Father of Local Government’ remembered

A MONUMENT honouring James McFarlane Corry has been refurbished in Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara after years of neglect, something which President David Granger promised would not occur in the future. At a remembrance ceremony yesterday in the community, the President vowed that he will do everything in his power to ensure that the site becomes part of Guyana’s national heritage.
“I say that because I have been confident in the last five years that James McFarlane Corry’s service has been little recognised and little valued over the years,” President Granger told a large gathering.

Corry has been described by many as the “Father of Local government,”given the fact that he was elected as the third Village Chairman of Den Amstel in 1895 and served until 1922.
Corry was born in 1850 and died at the age of 74 in 1924 and, according to the President, he is remembered for his sedulous work in Den Amstel and in the villages of Guyana, along with his visionary leadership in the establishment of a chain of Co-operative Credit Banks.

 

He was a village leader and founder of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) branch in Den Amstel in 1888 and remained as president for 27 years. The association was credited, at that time, with providing for the moral and intellectual improvement of the villagers, among other things.
According to President Granger, Corry was a professional man who became a Magistrate’s Clerk in 1881 and was subsequently appointed as Stipendiary Magistrate in 1911. He also served as a Justice of the Peace in the district.

Residents were informed that while serving as Chairman of Den Amstel, Corry was inaugurated at the countrywide Village Chairmen’s Conference at which he was elected its first Chairman in 1904 and served for two decades until his death in 1924. The Village Chairmen’s Conference was aimed at improving village life and strengthening local democracy.

Corry became aware of the functioning of “Raiffeisen” banks in Austria, which provided small loans at low rates for designated purposes to worthy members of the German agrarian population.
He thought this was a good idea for local farmers and took the idea to the notice of the Conference in August 1904, admitting, at the same time, that he knew nothing of how such banks actually functioned. The Conference decided to obtain help and as a result certain representatives of the Conference were invited to a meeting of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society (RACS) where a paper was presented on the subject.

It was noted that certain members of Victoria Village modified the suggested plan to suit their local conditions and in August 1905, started the first local Co-operative Credit Bank.

 

According to President Granger, “The Co-operative Credit Bank did much good work in saving the small farmers from loan sharks and assorted money-lenders. It assisted them to overcome the vagaries and the inevitable difficult periods which afflict peasant farming on the coastland.”
As such, Corry was recognised as the individual “who had brought forward the movement.”

Corry, the Leader
The President described Cory as a leader who gave the Village Chairmen’s Conference its initial direction and the benefit of leadership.
“It was similar to the leadership that had appeared in the Agricultural Improvement Societies. The Conference and the Societies worked towards similar objectives – the improvement of the lives of proprietors with houselots and farmlands and the improvement of village conditions in general.”
According to the President, Corry bequeathed a rich legacy of leadership in rural communities, Christian stewardship, organisational ability, communication skills, visionary planning and public service.

“Corry was a great guide and a worthy helmsman during a difficult stage in the evolution of rural Guyana.”
The President said, “James Mc Farlane Corry will always have a place in the history of our country and the memory of people who live in villages such as Den Amstel.”