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(b) What steps should be taken to recover home and foreign trade lost during

the War, and to secure new markets.

(c) To what extent and by what means the resources of the Empire should,

and can, be developed.

(d) To what extent and by what means the sources of supply within the

Empire can be prevented from falling under foreign control.”

The Committee is composed as follows:-

The Right Honourable Lord Balfour of Burleigh, K.T., G.C.M.G.

(Chairman),

Mr. Arthur Balfour,

Mr. H. Gosling,

Mr. W. A. $. Hewins, M.P.,

Mr. A. H. Illingworth, M.P.,

Sir J. P. Maclay, Bart.,

The Right Honourable Sir A. Mond, Bart., M.P.,

Mr. Arthur Pease,

Mr. R. E. Prothero, M.V.O., M.P.,

Sir Frederick H. Smith, Bart.,

Mr. G. J. Wardle, M.P.;

together with the following gentlemen, who are presiding over the Board of Trade Committees on the position of important industries after the War :-

Sir H. Birchenough, K.C.M.G.,

Sir A. A. Booth, Bart..

Lord Faringdon,

Sir C. G. Hyde,

The Honourable Sir C. A. Parsons, K.C.B., F.R.S.,

Lord Rhondda,

Mr. G. Scoby-Smith.

Mr. Percy Ashley, of the Board of Trade, and Mr. G. C. Upcott, of the Treasury, have been appointed Secretaries to the Committee.

55845

No. 2. SOMALILAND.

THE COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 21st November, 1916.)

(No. 134.) SIR,

Commissioner's Camp, Sheikh, 26th October, 1918.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Circular despatch of the 25th September, 1916,* on the subject of the commercial and industrial policy to be adopted in the Empire after the War.

2. Having regard to the almost nugatory nature of the Somaliland export and import trade, and in view of the fact that the Protectorate is practically entirely dependent on other portions of the Empire, principally India, for its supplies, I feel that I cannot usefully offer any suggestion.

I have, &c.,

1221

(No. 57.) SIR,

No. 3.

ST HELENA.

G. F. ARCHER.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 6th January, 1917.)

The Castle, St. Helena, 29th November, 1916. WITH reference to your Circular despatch of the 25th September,* inviting my attention to the recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies, I have the honour to inform you that, after due consideration, the circumstances of this Colony do not appear to call for special attention in connexion with them.

I have, &c.,

H. E. S. CORDEAUX, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

3411

(No. 526.)

SIR,

No. 4.

SIERRA LEONE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 18th January, 1917.)

[Answered by No. 7.]

Government House, Sierra Leone, 30th December, 1916. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your predecessor's Circular despatch of the 25th September* regarding the commercial policy of the Empire after the War. In this connexion I attach a report on the trade of the Colony by the Comptroller of Customs, and also a letter from the Freetown Chamber of Commerce.

2. There are various conflicting interests in Sierra Leone, and no expression of opinion on the part of a section of the community can be regarded as altogether disinterested. The mass of the population the aboriginal Africans are producers. They prepare the palm oil and the kernels for the market. They sell their produce to middlemen, and buy or receive goods in exchange. To me they have complained (through their chiefs) of the low price given them for kernels and of the high They prices that are now being charged them for goods, notably for matchets. attribute the former evil to a combine of local trading firms; and there are indica- tions that they would regard the return of German firms as meaning competition and improved prices.

3. The Colonial African or creole is interested in trade as a middleman. He suffers by competition with the Syrians, many of whom are petty traders like himself. He suffers also from the fixed prices given by the combine, us these prices become known to the producer and either eliminate the middleman or reduce his profits. The creole knows that the European merchant allows himself a wider margin of profit than he did before the War; he knows, too, that the Syrian is technically an enemy subject. The creole desires the breaking-up of the combine, the internment of the Syrians, and the repeal of the Weights and Measures Ordinance. This last measure has been asked of me, in the most barefaced way, to enable the small trader to exploit the native producer by trickery in weights and measures.

4. The better creole opinion-as represented by the Unofficial Members of the Legislative Council-would favour measures in restraint of German trade, provided it was shown in advance that the measures would not be used by monopo- lists to secure unfair advantages for themselves.

5. The Freetown Chamber of Commerce represents the combine. Its opinion is that of the dominant and most important European interests; but it does not represent all the European firms. Some such as the Co-operative Wholesale Society are opposed to monopolist policies, both in principle and in fairness to the natives.

6. The Syrians are technically enemy subjects; but they have been so embit- tered by the persecutions in Syria that, as a body, they may be regarded as on the side of the Entente Powers. Their contributions to Red Cross and other War charities have been very much in excess of those of any other section of the com- munity. But they represent competition and enterprize, and are consequently disliked both by the creole middleman and the European monopolist. With the aboriginal African they are not unpopular; and they certainly help to obtain for him a better price for his produce.

7.

The only export of first rate importance, apart from palm products, is kola nuts. The trade in these nuts is virtually confined to Africa, and is not an Imperial matter.

8. Turning from exports to imports, the following items are of special value for various reasons: hardware (including matchets), machinery, building materials (including timber and cement), sacks, coal, kerosene, cotton goods, trade biscuits, sugar, salt, flour, and spirits (especially gin). Germany is largely interested in the trade in hardware, cotton goods, and gin.

* No. 1.

* No. 1.

451

דיזי

12. c. 885/25

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

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