562
( 134 )
8. As regards paragraph 6 of the Attorney General's letter of 15th September forwarding the draft Bill I can only repeat here what I have already said on the minute paper:-"As regards the last paragraph "of Enclosure 1, I think provision for such a concession might be made in so far as duty due on kernels consigned to the United Kingdom are concerned: i.e. the duty due might be waived and the bond can- "celled: as we have no desire to encourage shipment elsewhere (that being the theory) I do not see why
we should remit (i.e. refund) duty which will have been already paid."
41
9. To sum up I agree with the members of the Executive Council who think the Bill will administer the final 'coup-de-grace' to an already expiring industry as far as this Colony is concerned. Why is it expiring? I quote from the Governor's address on the 1917 Estimates:-" The prices obtainable no longer satisfy the producers or stimulate them to continuous efforts." This is what has happened at a time when competition is entirely removed: what reason have we for supposing that when and if that competition continues to be suppressed prices will again improve? On the contrary, as the Acting Comp- troller of Customs shows, there will be grave risk of their falling by at least the amount of the duty. I say 'at least' because just as the merchants pass on an increased import duty to the consumer by raising the price of the affected article by a little more than the amount of the duty (to cover the greater outlay of capital' as they say), so I apprehend that the kernel exporter will, in anticipation of having possibly to pay the duty after a harassing state of uncertainty and worry, reduce the price he pays to the producer by rather more than the actual amount of the duty.
10. As I understand the matter, the origin of the Committee was the fact that at the outbreak of war the principal market for British West African kernels was suddenly closed, with necessarily serious conse. quences to those Colonies which depend largely for their prosperity on this trade. The reasons why Germany had become this principal market were investigated and are clearly set out in section III (b) of the Com- mittee's report, but their conclusion is that the difficulties which faced the British manufacturer in 1914 before the war were none of them due to any natural disability in the British position (paragraph 2 page 17) and it is agreed that "once a market is created in the United Kingdom the security of supplies should be The crux of the matter therefore is the establishment' of (what in England is as great as in Germany." practically) a new industry and this new industry must, it is contended, be protected for a time against foreign competition. It seems to me that the time for artificial protection cannot fairly be said to arise till after-war' experience shows that the British crusher cannot get his kernels at a reasonable price. Very possibly he may have to pay more for them then, but this (unless the increase is excessive) he can pass on the to consumer of the manufactured article, so why should he be driven out of the trade?
If existing conditions do not ensure fairness to the manufacturer then the logical course would appear to be for the burden of an artificial stimulus to be shared between the producer and the consumer. Under the proposed legislation the manufacturer and the West African exporter stand to gain: the consumer may remain where he is, but the producer in the Gold Coast at any rate will almost certainly lose. If this is not so, i.e. if the expansion of markets is to prevent the producer losing, then the necessity for the artificial stimulus is not apparent. If there is a necessity for such a stimulus it should in my opinion be imposed in such a manner that the consumer as well as the producer will contribute to the cost.
11. For the reasons thus very inadequately set out above I should like to see the case for the Bill explained more fully before I have to undertake the responsibility of commending it to the Legislative Council. In its present form it will please nobody-not the merchants because of the impracticability of getting crushing certificates, not the native unofficials and the officials because it seems certain to kill an industry already depressed, but one which, if left alone after the war, might revive again. In this connection I would draw attention to the questions asked in the Legislative Council on 23rd October by Mr. Casely Hayford in which he hinted at the desirability of affording" this country "--by which he means the" abori- ginal producer "-" an opportunity of representing its views at any conference that may be called upon the matter before its interests are affected by the proposed scheme."
A. R. SLATER,
Colonial Secretary.
6th November, 1916.
Agricultural Department,
Aburi, 31st August, 1916.
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4. Qur investigations are by no means complete and are being continued as facilities offer, but as you are aware cocoa cultivation has assumed such vast proportions that most of the energy of my available staff has to be devoted to that crop; and at the present time I fail to see how I can devote more attention to oil palms than we are at present giving them, unless my staff can be increased and strengthened as suggested by Mr. Thomas Wiles in his minority report; and this, I am aware, you are not prepared to recommend at least till the war is over.
5. An area of land has been set aside on most of our Agricultural Stations for the express purpose of growing the different varieties of oil-palms raised from seeds. but owing to the difficulty experienced in raising plants from seeds, progress in this direction is slow. Amongst the best results we have obtained in raising plants so far I may quote the following for your information viz :—
6 seedlings from 374 seeds of one variety ("Abepa ") and 12 seedlings from 500) seeds of another variety
("Abedam.")
