ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
OF 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION, 
No. 131.] NOVEMBER. (1897. 
DLXXXIV.—WEST INDIA ROYAL COMMISSION. 
THE terms of the UU QUA of the Royal Commission 
appointed to inquire into the condition and prospects of the 
West India Colonies were focided in the Kew Bulletin for this 
year (p. 109.) The Commission accomplished its task and issued 
its report in the course of last autumn. It has been thought desirable 
Commissio to e m à r 
circulation than will be reached by the more bulky EI: in 
which they are contained. It has not been thought necessary to 
include the seed formal portions of the report or those aeret to 
the sugar question, on which the Commission was not unanimous. 
The Soelas at which the Commissioners arrived as to the 
nibissf resources and possibilities of future development of the 
West Indies have long been known at Kew, where they have for 
a 
power, Kew, with varying Pure. has endeavoured to prepare for 
it by such scmódiál expedients as were possible. But the part of 
Cassandra is never grateful. The term of office of a Colonial 
Governor is brief, and there are few ies Bee or perhaps have e 
power, to adopt more than an opportunist policy. New industri 
can only be built up beria and the well conceived plins of one 
Governor do not always commend themselves to his successor, 
It is certain, however, that in work of this kind no permanent 
progress can be reached without patient and long-sustained effort. 
The Commissioners appended to their report a memorandum 
by the Assistant-Director, who accompanied the Commission as 
“expert adviser in botanical and agricultural questions,” on the 
“agricultural resources and de eben of British Guiana and 
the West India Islands." In accordance with the wish of the 
' of State that this boda be issued in a more convenient 
form, it will be printed as an additional volume of the Kew 
Bulletin. 
14687—1375—9/97 Wt6l D&S 29 A 
k 
