548
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8. After consulting your Hon. Members with this matter, I have full confidence that you, and your colleagues will endeavour to do something as patriotic men to see that some change is modified in this Export Duty; so as to relieve the poor farmers from their cry, and in so doing it will manifest to all concern, that your places as members of the Legislative Council are not there for any other purpose, but for the improve- ment of your mother country. I am forwarding copy of this letter to other un-official members.
Your favourable reply will be highly esteemed.
THE HON.
CASELY HAYFORD,
SECCONDEE.
DEAR SIR,
With reference to the above subject, which I understand is being brought into force to this Colony, will doubtlessly ruin this Colony, and as a farmer I deem it my bounding duty to approach you Honourable Members of the Legislative Council of this Colony whether you will be able to do something towards and the welfare of your countrymen.
2. I will also mention that although the land and Forestry Bill have been deleted in the mind of the Government which was caused through the patriotic influence of the Aborigines Society, yet in the other hand the Export Duty forms a piller of the Land and Forestry Bill and the land is being taxed in a way which we as native farmers will not understand; although nothing have been made for the poor farmers, I would also like you to know that we are paying two duties:-Import and Export.
3. As much as the Colony is in need of proper Secondry Schools, it is also necessary for Agricultural colleges and good roads as well as bonus to the farmers who are doing good work in absence of these privi- leges yet they are being called upon to pay taxes which should not have been levied.
4. I would also like to mention the expenses which the poor farmers are subjected to, in planting and other produce, although I have no knowledge of proper agriculturist yet as a native farmer I append the following for your information.
EXPENSES.
To clear and maintain a farm of 200 ft. by 400 ft.
1st year clearing the bush
Felling large trees
Planting young cocoa trees, etc. Clearing weeds
£4
8
**2∞
::::
::::
£22
| |
8
SIB,
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
J. NORTEI ALEMA,
Farmer.
Enclosure III in Gold Coast Confidential Despatch of 15th August, 1917.
ACCEA,
GOLD COAST, WEST AFRICA,
16TH JANUARY, 1917.
سا
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
गय
Reference :--
61
C.O.
885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
The above are estimated with the greatest economy.
5. The trees generally commence yielding from the 4th year as follows:-
4th year 3 loads @ 20/-
£3
5th year
6 loads 20/- 6th &c. 12 loads 20/-
6
12
"
£21
During these years the payment to the overseers for plucking and drying the cocoa is 3)- on a load, and transport at a distance of 20 miles where there are no good roads is 4/- a load, also expenses of clearing weeds during the yielding season of the crops are estimated to be £6 a year.
In 1911 a Bill was in contemplation to introduce this Export Dury on cocoa and rubber, but through the instrumentality of the Hon. Grey and others it was not put forward.
6. It is not my intention whatever to protest any taxation which the Government deem necessary to tax in order to help the proper management of the affairs of the Government; but this particular tax which will hinder the progress of the Colony in general as far as farmers are concerned; and especially as the native farmers have not known the Cocoa fermentation thoroughly and without good implements to work with.
7. I think in other part of the world under the British Flag where agriculture is the main business of the natives somethings are being done to the farmers as encouragement in their undertakings.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your communication of the 29th ultimo, No. 115/71M. P. 19657/16, on the subject of the recommendations of the Paris Conference, and on the questions propounded to the Commercial and Industrial Policy Committee," and asking my opinion thereon; also enclosing a memo- randum by Mr. Mitchell, the Assistant Comptroller of Customs.
I may say that in the main I am in agreement with Mr. Mitchell's report. All the recommendations of the Paris Conference as to the measures to be adopted during the war have already been carried out in this Colony and I think with general approval, so that we are really only concerned with the measures recommended for adoption during the period of reconstruction after the war, and with the permanent arrangements which should be made between the allies in regard to their trades relations.
With regard to enemy businesses in this Colony now closed up but which might seek to re-establish in the Colony after the war, I am of opinion that it is in the interest of the Colony that such firms should not be allowed to re-establish themselves if only on account of the bad influence they have on the native population. The best plan will be to forbid enemy firms or any firm having an enemy share-holder or supported by enemy money from trading at all in the Colony. As an alternative some such proposal for taxation as suggested by Mr. Mitchell might be adopted.
