461
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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that Your Excellency should come here and take exactly every point that every one of them may have thought of saying.
There are only one or two points of which I do not think mention has been made. One of these is concerning the preferential tax on palm kernels not crushed within the Empire. I think one of the important points is that, when this is imposed, the trade with Hamburg in that commodity will cease. The mills there will practically be idle, and, if Germany still wishes to crush kernels, though I do not think they will have money for much enterprise after the War, they must come and erect mills and crush them in the British Empire. That seems to me a great point, for we shall then have a hold over such mills if they are on British territory, while the ships must go to and from British harbours and will, we hope, be British.
With regard to the question of spirits, I entirely agree with the remarks of my honourable friend the Central Secretary on this subject. I will, however, go further in saying that I have been inquiring recently from all parts of the Southern Provinces if there has been any increase in the number of palm trees which have been felled with the object of preparing palm wine from them, and I cannot find that there has been any increase in any part. I think, therefore, that is one more argument in favour of decreasing, as far as possible, the importa- tion of spirits and increasing the imports of British cotton and other goods. It used to be argued that, if we decrease the importation of spirits, the palm trees will be severely tapped for palm wine and the export or paim proauce will suffer. As a matter of fact. as far as we can now see, the decrease of spirits has not had that effect.
As regards development, there is a point which I think would also help the development of Nigeria, and that is that the native merchants should show even more enterprise than they have done in the past. They are rather inclined to There is give way before a European. I do not see any reason why they should. plenty of room for both of them, and, I think, with the opening of the Eastern Railway and the arrival of Calabar, Opobo, Yoruba, and other traders at the large markets of the interior with ample means of transport, they will very largely assist in the development of the natural resources of Nigeria.
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As regards shipping, perhaps my honourable friend at the right end of the table (Mr. Evans) went somewhat further than I am prepared to go, in wishing that British shipping should have a complete monopoly. I am afraid I am one of " with those who advocate the open door" policy, or, at most, the "open door some preference for Great Britain and, although several members of this Council do not seem to appreciate it, I think we can take measures which will allow of other shipping coming to our harbours without getting the full advantages that British shipping may have. A very slight preference to British shipping at British ports would give such shipping almost a monopoly.
The only other point which has occurred to me is that mentioned about the introduction of machinery. That is, of course, a most excellent thing to do, and certainly the cocoa industry much needs it, so that the cocoa may be prepared to the best advantage for the home markets. At the same time, I should like to see private enterprise come in, and I think that our cocoa planters and other native traders might very well combine and start their machinery, and then show others how to work it. Many of them are perfectly well able to do so and are very capable I hope, therefore, that they will take the Honourable Mr. Ajasa's words to heart and co-operate to start their machinery on their own account without the necessity of Government coming in to their assistance.
men.
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THE HONOURABLE the Attorney-General :-Your Excellency: There appears to be only one point on which the Council seems to be in disagreement, and that is the question of the open door "one which is, admittedly, a very difficult matter. Your Excellency, in your remarks, said that you were strongly in favour of the open door" policy-by which I understand you to mean that the country should be open to any foreign capital-but that, at the same time, Your Excellency recognized that safeguards must be imposed which would prevent abuses which had taken place in the past. and for which the Germans had been responsible. One safeguard suggested was that no alien should acquire freehold, but that they should be allowed to acquire leasehold. Your Excellency did not say what restric tions should be imposed, or how they should be imposed, on the acquisition </ leasehold by foreigners. A leasehold of ninety-nine years in the case of, we will say, an enemy trader might be as dangerous as a freehold, and it is, therefore, I submit,
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necessary that power should be taken by Government to control all acquisition of land, whether freehold or leasehold. I am not certain that I am in favour of the absolute prohibition of the acquisition of freehold by foreigners. We have a few here the French Company, for instance who hold freehold land, and I do not know whether there is any objection to their acquiring other freehold land, but I think it is very necessary that there should be no acquisition of freehold by any alien without very careful consideration of the matter on the part of the Govern- As some of the honourable members, no doubt, know, in some of our colonies, a foreigner can only acquire freehold under the authority of an Ordinance, and I think the principle should be adopted here.
ment.
Now, as regards the acquisition of leasehold property, I submit that this should only be possible with the approval of the Governor, and that the Governor should only be empowered to approve a lease of a duration not exceeding twenty-one years. There might be cases in which it will be only right that an alien should be allowed to acquire a lease for a longer term, but this should require the approval of both the Governor and Secretary of State.
There is one matter which has not been touched on, and with regard to which Certain it would be dangerous, I think, to allow a foreigner to take control. minerals are essential for national defence, and I think it right that foreigners should not acquire the right to mine minerals of that class. Under the law as it stands there are no restrictions on a foreigner obtaining an exclusive prospect- ing licence, and, having obtained that licence, he has the right to demand leases to mine minerals found within the area of his exclusive prospecting licence, and I submit that, in the interests of this country, it should not be possible for a foreigner to be in a position to demand a lease which would give him control over minerals which are required for national defence. The law should empower the Government to prevent any land or minerals getting under foreign control, when such control would be contrary to the interest of the Empire.
The honourable the Central Secretary suggested that it was not contemplated by the Allied Governments that enemy subjects should be excluded from the Allied territories absolutely, but that they would be only prevented from exercising in those territories certain industries or professions which concern national defence or economic independence. We are invited, I understand, to suggest any additions to or modifications in the proposals of the Paris Conference in their application to Nigeria. It may well be that under the conditions obtaining in the United King- dom there may be no objections to enemy subjects occupying land or carrying on business in the United Kingdom after the War, but the conditions here are very different. We know, from our past experience, the effect of the Germans being allowed to carry on trade here without necessary safeguards, and our position 18 such that we can put forward a very strong case indeed for insisting that no enemy subjects shall come into this country to carry on trade for a certain term of years. That the exclusion of enemy subjects from the United Kingdom is not considered necessary does not affect our position here. We are concerned with the particular circumstances of Nigeria, and I submit that it will be extremely dangerous to allow any enemy subject to come here and carry on trade for some time to come.
THE HONOURABLE THE RESIDENT, Bauchi Province :-Your Excellency: I would like to associate myself with what has been said by the previous speakers on this question, more especially with the points raised by the honourable the Attorney- General.
I certainly agree with the honourable member that foreigners should not be allowed to acquire the right to mine in this country minerals which are essential for national defence.
I also wish to say, on behalf of the natives of the Northern Provinces, that one of the most important points to agricultural people is the necessity of not letting the prices of produce fall very low. I would take, for instance, the case of ground,
nuts.
If the price rises very much next year, and a large amount of the product is grown, and the price falls very much subsequently, it will seriously affect the future production. I think that is a point which should be taken into consideration. The natives should be protected in the sale of their produce in every possible way. If they cannot secure a good market for their produce, it is possible that may have a long lasting result in their showing less interest in its development.
HIS HONOUR THE ACTING LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. Northern Provinces :-Your Excellency and honourable members of the Council: In so far as I understand the Allied policy that it is proposed to pursue after the War. I cannot conceive that there will be any difficulty raised in Nigeria to supporting the appropriate measures
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