150 Timehri. 



forward the progress of this colony and aid, so far as we can, in its 

 amusements as well as in its work. (Applause.) But I think that in 

 the warmth of our reception to this colony there is something rather 

 saddening, so far as the lower classes are concerned because it was borne 

 in upon me when I went to visit some of the suburban districts that 

 the people there seemed to think that there was no limit to what 

 was going to be done. (Laughter.) I don't know who is responsible for 

 that. I certainly am not myself. (Laughter.) If there is disappoint- 

 ment let it be put on the heads of those who brought it about. (More 

 Laughter.) 



You are a very ambitious Society. I think it would have been 

 sufficient for most societies to have either represented agriculture or to 

 have represented commerce. You have chosen to represent both — (laughter) 

 — so that you almost represent the whole of the colony. I don't wish to 

 decry the mining industry, but after all, the backbone of any colony 

 should be agriculture and commerce, and I should think that if British 

 Guiana has had a fault in the past it was in having put all her eggs in one 

 basket. It is your duty as a Society to prevent that in the future, and 

 to induce people to put their eggs into many baskets, and I am glad to 

 see that there is another growing industry in the colony, and that is the 

 industry of rice-planting. If you can only get the people to take that up 

 as a peasant industry it ought to do a great deal for the country. I do 

 not profess to be a wise man — but I come from the East. (Laughter.) 

 In the East the rice industry is certainly the backbone of India, China 

 and the great Malaya Archipelago, and I don't see why it should not be 

 the mainstay of the people, at any rate in this country. 



These are not the days when wealth, or even a living, is made easily- 

 They are days of competition, and you want a society such as this to 

 impress upon the people the necessity of advancing with the times and 

 adopting new methods in order not to linger behind in the way of progress. 



You have all heard of the hard times of the sugar industry, and yoa 

 know the way in which that industry has been maintained. It has been 

 by having new methods and new machinery introduced that the industry 

 has been kept in the forefront of progress. (Applause.) It is your duty 

 as a Society to introduce new products to the notice of the people, new 

 methods of growing and preparing these products for the market, and I 

 hope that together we may be able to do that very useful thing. 

 (Applause.) You have, I have noticed with pleasure, recognised the very 

 great importance of progress in agriculture, and the Legislature have not 

 been niggardly in providing funds for agricultural experiments, if I am to 

 judge from that very fine, large Botanic and experimental garden which I 

 have had the pleasure of making a personal inspection of and of which I 

 hope to make a very much more minute inspection along with its energetic 

 and skilful Director. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, I have, on behalf of my wife and myself, to 

 thank you for the very cordial reception you have given us, and I only 



