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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
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C.O. 885
22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Christineville Rubber Estates, Limited, London. Lowlands Rubber Estates (Ceylon), Limited, London. Filisola Rubber and Produce Estates, Limited, London. Mabira Forest Rubber Company, Limited, London. Bibile Rubber Company, Limited, London.
African Lakes Corporation, Glasgow.
Liberian Rubber Corporation, London. Molesworth Rubber Estates, Limited. London. Mombo Rubber Plantation, Limited, London.
Linggi Plantations, Limited, London.
Kuala Lumpur Rubber Company, Limited. London.
Fibres.-The Imperial Institute has devoted considerable attention to the investi- gation of the various fibres which occur in the Colonies and India, as will be seen from the Selected Reports on Fibres which have been issued (Colonial Reports Miscellaneous, No. 58). The results of these investigations have been very useful in indicating to British firms new fibres of promising quality and new sources of well- known fibres. In this connection special reference may be made to the work done for British planting companies operating in the East Africa Protectorate in connec- tion with the cultivation and production of Sisal and Sansevieria fibres, which are now being exported on a large scale, thus affording a new supply of raw material for British rope-makers. Among the firms to whom assistance was rendered in the initial stages of the industry the following may be mentioned:-
The London and South African Agency, Limited.
The Oceana Consolidated Company, Limited.
The British East Africa Corporation, Limited.
The East African Industries, Limited.
The East African Development Company, Limited.
Recently there has been a considerable diminution in the amount of jute exported from India, and in consequence jute spinners in this country have been anxious to obtain supplies of suitable substitutes. In conjunction with Dundee spinners, through the Dundee Chamber of Commerce, the Imperial Institute carried out a long series of investigations with a number of jute-like fibres from West Africa, and one at least of these, Rama or Ramma fibre from Northern Nigeria, is now being imported into the United Kingdom in commercial quantities.
Leaving vegetable products, some examples of the commercial results of the work of the Imperial Institute on minerals may be given.
Thorianite.--In the course of the work of the Mineral Survey of Ceylon, which was initiated by the Director of the Imperial Institute and is conducted in conjunc- tion with the Imperial Institute, specimens of minerals supposed to be monazite and uraninite, two well-known minerals, were forwarded to the Imperial Institute for examination. The supposed monazite proved to be the rare mineral thorite, a silicate of thorium containing over 66 per cent. of thorium oxide (thoria), whilst the supposed uraninite was found to be a new mineral, which was named thorianite.
In composition thorianite is essentially a mixture of thorium and uranium oxides, containing about 75 per cent. of thorium oxide. It is therefore richer in thoria than any other known mineral,
Thoria is extensively used in the manufacture of the mantles employed in incandescent gas lighting, and previous to the discovery of thorianite it was obtained almost entirely from monazite, the principal deposits of which occur in Brazil and Carolina. The trade in monazite and the production of thoria were largely con- trolled by a German syndicate to the detriment of British manufacturers.
The existence of deposits of thorianite in Ceylon was therefore of the highest importance to British users of thoria, as it afforded a supply outside the control of the syndicate. Consignments were forwarded to this country for sale and the mineral was brought to the notice of British manufacturers preparing or using thoria. As a result of this action the consignments were sold to Messrs. Howards and Sons, of Stratford, E. (now Messrs. Hopkin and Williams), and to Messrs. A. Branwell and Company, Great Tower Street, London, E.C., at the rate of £21 per ton per unit per cent. of thoria, i.e., £1,470 per ton for thorianite containing 70 per cent. of thoria. Subsequent consignments of the mineral have been readily sold, and at present the demand exceeds the supply available in Ceylon.
Recently the Imperial Institute has examined samples of monazite sand from new deposits which have been discovered in Travancore, Southern India, and at the request of British manufacturers interested in thoria enquiries are now being addressed to the Travancore Government as to the possibility of granting further concessions to work the deposits.
Tin in Northern Nigeria.-The occurrence of tinstone in Northern Nigeria had been known for many years, but no systematic examination of the country to deter- mine the extent of the deposits had been made until that undertaken by the mineral survey arranged at the suggestion of the Director of the Imperial Institute and working in conjunction with the Imperial Institute.
As a result of this survey tinstone was found to be widely distributed in the Protectorate, being recorded from many localities in the Bauchi, Zaria, Muri, Nassarawa, Ilorin, and Yola Provinces.
The discoveries of the survey regarding the distribution of tinstone in Northern Nigeria, together with the results of the examination at the Imperial Institute of a large number of concentrates obtained in the course of the work, were published in the reports of the survey (Colonial Reports-Miscellaneous) and attracted consider- able attention in mining circles. The development of many of the tin areas examined and reported on by the survey was soon taken up by mining engineers, and it claimed that the development of the tin mining industry of Northern Nigeria, which has now attained such large dimensions, is principally due to the pioneer work of the survey and the investigations conducted at the Imperial Institute. A very large amount of British capital is now invested in this industry, and the ore is shipped to this country.
(2) PRODUCTS PREPARED BY IMPROVED PROCESSES.
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In reporting on products submitted from the Colonies and India, it is frequently possible to suggest improvements in the methods of preparation whereby the value of the materials to British manufacturers would be increased. adoption of the suggestions made by the Imperial Institute has led to important In certain cases the commercial results, of which the following examples may be given : -
Gold Coast Cocoa-Cocoa is now one of the principal exports from the Gold Coast, but the product was formerly of inferior quality and was chiefly sold on the Continent and not in the United Kingdom. As the result of the examination of a number of samples of Gold Coast cocoa at the Imperial Institute, recommendations were made for the improvement of the methods of preparation employed, and subse- quently two consignnients of selected cocoa, prepared by the processes suggested. were forwarded to the Imperial Institute for sale. Samples of these cocoas were widely distributed to British manufacturers and merchants, and the consignments were sold in this country at prices considerably in advance of those obtained for the ordinary grades of Gold Coast cocoas. This action demonstrated the fact that cocoa of the quality demanded by British manufacturers could be produced in the Gold Coast, and several firms in this country were induced to take an interest in the matter. One of these firms. Messrs. Cadbury, despatched a representative to the Colony to study the question on the spot, and subsequently established buying agencies in the Gold Coast.
The measures taken to improve the quality of Gold Coast cocoa have therefore opened up a fresh source of supply to British manufacturers and rendered them less dependent on foreign sources.
Similar action to that indicated above has been taken by the Imperial Institute with regard to Sierra Leone ginger and West African rubber.
(3) KNOWN PRODUCTS FROM NEW SOURCES.
The Imperial Institute has rendered considerable service to British trade by encouraging the production in new localities of well-known products for which there is a large demand commercially. The following examples may be given:—
Cotton. Important assistance has been rendered by the Imperial Institute to the project for encouraging the cultivation of cotton in the British Colonies and Protectorates, and investigations have been conducted in association with the Agri- cultural Departments in the Colonies and Protectorates as well as with the British
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