30
Adequate provision in respect of agricultural education and research;
A steady flow of capital for agricultural and mineral development, and to provide a
sufficiency of credit and marketing facilities.
A perusal of the memoranda on the 28 Crown Colonies and Protectorates reveals an almost monotonous story of progress where the five conditions above are fulfilled, and a record of comparative stagnation in the case of those Colonies where one or more of the conditions is absent.
The memoranda on products emphasises the predominant position held by the British Empire in the matter of tin, gold, tea, rubber and cocos. In the case of tin, rubber and cooon that predominance is due to the Crown Colonies.
It is regretted that no memorandum has been included on the subject of edible oils and the vegetable products from which they are obtained, but the information contained in the memoranda on the different colonies will show how great is the output of these colonies of such things as coconuts and their bye-products copra and coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernels and their bye-product palm kernel oil, and ground nuts. They are all essentials in the production of soap, glycerine, margarine and explosives,
The figures have been carefully checked, but it is perhaps too much to hope that all errora have been excluded.
In some cases the trade figures relate to years ending March 31st, in some to years ending June 30th, but in the bulk to years ending December 31st."
The comparison may be misleading in certain instances owing to a change in the basis of official compilation; wherever possible attention has been drawn to such changes,
SIERRA LEONE
Population (1911), 1,403,000. Area, 24,908 square miles.
Ground Nuts Hides
Palm Kernels
Railway Mileage
Telegraph Mileage
Telephone Mileage
81
PRINCIPAL Exports.
1901. £172,000
1913.
£475
£622,000 £18,718
£971
£9,026
COMMUNICATIONS.
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
30
The River Gambia is the great highway of commerce. Steamers, launches and native boats constitute the means of transport. The river is navigable for a distance beyond the limits of the Protectorate. As the Colony and Protectorate consists of but two narrow strips each side of the river, there is no need for railways and but little for roads. The development of a telegraph and telephone system would of course be an advantage.
The main occupation of the people, as would be assumed from the export statistics, is the cultivation of ground nuts. When the price of these rules high, there is considerablk immigration of native farmers.
The Government assists the natives in the cultivation of ground nuts by the provision of seeds through the merchants.
Some capital expenditure for the provision of telegraphs, the reclamation of swamp land, and agricultural education and research would seem to be the only help this small but pros- perous colony requires.
In 1917 about four-fifths of the cattle were wiped out by an epidemic assumed to be rinderpest, but in the absence of a veterinary officer the Governor was unable to make an authoritative statement on the point.
As normally there are large herds of cattle, whose manure is the only manure used, it would be an advantage if there were a veterinary officer.
1901.
1913.
Public Revenue
£192,000
£618,000
Public Expenditure
£173,000
£562,000
Loan Expenditure, 1901-1913
£1,387,000
Public Debt
£468,000
£1,296,000
Shipping entered and cleared. Net tonnage
1,250,000
2,931,000
Imports (excluding bullion and specie)
£546,000
Exports (excluding bullion and specie)
£265,000
£1,438,000 £1,490,000
PRINCIPAL EXPORTS.
Kola Nuts
Palm Kernela
£52,000 £162,000
£328,00 £921,00
Railway Mileage
Telegraph Mileage
Telephone Mileage
COMMUNICATIONS.
76
76 8
300 686
72*
The development of Sierra Leone has not been due to agricultural improvement, but to progress in transport facilities,
The main items of export consist of natural agricultural products which are merely collected by the natives. It is evident, therefore, that the volume of exports is dependent primarily on transport facilities. The expenditure of £1,387,000 of capital in 12 years, mainly on harbours, railways, roads and communications has resulted in an increase of £1,225,000 in the annual value of the exports.
Cotton is cultivated by the natives and is used by them for the manufacture of clothing. Cotton growing on European lines failed for climatic reasons, but agricultural research inay, of course, lead later to a successful effort.
THE GOLD COAST.
Population (1911), 1,501,793. Annual rate of increase, 0·2 per cent. Area, 80,235 square miles.
Public Revenue (exclusive of Imperial grants) Public Expenditure Public Debt
++
Loan Expenditure, 1901-1913
Shipping entered and cleared. Net tonnage Imports (excluding bullion and specie) Exports (excluding bullion and specie) Exports of Bullion (gold and gold dust)
Cocon Cola Nuts Lumber
Palm Kernels Palm Oil Raw Rubber
1901.
£471,000
1913. £1,302,000
£469,000
£1,237,000
£1,330,000
£2,449,000
£2,800,000
1,417,000 £1,595,000
2,987,000*
£3,510,000
£526,000 £22,000
£3,398,000
£1,626,000
PRINCIPAL Exports.
£43,000 £35,000
£65,000
£2,489,000 £145,000 £366,000
£90,000
£159,000
£178,000
£65,000
£104,000
£87,000
COMMUNICATIONS.
GAMBIA.
Population (1911), 146,000. Area, 3,619 square miles.
1901.
Public Revenue
£44,000
Public Expenditure
£49,000
1913. £125,000 £95,000
Loan Expenditure, 1901-1913
Nil
Public Debt
Nil
Nil
Shipping entered and cleared. Not tonnage
285,000
Imports (excluding bullion and specie)
£185,000
Exporta (excluding bullion and specie)
£196,000
625,000 £619,000 £662,000
There is also a much larger mileage of railway telephones.
Railway Mileage
Telegraph Mileage
Telephone Mileage
40
694
Nil.
222
1,492
92
▼
211
The Gold Coast is a clear illustration of the enormous return which follows a moderate capital expenditure in a naturally rich tropical country.
The loan expenditure has been devoted almost exclusively to improving means of communi- ration in the form of railways and harbour works, supplemented by road improvements carried out largely by the native chiefs.
The improvements in transport, supported by comparatively small financial expenditure on agricultural research and education, has enabled a small Colony to develop the production of. cocoa 60 fold in 12 years, so that the Colony now produces about twice as much cocoa se all the rest of the Empire. It is the greatest cocoa-producing country of the world, and its production will shortly be one-third of the world's total.
• Owing to lack of shipping during the War this was halved by 1917.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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