220 
PROCEEDINGS OP THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE. 
remain in the same district long enough to place themselves at 
the head of such institutions, and, with very few exceptions not 
being natives of the country, take less interest in its material 
welfare, whilst our large land owners are differently situated to 
landlords in Europe. 
There are also two classes of peasant proprietors in this 
country, one of which has grown up out of its own merit and 
labour, the holdings of which may rightly be said to have been 
purchased at the sweat of their brows. Amongst these will be 
found the pioneers of our cocoa industry, men who would have 
been comparatively wealthy to-day, had they not been handi- 
capped by heavy interest, to which they consented partly through 
necessity, partly through ignorance. They can use their arms 
well, but they are seldom men of business. Some unfortunately 
have suffered in consequence of the confidence they reposed in 
the merchants with whom they dealt. 
There is however another class, less worthy of sympathy. 
They acquire land more to evade regular work than to advance 
in the social scale. They' are proprietors in name, and beyond 
the payment of taxes when that can without inconvenience be 
done, contribute but little to the welfare of the island. They 
are not uncommonly, if not themselves, at all events through 
their relatives whom they refuse to support, a charge on the 
hospitals and charitable institutions of the country. This class 
is most common among the East Indians. It could be reformed 
I think, if subject to control, and under Government supervision’ 
who by facilitating the purchase of lands to them on certain 
conditions in already established districts, would reserve the 
right to exact that these holdings were cultivated in useful 
products. Agricultural Instructors appointed to supervise and 
guide these people would probably obtain results that would 
p,«priet.m- I .hint i.b&lj 
agricultural prosperity can be incre-jsprl tnat our 
the .preponderance of this class It i s ’ an ’ ,’ y 
undoubtedly towards the development of the faC f r 
main factor of its progress. lsland > but not the 
It is generally conceded, I believe that tl,„ v , 
is a model of energy, thrift and patriotism \v*‘ ““f f P easan , t P’ 
part it took in the payment of the' war ,,„1 ' ' \ - know the 
France by Germany after the disastrous W »TA' T“ 
the present power of Franr»A 0,1 ot Yet has 
obtained by the preponderance of its P ros P ei % been 
t .ance ot its small proprietors? The 