With reference to reserving our exports for the British Empire and her allies, I consider that our exports should have a free market, and that it would be against the interests of the Colony to close enemy markets to our products. The one exception to this is Palm Kernels, and the principal of imposing an export duty on shipments of Palm Kernels to places outside the British Empire has already been approved, but this is done with the object of transferring what was a German monopoly before and making it a British monopoly, and the Kernels are as likely to have as good a market amongst British crushing firms as formerly amongst German crushing firms. With Cocoa in which the Gold Coast is mainly interested, if the market is res- tricted the price will be affected.
Page 600Page 601
549
;
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TITLUCO.885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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As to the means by which enemy imports should be restricted the most practical means would be, as suggested by Mr. Mitchell, to put a tax on them. I would, however, point out in regard to the suggestion of ten per cent. (10%), that in many cases this would not be sufficient to exclude all enemy lines. As instan- ces of this, Austrian Beads and German Matchets and Enamelware, would not be kept out by a surtax of ten per cent. (10%). German Enamelware, for instance, before the war was not only about fifteen per cent. (15%) under the cost of Birmingham and American Enamelware but was also better quality.
With regard to taxing neutral imports, I do not think that there would be any advantage in doing this as most of the imports into this Colony from neutral countries are articles which cannot be supplied by the United Kingdom in the right quality or at anything near the same price, and if we tax such imports it would only have the effect of increasing the price in the Colony without benefiting British manufacturers. Holland supplies Gin which could not be obtained elsewhere, and the United Kingdom cannot compete with Matches obtained from Sweden. The United States of America supply Flour, Pork and Beef in barrels, Lumber, Kerosene, Rum, Unmanufactured Tobacco and cheap Motor Cars, all of which cannot be obtained elsewhere and which it would be against the interest of the Colony to tax.
As to the recovery of British trade lost during the war, I do not think this is a matter which should trouble us in this Colony. The only neutral country which has gained to any extent is the United States. of America, but this is due to the difficulties now being experienced by manufacturers in the United Kingdom and the British manufacturers will recover our trade as soon as the difficulties incidental to the war have ceased.
The last question is the treatment of enemy shipping. I agree with Mr. Mitchell that the only effectual way to penalise German shipping would be to impose a tax on goods imported or exported by their ships.
THE HONOURABLE
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,
VICTORIAFORO, Accra.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
J. M. PARKER.
Enclosure IV in Gold Coast Confidential Despatch of 15th August, 1917.
OFORI ATTA,
OFORI PANIN FIE,
OMANHENE,
AKIM ABUAKWA.
No. 209/65/17.
SIR,
AKYEM ÁHENFIE,
KIBBI AKIM ÁBUAKWA,
GOLD COAST,-WEST AFRICA.
24TH APRIL, 1917.
I have the honour most respectfully to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 115/ M.P. 19657/16, dated the 29th December last, on the subject of the Commercial and Industrial Policy to be adopted by the Governments of the British Empire and Allied Governments after the War.
2. I may state at once that having regard to the most inhuman manner in which the Germans have carried out this War, and to the consequent misery inflicted upon all the peoples connected with the Great Powers upon whom the War has been forced, any action, the tendency of which is to penalize Germany and her Allies in a way that will ever keep afresh recollections of their conduct of the War, must, in my opinion, be absolutely and emphatically supported; and on the whole, there must be no lingering about the necessity for an establishment of a system whereby Germany and her Allies will find it impracticable to acquire riches in and out of places which they made in their aggressive aim to bring under their opprès- sive Rule, if not to devastate them. The situation is really of such great vital importance that we must smack the bear before it is killed, and in view of the admirable and surprising recent events, we are more than ever before confirmed in our belief that the "beast " is going to be killed sooner or later; the Resó- lutions of the Paris Conference are therefore highly commendable.
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3. Nevertheless, whilst Great Britain and her Allies are properly taking steps to frustrate Germany's plan of dominating the markets of the world, it becomes, I think, the bounden duty of the Local Govern- ments charged with the administration of the dependent possessions, to see that the exclusion of the Enemy's Trade does not, in the end, inflict any loss upon or place the people resident in the Colonies to any
dis- advantage whatsoever, for, to me, it appears, that it is not for the purpose of benefitting certain selected individuals or some special classes of the community that we must all stir ourselves now to meet, combat, and defeat this second phase of War which Germany will certainly try to make after the declaration of peace, but rather with a view to the sustenance and advancement of the Empire as a whole.
