can 

 compete with other sugar-producing countries. 



There is every truth in Hortensio's remark — "There's small choice 

 in rotten apples.'' 



We have no choice in the matter, the small factories will have to wo, 

 we have to depend upon modern factories with every up-to-date appliance 

 for both field and manufacturing processes. 



And here the peasant can play his part. 



There is enormous scope for cane-farming in practically all the 

 villages contiguous to the sugar estates, and in addition to cane-crow- 

 ing there need be no difficulty whereby a modern sugar factory might not 

 contain also room for the manufacture of calcium citrate, concentrated 

 lime juice, the preparation of rice, copra, coffee, cacao and other 

 products. 



In short a central factory not only for sugar but for other products 

 is by no means a visionary project. Indeed we see no reason why the 

 manufacture of flour from plantains, yams, cassava, rice, etc., should not 

 all fall to the lot of what is now known locally as " The Buildings." 



The many opportunities and conveniences afforded by a large sugar 

 factory, operate successfully towards extensions in various directions at a 

 far cheaper cost than if separate factories have to be erected. 



If it were the case that the central sugar factory became the manu- 

 facturing centre of the district, we are convinced that, granted the proper 

 treatment of the farming class, a tremendous impetus would be given to 

 agricultural work in this Colony. 



We may pretend as much as we like, but we know that deep in their 

 hearts the majority of our people look upon farming as a last resource, 

 and even those who are making money out of the land take very good 

 pains to train the tastes of their children away from such a vocation. 

 The ambition of all is to become a lawyer, a clergyman, a schoolmaster, 

 or at the worst a clerk or a "counter-jumper." This last named class is 



