178
,
214
from the average of the years before the financial crisis after pro- viding for increased debt charges which have risen from Rs.1,557,826 in 1928-29 to Rs.2,334,191 in the current year. The progressive depression in the sugar industry has unfortunately made it impossible to sustain the revenues during this period. The value of exports fell from Rs.52,449,676 in 1929 to Rs.23,829,884 in 1931 and the excess of imports over exports for the years 1930 and 1931 amounted to Rs.21,500,000 approximately in spite of the fact that imports declined in value from Rs.46,428,424 in 1929 to Rs.32,064,074 in 1931. It is unnecessary to insist on the significance of these figures as an indication of the decline of purchasing power and taxable capacity. Unhappily, the sugar trade at the time of writing has reached a still lower level of depression. The price of sugar at the moment is under £8 a ton for preferential sugar of 98 degree polarization. At this price, the value of even a full sugar crop of say 230,000 tons would only be about Rs.23,000,000 to Rs. 24,000,000. In these circumstances, I most reluctantly submit that, unless there is a definite improvement in conditions in the near future, the balancing of the local budget for 1932-33 will be a task beyond the depleted resources of the Colony if the continuance of normal administration is to be provided for.
I have, &c.,
W. E. JACKSON,
Governor.
C. 93942/32 [No. 9].
No. 74.
Despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Governor of Mauritius.
(Confidential.)
SIB,
DOWNING STREET,
31st May, 1932.
With reference to your confidential despatch of the 17th of November 1931,* I have the honour to address you on the subject of the proposals of the Financial Commission for the reorganization of the Agricultural Department, which were contained in Chapter VII of the Report.
2. I am in agreement with the views expressed by the Financial Commissioners regarding the general organization of the Agricultural Department.
215
3. With the assistance of the Director of the Imperial Institute of Entomology and my Agricultural Adviser, Mr. F. A. Stockdale, I have considered the proposal to abandon the purchase of Phytalus Smithi beetles, and in this connexion I enclose a copy of a letter* received from Mr. Stockdale, who has been visiting the West Indies together with a copy of a memorandum by Mr. Ř. W. E. Tucker, which he enclosed. I have come to the conclusion that it will be necessary to maintain some method of field control of the Phytalus pest on small properties, and that the best method of control for the time being appears to be to continue to pay for the collection of the beetles. The necessary expenditure should be met, how- ever, from special funds to be raised by a cess on the industry as a whole, and no part of it should fall on general revenue. I will aldress you further regarding future policy in relation to the Phytalus problem when I am in a position to reply to your telegram No. 75 of the 3rd of May requesting the selection of au Entomologist qualified to undertake the investigation into this problem.
4. I approve the closing down of the Stockbreeders' Subsidizing
Fund.
5. If the Government Dairy is to be continued, it should only be on the condition that it is entirely self-supporting. I should be prepared to approve of its being closed down if you were satisfied that it could not serve any of the following useful purposes :-
You
(a) As a demonstration to private parties;
(b) To supply milk at cost to deserving institutions;
(c) As a part of a scheme for live-stock improvement.
may, however, prefer to give the dairy a further trial on a reorganized basis or to defer a decision, as it is possible that Mr. Montgomery, iny Adviser on Animal Health, may be visiting East Africa this year, and may in that event be able to extend his visit to Mauritius, when this and similar questions could be discussed with him. I will address you later when it has been possible to decide whether such a visit can be arranged.
I have, &c.,
P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER.
* No. 40.
* C. 93942/32 (No. 6]: not printed.
† C. 93979/32 [No. 1]: not printed.
10430
02
?
PUBLIC PECORD
OFFICE
། ?། ། ། །
Reference →→
Hhh C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON]
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BF REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.