Seedlings thus obtained are not ready to plant out until they are at least 18 months old; and seeds from such again are not available,—to ascertain whether they are coming true for another four to six years It follows, therefore, that progress in such investigations must necessarily be slow.
6. There are of course other methods of extending areas presumbly with distinct varieties e.g. by transferring seedlings found growing under parent trees of known varieties; but from a scientific point of view this method is not trustworthy as it does not necessarily follow that such plants have sprung from those trees under which they are growing as they may have been brought there by birds, squirrels or other animals.
Owing to the difficulty, however, experienced in raising plants from seeds in the usual way, I would certainly recommend this method to prospective planters as practicable (although liable to error.) But it follows that before recommending any variety more definite data is required of the yield in fruits and in oil for at least a whole year of the different varieties growing under similar conditions; and this so far as I know is work that has never yet been done. So far all tests made have been from fruits gathered indiscriminately here and there and at any season of the year.
7. None of our present Stations can be said to offer satisfactory facilities for such investigations on the natural growing or existing palms although I have been endeavouring to make the most of such palms as exist on each, but the attention of the Curators is more taken up with other products; and thieving of
the fruits goes on to a considerable extent (as at Aburi) that reliable data is hard to come by.
8. Personally I am not satisfied that the varieties giving high percentage of oil are the most satis- factory to cultivate, since we have no statistics to prove that their total yield of oil and kernels in a given period is better, or as good, as other and more common varieties. The whole subject requires very thorough investigation (as pointed out by the Committee,); auch investigation, too, I consider should be carried out for the most part on (a) existing plantations with the approval and co-operation of the owners, supplemen- ted by (b) raising different varieties from seeds and the formation of plantations with each. To carry out the former (a) with success will require the undivided attention of two or more investigators with reliable native assistants, as the investigations would have to be spread over different districts where the conditions of soil and rainfall vary. The latter (b) can be further expedited with the present staff on existing agri. cultural stations.
9. If this work is to be done at all satisfactorily therefore, two Europeans and two Native Assistants would require to be set apart primarily, and almost exclusively, for the work and supplied with the necessary apparatus for carrying out teats.
This would represent an expenditure, which I am doubtful if you will entertain, either now or in the near future?
An estimate can be submitted should you desire it. But I would add, and I am quite convinced on this point, our knowledge of the oil-palms in the Gold Coast will not be much further advanced until something on these lines is attempted.
Extrack.
Enclosure 5 in Gold Coast No. 823 of 8th November, 1916.
Sir,
3. With reference to your request that I should submit proposals for making further investigations regarding the production and cultivation of the best variety of oil palm, I would remind you that my depart ment has probably done more in this connection than any other similar department in the British West African Colonies, and much of the evidence given before the Committee by Dr. Henry of the Imperial Institute was the results of our preliminary work.
I have, etc.,
W. 8. D. TUDHOPE,
Director of Agriculture.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference :-
885/25
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
Enclosure VIII.-[Vide paragraph 43.]
PRINCIPAL ARTICLES SHOWING COUNTRIES WHENCE IMPORTED AND VALUES FOR THE YEARS 1909 TO 1916,
Articles.
Countries whence Imported.
1909
1910
1911
1912.
1913.
1914.
1915.
1916.
Remarks.
Value.
Value.
Value.
Value.
Value
Value.
Value.
Value.
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
£
Ale & Porter
United Kingdom
4,283
5,100
5,258
6,842
Germany
6,145
9,267
10,332
Frauce
62
13,193
10
7,845
13,342
9,329
12,254
15,718
25,710
447
36
45
U.S. America
383
93
8
326
1,073
Holland
250
146
Other British Colonies
">
Foreign Countries
2
امون
494
413
258
472
1,839
2,566
2
3
3
21
299
281
450
681
1,660
908
10,680
14,517
16,830
20,742
21,991
22,765
20,026
30,307
Apparel wearing
United Kingdom
64,242
86,782
69,011
77,941
71,112
87,610
76,556
142,764
Germany
6,087
8,141
12,830
16,185
11,368
8,701
177
France
120
301
783
956
843
940
586
2,129
U.S. America
181
336
276
370
299
2,185
Holland
.1,973
4,941
2,956
2,537
1,920
2,426
2,155
476
Nigeria
1,035
1,210
993
359
484
456
595
849
Sierra Leone
97
34
117
14
-29
46
154
139
Other British Colonies
235
243
323
408
463
147
148
85
Foreign Countries
2,026
4,114
5,221
5,178
5,060
6,318
3,998
4,309
↓
75,815
105,766
91,815
103,914
91,555
107,014
84,608
152,936