Our People. 23 
The greater domestic needs of the negro trained in Western ways of living 
demanded better wages than one shilling a day. And this the sugar estates 
would nut pay. 
The blacks, consequently, were compelled to find other and more remunera- 
tive labour, and by reason of their being free from estate labour, expansion 
has been given to colonial industry and colonial revenue. It is beyond con- 
troversy that without the black man the gold and balata industries could not 
exist in the colony, and that he is therefore doing great service to the State : 
for without these industries the colony’s condition would have been con- 
siderably more parlous than itis. Nor can it be denied that the black men 
in connection with these indust_ies are “working in that state of life to 
which God has called them ’*—I would rather not have copied Mr. Hewick’s 
phraseology, but say they are working in that state of life to which they have 
been driven by the economic conditions of the colony. And it must be admitted 
that they work well and are evidencing “‘an upward march in condition ” 
especially in the county of Berbice. Nearly every balata-bleeder I have known 
has passed his sixth standard and had not “ kicked ” as Mr. Hewick imagines. 
But the whole error lies in restricting “ working onthe land” to planting trees 
thereon. People talk about this being a purely agricultural colony, but it would 
be most disastrous if all the available labour were engaged in growing canes 
and rice and even economic products. So far from laying blame to the black 
man for leaving cane culture, he ought to receive every encouragement in the 
more permanent and lucrative industries, in which he has employed his ener- 
gies. It is trifling with the facts to state that the system of primary educa- 
_ tion has unfitted him for the services which only the black man can and does 
render to the colony, in the development ofits great hinterland resources—its 
balata, timber, gold and other industries. 
It was quite consistent with Mr. Hewick’s idea of a circumscribed field of 
operations for the black man that he should suggest the establishment of a 
Tuskegee institution in British Guiana, albeit on a limited scale. He 
advocates the establishment of farms under a central head, subject to certain 
rules, and with a curriculum including dramatic entertainments, lectures and 
concerts. For the institution at Tuskegee and its illustrious founder I have 
great personal admiration. But I have very grave doubts as to the practical 
utility of or necessity for such an institution in the condition of things prevail- 
ing here. And the future does not hold out any promise that the prospective 
graduates of the British Guiana Tuskegee will find scope for the practice of 
their several professions. It has become quite the fashion to borrow systems 
from other countries, and introduce them here without even amendment 
suitable to our conditions. And Mr. Hewick has followed the fashion without 
stopping to consider the possible effects. Some people think that whatever is 
a success amongst a certain race of people in one quarter of the globe must 
necessarily be a successin another, amongst people of the same race. This is 
manifestly superficial. No regard is had, for example, in the case of Tuskegee, 
to the great demand for farmers and artisans which exists in the United 
Scates ; the lucrative nature of such callings there is not taken into account, 
