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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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Reference :-
C.O. 885
38416
No. 57.
EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.
THE EARL OF ELGIN to COMMISSIONER SADLER.
(Sent 5.40 p.m., November 1, 1906.)
TELEGRAM.
در
November 1. Referring to your despatch, No. 522,* you may make provision in Estimates as proposed.
40701
No. 58.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received November 5, 1906.)
[Answered by No. 59.]
SIR,
Foreign Office, November 3, 1906. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to state, for the information of the Earl of Elgin, that the French Government have now announced their willingness to ratify the Agreement signed on the 19th May, 1900, relative to the preservation of wild animals in Africa.
France and most of the other Signatory Powers have hitherto declined to ratify the Agreement pending the accession of Liberia and Abyssinia. Liberia having acceded in April, 1904, the French Government do not propose to await any longer the Emperor Menelik's assent.
Sir E. Grey proposes, therefore, subject to Lord Elgin's concurrence, to inform the Signatory Powers of the French Government's willingness to ratify, and to ask whether they also would be ready to do so.
I ain, &c.,
40701
SIR,
No. 59.
ERIC BARRINGTON.
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
[See No. 61.]
Downing Street, November 9, 1906. I AM directed by the Earl of Elgin to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd of November,† and to request you to inform Secretary Sir E. Grey that his Lordship concurs in the proposal that the Signatory Powers should be informed that the French Government are now willing to ratify the agreement signed on the 19th of May, 1900, relating to the preservation of wild animals in Africa, and should be asked whether they also are ready to ratify the agreement.
42673
No. 60.
I am, &c.,
R. L. ANTROBUS.
THE BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSOCIATION to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received November 19, 1906.)
[Copy to High Commissioners of Northern Nigeria, No. 530, and Southern Nigeria, No. 642, November 30, 1906. L.F.]
SIR,
Equitable Buildings, 13, St. Ann Street,
Manchester, November 16, 1906.
As suggested in your letter, No. 35,092, 1906, of 17th ultimo, a representa- tive of this Association had an interview with Mr. S. Stockman, the Chief
35
Veterinary Officer of the Board of Agriculture, on 2nd instant, with reference to the destruction of live stock in Nigeria caused by the tsetse fly.
2. It seems that the actual conditions existing in Nigeria at the moment are not fully known or appreciated in any Department of Government, and that no expert report has yet been made on the subject, though it is understood that the Colonial Office have applied to the Board of Agriculture for the services of a com- petent veterinary officer to visit Northern Nigeria to enquire and report on the
matter.
3. Having regard to the great importance of this question in its bearing on agricultural development generally, the Council of this Association would urge that the steps already contemplated may be carried into effect without delay, and that the investigations of the officer detailed for this important work may not be confined to Northern Nigeria, but extended to Southern Nigeria and Lagos, in which latter territories the ravages are said to be the more serious. From such information as is at present procurable, it is believed that animals in Northern Nigeria are to a great extent immune from the attacks of the fly, or that the fly does not exist there in any considerable tracts of country, while it flourishes and transmits disease in very extensive belts in Southern Nigeria and Lagos. It would thus seem essential in the interests of all parts of the territories that the investiga- tions should embrace the entire area, so that the principal locations and trend of the trouble may be determined, with a view to preventing the spread of it as far as possible, which is perhaps almost as important as discovering a cure.
4. In the interests of the cotton-growing industry particularly the Council desires to press the importance of this subject, for without the introduction of modern methods of agriculture, which call for the employment of draught and transport animals, it is impossible that the industry can reach those dimensions which the conditions of the territories in other directions indicate as possible, or that the natives of West Africa can compete on anything like equal terms with those engaged in similar and other industries in different parts of the world. The subject has a considerable and direct bearing on the labour question which must be fully appreciated by all concerned with questions affecting the territories, and which need not, therefore, be more than called attention to here.
5. There is another aspect of the subject which the Council would wish to comment on, and that is, its bearing on the question of population. It is under- stood that the infant mortality, especially in Lagos and Southern Nigeria, is most abnormal, owing, to a great extent, to the want of foodstuffs suitable for infants if weaned at the proper stage of development, and that there is an entire absence of dairy cattle, which is a serious loss to the whole community. This is believed to be due almost wholly to the destruction of live stock caused by the tsetse fly, which thus seriously affects the increase of population, which is so essential not only for the agricultural success of the territories, but for their commercial development.
6. It cannot be necessary to further press the almost vital importance of this question, which it will take a long period of years to deal with effectually, but clearly the first step desirable is to ascertain with as little delay as possible expert opinion as to the real state of the case at the moment. It is understood from Mr. Stockman that when this has been done it will no doubt be possible to make an organized effort to cope with the difficulty by tracing the life history of the cause, and at the same time by investigating the course of the diseases caused by the attacks of the tsetse and other flies, and by other methods of applied science. Such work, however, will entail very considerable expense, but I have no doubt that the Council of this Association would be prepared to consider the question of contributing towards the cost of the same.
I am, &c.,
42704
No. 61.
J. ARTHUR HUTTON.
Vice-Chairman.
• No. 52.
+ No. 58.
‡ No. 53.
E 2
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received November 20, 1906.)
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments
25910
20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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