274 Timehri. 
East Indians 105.56, Chinese 60.45, Blacks 9.85, Mixed Races 13.08. 
Of the races named above the Portuguese, East Indians and Chinese are 
the only ones who have been brought here as immigrants to work as 
manual labourers, and the figures show that the descendants of the 
original immigrants are adding to their numbers. For although it is 
true that the Commissioner warns us on page 25 that in considering the 
fioures of the increase of the native-born, we must bear in mind that the 
children of immigrants are classified as creoles. This warning does not 
apply to the case of the Portuguese and Chinese, who have long ceased 
to come to the colony as immigrants, and it is obvious that new arrivals 
either from Madeira or China must either be non-existent or so few as to 
be negligible, and yet both the races named show substantial increases. 
While in the case of the Kast Indians, where the warning does apply, 
the increase is so large that it could be halved and still leave the race 
with a substantial increase to be credited to its native-born. 
The paragraph of the Report I am now considering closes with the 
reminder that in considering the death-rate of the immigrants it must be 
remembered that the foreign-born element is almost entirely adult on 
arrival here,—that is, that they spend only a part of their lives in the 
colony. 
The above would seem to constitute a very strong case for adding 
to our Jabour forces by immigration, and taken in conjunction with the 
historical fact that the present scheme of East Indian immigration when 
first established lifted the colony out of the grave condition of economic 
stagnation into one of considerable prosperity, the case becomes unanswer- 
able. Yet, outside the planting body, who being the largest employers 
of labour in the colony are compelled to think clearly on this matter, the 
attitude of the majority of colonists would seein to be: “ Let us do 
anything a and everything to lift the colony out of the slough of despond 
in which it is sunk except tuke the straightforward course justified by 
history of adding to its labour forces.” And tiris attitude of the colonists 
has hitherto been duplicated by our Governors, who have left this 
important matter severely acone. 
“THE Per Fab or THE Hour.” 
There are in the colony many earnest men who are always urging 
their fellow-colonists with tongue and pens to multiply the industries of 
the colony, to attract foreign capital, and to build railways. This last 
is the pet fad of the hour Ask them if they are prepared to increase 
the labour supply and they give a ready assent. But it is only lip-service. 
Watch their general attitude on the question of the development of the 
colony, and you will see that the augmentati:‘n of the labour supply 
is a secondary matter with them. Now, I have nothing to say against 
the lines they are working on. Applied under proper conditions they 
have proyed powerful factors in the development of other Jands, and 
similarly applied, a like result should attend their adoption by us. But 
Iam thoroughly satisfied in my own mind that multiplication of indus- 
