Development and Taxation. . 91 



people should be chary in attacking it. After all it might end in talk, 

 but no harm would be done by airing the subject. He saw several 

 gentlemen in the room who had conn to speak no doubt. Thej^ would 

 all like to hear their views and he thought everybody who had ideas 

 should put them forward. 



Thrifty Population Wanted. 



Mr. L. P. Hodge said there were many ways in which the resources 

 of this colon}?- might be increased. He thought the old members thought 

 that taxation would not increase the colony's resources, but apart from 

 that he would suggest other ways from which he thought the colony 

 would derive benefit. First of all, there was the question of population. 

 Population could be increased, and the proper way was by marriage. 

 (Laughter.) In conclusion he said tiiat a healthy, industrious and thrifty 

 population was essential before ihc colony could embark on a highly 

 important scheme which was very much needed. 



More Imagination Wanted. 



The Hon. C. F. Wieting, who followed, expressed the view that the 

 colony could not b) developed without extra taxation, at any rate for the 

 first few jears. For it to be otherwise people must come and introduce 

 ( apital. A lot of people did come and spend money but it was other 

 people's money and the colony was no better off. (Laughter.) To his 

 mind the question should not be : Could the co'ony be developed without 

 extra taxation, but could it be developed at all ? It seemed to him that 

 they were worrying a great deal as to how they were going to find 

 interest on capital when they had not made up their minds in what 

 direction they were going to invest. He did not think the finding: of 

 interest on capital should be an impeding factor to development. When 

 in London a year or two ago he was told that what was wanted in this 

 colony was a little more imagination. Eapid strides had been made by 

 other countries around them, such as Brazil and the Argentine, and the 

 latter had so much money that they could pay £20,000 to £25,000 for 

 Derby winners. He did not himself believe that anything would ever be 

 done here unless they were willing to take considerable risks. They 

 would talk and talk and do nothing unless they made up their minds to 

 take big risks. They would never do it by spending a million dollars on 

 topographical surveys. His point was that if they made up their minds 

 to go in for development the question of interest should not be an 

 impeding factor. It was only by development that they would ever 

 reduce taxation at all. 



THE GOVERNORS VIEWS. 



His Excellency, who was accorded a warm reception on rising, said 

 the subject that had been spoken about that afternoon was, he thought, 

 one that had occupied the minds of the population of British Guiana for 

 very many years, and probably more during the last eighteen months 



