99 
of liquor to natives, especially in connection with tropical 
estates. This matter was brought before the last Congress, 
and I thought it would be of interest to this meeting to mention 
some practical results which have issued from a discussion of 
this subject in the section of Hygiene at the last Congress 
at Brussels. As the result of a paper presented by Dr. 
Kermorgant, of Paris, a series of resolutions was passed by 
the Congress, a copy of which I have in my hand, and these 
resolutions, which were specially brought forward and sup- 
ported by Baron Joseph du Teil, of Paris, particularly referring 
to Africa, formed the basis of an International Memorial which 
was made to the Official Conference of the Powers of Europe, 
summoned in Brussels in January, I912, to consider the 
question of the spirit trade in Africa. This Memorial was 
presented on behalf of an International Federation which ' 
represented eight or nine different European nations—in fact, 
all the chief colonizing Powers—and it is a particularly interest- 
ing point of this movement that there are groups of men in 
all the different countries of Europe who are united together 
to deal with this question of the supply of liquor to natives, 
which I believe has(a very important bearing upon the efficiency 
of labourers in the tropics.\ Personally, I think that one of 
the greatest causes of want of efficiency amongst labourers in 
many parts of the tropics is their use and abuse of alcohol, and 
that this question 1s one which ought to be very much brought 
to the front. I think it is a very fortunate thing that this 
question of the supply of liquor to natives, and of the relation 
of liquor to hygiene, has been taken out of the sphere of 
conflict in which it is so often found, especially in the so-called 
temperance movements, and that the various Planters’ Asso- 
ciations in different parts of the tropics have taken up this 
matter, especially recently in Ceylon, where the question of 
increased facilities for the supply of liquor to natives is a matter 
of very serious concern. The matter has also been raised by 
the tea planters in Assam, who have felt very seriously the 
risks involved if the facilities for obtaining liquor, especially 
if that liquor is not of good quality, were not carefully 
restricted. I just wish in a word or two to refer to the reforms 
that have recently taken place in Africa with regard to this 
subject since the last Congress of Tropical Agriculture at 
Brussels. Since the presentation of the International Memorial 
to which I have already referred, there have been the follow- 
ing series of reforms: Belgium has now prohibited the spirit 
trade throughout the Congo so far as natives are concerned. 
Portugal has taken similar action in the Congo Province of 
Angola. The reforms instituted by France have been so 
remarkable that I cannot even summarize them here. Suffice 
