CHAPTER XVII 
LABOUR 
It is not too much to say that the prosperity of a 
country depends almost as much on a numerous, pros¬ 
perous, and efficient labour supply as on the natural 
resources that it can command. Though possibly the 
question may not be quite so acute in a Protectorate 
such as this as it is in a European country, yet 
perhaps it is an even more perplexing one owing to 
the many factors involved. ' The position is, shortly, 
that the employers are practically all alien, and the 
unskilled labourers are the original inhabitants of the 
land. This position gives rise to a three-sided point 
of view. Firstly, from what we will call the Humani¬ 
tarian point of view—that is from the point of view 
of the man who, seated in a comfortable arm-chair in 
his smoking-room at home says, plausibly enough, 
“ What a shame it is to disturb the splendid indolence 
of the peaceful savage! He is the possessor, the 
European merely an interloper. To allow any hardship 
to be borne by the former to benefit the latter, would 
be an act of injustice. Let us see to it that no such 
injustice is done.” Then there is the point of view 
of the settler—Here am I, a settler in this country— 
you, the Government, invited me—presumably you 
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