~I 
The Labour Question. 27 
A DirrFicuLt PROBLEM. 
I have gone into this matter somewhat fully, because I think it will 
tend to bring about a healthier public opinion on this great question of 
an immigration scheme capable of expansion according to the needs of 
the hour. The average colonist holds the Northern idea of the tropics as 
being, for the most part, densely populated and thinks of Demerara as 
one of the few places in a densely-populated tropical world that is short 
of population. The immigration question thus looked at becomes a small 
local question capable of an easy solution whenever the colonists as a 
whole wish to solve it. Whenever, therefore, the interest of an indi- 
vidual demands that he should take up an anti-immigration attitude he 
does so readily, salving his conscience for his action against the interest 
of the colony by the thought that the matter is oue easily put right if it 
proves damaging. But if Mr. Ireland is right the difficulty is not one 
capable of easy solution. His discovery (for it amounts to that) shows 
our local shortage to be part of a great world question. In making it 
plain that we have to collect our tropical man-power from a world not 
too well supplied with it, he shows us the difficulties of our task. 
But he is helpful too, since he shows us clearly just what the nature of 
our task is Many things follow from Mr. Ireland’s statements. Among 
other things the failure of the tropics to progress is not the outcome of 
the enervating effects of tropical climates on the people resident in them. 
It is due to the lack of man-power. The problem of tropical develop- 
ment is thus seen to be a problem of the redistribution of tropical 
populations. 
A LimITED SUPPLY. 
But if we see our task more clearly, the light which Mr. Ireland 
throws on the scene also shows us unsuspected danger. If tropical man- 
power is scanty and our development depends on our securing a full 
share of what is to be had, we must get to work quickly. At any 
moment competition which we cannot see might begin for the limited 
supply of man-power. The Census Report tells us that the descendants 
of the immigrants we have already brought to the colony are increasing 
their numbers. It will be well for us if when a world-scramble for 
the available tropical labour starts we have made such good use of our 
time before it began that we can rely for further development on the 
natural increase of our people. 
SOUTHERN EUROPEANS UNSUITABLE. 
There is only one more point to be noted and I am done with this 
part of my subject. 
It has been suggested, doubtless with the idea of getting over the 
difficulty of the shortage of tropical labour, that we should try South 
Europeans as immigrants. The plan, however, would seem to be 
impracticable. First, it is no use bringing out people to a country who 
cannot live in it and bring up families if they elect to remain. Now, it 
