CHAPTER IX 
ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE 
FRENCH COLONY OF MADAGASCAR 
After the French Chambers had declared (in 1896) 
that the newly conquered island was a colony proper, 
a settled organization had to be brought about in order 
to give the colonists the needful feeling of security in 
their enterprises. 
The establishment of a speedy and solid colonisation 
was sought for in two directions; the one through an 
active propaganda in the mother country, the other 
through the energy of the newly constituted colonial 
authorities. 
The former is carried on in Paris, where a Comite de 
Madagascar” concerns itself with the interests of the 
island. This Committee possesses no official character, 
but makes its influence felt as an advising council. Its 
members are savants and travellers, who are accurately 
acquainted with Madagascar. 
This Madagascar Committee desires in the first place 
to preserve the island from a desultory stream of im¬ 
migrants. It points out with good reason that colonists 
entirely without means cannot succeed in competition 
with the natives, that such colonists soon fall into mise¬ 
rable poverty, become a burden on the authorities 
and thus bring the colony into discredit. The Committee 
wishes to encourage those elements especially which can 
hold out for a few years, and which will at a later period 
draw after them other people of energy if of less opu¬ 
lence. 