4. The most comprehensive manner in which the Assistant Comptroller of Customs has dealt with the various questions affecting this Colony leaves but very little to say with respect to the Resolutions of the Paris Conference.
5. With regard to the measures to be adopted during the War. Perhaps with but one doubtful exception and in this case too, the Government must have, I believe, satisfied itself thoroughly as it has done in other cases with regard to the propriety of all the existing Firms continuing to trade in the Colony, their association with any person or persons of Enemy nationality having been minutely scrutinized and disproved ample steps have been taken, so far as this Colony is concerned, to carry into effect the Resolu- tion of the Paris Conference relating to the carrying on of business transactions with Enemy Firms. The delay in taking final action with regard to the Enemy properties seized in the Colony is, I presume, due to the greater caution which the Gold Coast Government desires to take so as to avoid any complications or undue criticisms of its actions, and there is every reason to believe that due effect will be given to this part of the Resolution as early as convenient.
6. Now with regard to the measures to be adopted during the period of reconstruction after the War, and to the permanent measures of mutual assistance and collaboration among the Allies. With our exports, Gold Coast is, I believe, quite capable of doing its fair bit and of preserving its place as a not less valuable asset to the Empire, and I agree with Mr. Mitchell in the views expressed in paragraphs 11-17 of his Memorandum as to the way in which we could reserve our various exports for the Empire, but I would like to add that I do not consider that the material interests of the Empire will be adversely affected, if, after the War, permission is granted to British and Allied Firms to dump into Enemy Countries the surplus of any economic product remaining over after our requirements and those of our Allies have been satisfied, provided always that such shipments to those Countries are made with the knowledge and consent of the Government. In my opinion, a tax on products to Enemy Countries will benefit the exporter but fall on the producer.
7. In this connection I would beg to recall our old but concrete grievance as to the fact that the Native Producer has not hitherto been fairly treated with regard to the products of the country, and that proper encouragement has been wanting on the part of the Commercial Houses in the Colony, with the effect that Cocoa, the staple Industry of the Country, is still very lowly standardized. We have been told that upon some technical grounds, the inducement which could have been given to the Native Farmer to enable him to produce the best quality of Cocoa must not be expected; the result of this is, I consider, as extremely unpleasant to the Empire as it is to the individual Native Producer. With proper inducement we could certainly be relied upon to produce our Cocoa in the desirable quality, and therewith serve the Empire better than we are now capable of doing in the matter of this Industry. For as Mr. Mitchell most truly points out many of the various grades which are required for different manufacturing purposes in Great Britain and France "are not produced in this Colony." This is very unsatisfactory. I submit that the disease which has been denied its proper treatment has not yet reached a desperate stage, and if the Govern- ment would now take measures to at least interfere with any policy in which the Native Farmer and the immediately disinterested public have little or no confidence, much would be done towards the develop- ment of the resources of the Colony and of the Empire. Moreover in order that every assiduity could be concentrated upon making this Country a source of material gain to the Empire, it is to be expected that any direct taxation upon Cocoa or any other product in the Country, the imposition of which, was considered unavoidable because of the War, would be removed as soon as the peculiar circumstances cease to exist. May I further be permitted to express the hope that after the War, and as soon as the necessary arrange- ments could be made, the Gold Coast Government would offer every facility and encourage the promotion of a scheme for an establishment of manufacturing centres in the Colony. This will bestow an immense benefit upon this Colony which commands such a heavy stock of raw materials.
8. Now as regards the imports, the fact should not be lost sight of that some of the Enemy Firms had sufficient attraction to certain of their goods not only because of their superior quality, but of their in- dispensability as our immediate necessaries, nor should there be an attempt to disguise the further fact that the great rapidity with which the existing Firms availed themselves of the opportunity afforded by the Exclusion of Enemy Trade whereupon they monopolized the Trade in the Colony which resulted in the extraordinary elevation of prices of their goods-some having been raised 100 per cens f not more, qu.te beyond any reasonable expectation-did not distress the Natives considerably; and the reason why no loud and vehement cries were uttered so as to expose the intenseness of our feelings in the matter must