359 
197. The evidence shows that already there is much poverty in 
the Colony, especially in the Capital, among skilled artisans and 
mechanics as well as among persons above the pats ores "ok 
whom it ete probably be impossible to settle upon the 
198. In British Guiana, indeed, as in some of the jus put 
Indian Colonies, it is difficult to see how a crisis can be averted 
and heavy demands on the mother country avoided, unless some- 
thing can be done to save the sugar industry, or at all events to 
prevent any early or sudden collapse. The very difficult 
problem whether any general measures can be taken with the 
ject of saving the industry, either by effectual action for the 
abolition of the bounty system or by the imposition of counter- 
vailing duties has been dealt with in the first part of this Report. 
If any such measures are practicable they would need to be 
applied promptly ; but in any case we wish to emphasise our 
conviction that even if the sugar industry can be maintained it is 
essential that the Government of British Guiana should do all in 
settlers in agriculture, to employ scientific and experienced 
mineralogists to survey and report on the gold fields, to provide 
or the conservation and utilisation of the fo , and i e 
way to oS the development of the industries indicated by 
Dr. Morris. 
200. It is, indeed, most satisfactory to find that so competent 
judge as Dr. Morris —— that there is a possibility of British 
Guiana becoming in course of time a very productive as well as a 
very important dependency of the Empire, but no such result can 
be expected for many years 
201. To effect such dev élópiséht as seems possible in British 
Guiana will, moreover, be a work for which resources will not be 
readily forthcoming. New dadas X dg likely to succeed on 
202. There can, therefore, be no aeons of the vital importance 
to the Colony of ‘maintaining the sugar industry,. if possible, and 
of giving every encouragement to the planters in their efforts to 
do so. At the same time, if the sugar industry is maintained, the 
Government must be very careful not to allow its influence to 
retard the settlement and opening up of new lands, which have 
hitherto been left aiie and undeveloped, partly owing to 
the Pari of the Colony having hitherto been entirely concen- 
rate F 
203. E will he very difficult to provide funds for the necessities 
of administration if a collapse of the sugar industry takes place 
but considerable economies have been either carried out or 
decided upon. No doubt other reductions could be made under 
the pressure of circumstances, but these reductions would go 
only a small way towards meeting the shrinkage of income and 
the heavy additional charges which are inevitable if the sugar 
industry dies out, and it might probably prove impossible to meet 
