, 1884-07-26
HE 20 4! WIS., %
Gtriatja1stsa, 81, srui1,
Saturday, 10Th July, 1884.

The formation of an agricultural society
here naturally suggests the question, what
can such a society do for the furtherance of
ihe agricultural prosperity Of the islands
The pressure which has led to its forma-
ZION will not, We venture to think, receive
much immediate reliefthereby. The labOur
question is one of those questions, which,
in the absence of tOrce, must have their own
way. The society it is true may study
SchmpS Of immigration, but will it find any
new solution in that direction All the
schemes hitherto thought Of have had their
difficulties. and we believe two which have
been tried have 50 far resulted in failure.
TIlebest sources oflabour for us are undoubt.
eddy the surrounding West Indian Islands,
and although we have lately received a
few labourerS frt III these, the most definite
step towards obtaining them, undertaken
through a reliable and honorable agent,
and in the island which has an Overplus
Of population, was a complete failure,
chiefly from the competition of Demerara
and Trinidad, countries of great fertility,
where the BarOadian laOOnrerS can obtain
higher wages than we are able to offer
them here. Coolie immigration has not
proved a great success here, and involves
considerable expenses for supervision
on the part of the British Government.
Chinese immigration again is so risky, as
we have seen in the Antigua expert.
ment, that there is no encouragement to
venture into that field. In short the pro.
blpm is brspt with difficulties.
If from the labour question we turn to
the question Of finance, there seems as
little hope of accomplishing anything.
The agitation now going on HI the English
VNT.,+ Jli. 80, f, tim ..lnAl-lIAh of U,Ihnlol
sugars to the United States market free
of duty does not seem to us likely to lead
to any result. Ifthuse SuA ars, as now adj.
mittel, cannot be probably grown, and
by a change in the tariff could be-
proftahly grown, then the difference
arises somewhere outside the West
Indies. 1t is nonsense to suppose that
tariff changes can create wealth, they
simply shift the burden on to some
body plSe's shoulders. Besides we must
remember that while the admission
of one or two small countries to a privilege
Of that kind is a valuable gift, the extern
sion of the privilege to all destroys the
e eater part Of it's value. 1t does not seem
to us therefore that anything is to be gain.
ed 10y joining in agitatlons Tor tariff
changes.
Still an Agricultural Society might by
degrees do much tor the island. Its meet
inss would afford opportunities for discus.
sing the best ways i'll which the various
difficulties Of cultivation here could be met,
and for comparing experiences, by which
The weak and strong points OF each ones
plans would be seen, to the common advan-
tage of all. Such a society could also
place itself in communication with other
similar societies in other islands, and from
their larger experience as detailed in their
reports and papers might derive very
valuable hints.
We hope, then, that the new agricultural
society will not be regarded only as a tenn
porary expedient for helping to tide over a
crisis, but will be established on a perma-
nent basis, with its regular meetings, its
communications read 10y members, its cor
respoudence with other societies, and it's
library Of books and pamphlets for general
use. If such should arise it would be
another illustration of the common expe-
rience that good so very often comes out
of evil.