1957-07-01 — Page 4

'Pago 1

THE CHINA MAIL, MONDAY, JULY 1, 1957.

A British try at mechanical co-operative farming in Africa

10,000 ACRES IN NIGERIA

F. O. Brice-Bennett

TN floods submerged the young and

IN Africa Frity doorne,

but in Nigeria a courageous British experiment is begin- ning to pay off.

The scheme does is

unmature shouts and destroyed it interiord that it should-make

most of the crop.

Jarge grofts. It covers costs With three bad seasons an and tries to create a reserve. against only one good one the

ref

project was halted and TC- By and large, the project, planned. Also, after ко many which must still be considered The Sokoto river,

disappointments, farmers who

experimental, has not been un- tributary of the Niger, flows had from the beginningt been through a vast valley which, dublous the experiment successful. If It can become an

undertaking after the rains, floods along withdrew; indeed, some who established

superstitious shov1 prove of Freat signi- Rome 250 miles of its course. had looked with

BwC on the Introduction of leaner to that part of Northern These floods, which in places mechanised ploughing actually Nigeria by providing Increased rise to a height of ten feet, attributed the vagaries of the nereage for the production create enormous marshlands weather to this novel method essential foodcrops. covering about 350,000 of cultivation and did their acres and deposit a rich silt, best to discredit it among their

aelghbours. The valley has for long at- traeted the attention of agriculturalists.

Rico Mission's Report

However, mainly because the romfall was Inadequate but also because the land quickly lost its fertility, I was found that much of the area was unsuitable for extensive culllvallon of crops other than rice.

עזה

Thousands of acres have been

As the majority of the farmers who were still willing to continue lived within the Gwanda Emirate, the Native the Authority there look over schema, The Northern Rogion Production and Development Board made an outright grant of the remaining Annncial assets, amounting to ap- proxlinolely

£53,000, and fur- ther subsidised the scheme by providing the entire European supervisory staff.

cultivated by the inhabitants for More Detailed Development generations with a variety of red

rice

ils

which bis adapted growth to the deep floods and, ch:ce other crops do not prosper there, this now forms the atuple me of the people,

A rice mission visiteit the area in 1943 and reported favourably on the possiblity of extending

Now that the acreage ไว been reduced and is less wide ly senttered, ploughing is more concentrated and inore detalled development cnu be given to the rehome.

rains.

It is estimated that 5,000 subscribe to tho farmers will ploughing of nearly 10,000 neres this year.

Bunds have been thrown up this cultivation. But irrigation al sintegle points to help to engineers, having considered the mitigate the flow and Infonsity problems involved in building a of floodwaters over the lower- | dom on the upper reaches of the lying ground. Elsewhere chan-

that river, reportedl

would hela have been dug to

divert cost several million pounds and, water into areas not normally. reast for the present, this idea fooded at the beginning of the had to be abandoned.

Nevertheless the Northern Region Department of Agricul- ture experimented with 70 acres of rice which yielded a sufficient ly satisfactory harvest te fustify extending the experiment. The Northern Region Production and Development Deard (now the ploughing Development Corporn- shillings per acro And. in n Lion) agreed to Autuce the good year, art nere will yield

provide the in

least average of at

1,000 pounds of parity. At the present Turket rate of £20 per 101, therefore, a farmer enn make a gross profit of nearly 300 per cunt. Few cultivate Irsa than D7 tractors and two

two orres, while one or

farms extend lo aure intre inrges ploughs were

November, than 20, 20 profits can be con- in und,

were riderable.

scheme rid pupervisory stuff.

tu

Project Replanned

-Caterpillar

disc

duced

1919, some 2,250

ается

ploughed. Unfortunately, pheno-

imenally heavy tlouds washed out

The cost

to

many of the younger plants and Looking Ahead

only about 30 per cent of the

crop was eventually harvested.

Since these foods

Since were economic

phenomenal it was hope they pockets

of nechanized formers ls 55

cbviously

It is un- tu plough small

of land, farmers are would not be repeated, at least urged to poot their farms. Un- for many years, and the experi- fortunately ment continued.

of

Pout. -

many furmis are The following distant from the general rcheme senson ploughing was Increased and although an exchange of

hus been

offered to to 13,000 neres and, with good land rins and normal ficods, yielded farmers they are luath to for- the seus -

their land fearing that, 1,200 to 1,500 pounds of paddy sake

With so favourable a should they at some later date per acre. year many more fariners were want eager to join the scheme and in scheme,

to

they

from the retract

would not be

Cummings

DO NOT DISTURB UNTIL 1960

COLLECT 20

WITTICISMS of HARD

VOL

LIKE TO BE RM

Angry middle-aged man

PRINCE

CHARLES AND

HIS FUTURE TRAINING

Is There A

Factor The

Public

Knows

Little About?

THIS IS the first instalment of a fact-finding journey, covering Germany, the Mediterranean, and Scotland. The facts that come to light--we believe—are of pro- found fascination and importance to everyone interest- ed in the Royal Family .

is a matter of vital importance,

by DONALD EDGAR

old

RINCE CHARLES will be nine before the year is country that sweeps down to out. His education the education of a future the shores of Lake Constance,

It is housed in a vast Cisterelan abbey which, was taken over by the Margraves of Baden. The family sill occupy Prince part of it. But it was, Max of Baden who gave Hahn

educational methods here.

Ile has attended his Knightsbridge day-school--and enjoyed it.

the third season Berenge was allowed back cn their old But soon a decision must be made about his further the chance of trying out his

to 25,000.... forins. If this problem could again Increased,

the rains failed,

be solved and all Jand pooled education.

In 1953, some 20,000 acres to form one ploughing area were ploughed,

would

but this time costs carly raing and premature reduced.

bo

As approved by the

considerably

His father was at Salem School, in Germany, and later at Gordonstoun, its British branch in Scotland,

Prince

These schools Bad Ani-

opinion enormous-in my

ato educate a new leader class decisive-influenco on

In the Nato nations,

Postmaster General, Hong Kong

AIR MAIL ENVELOPES

MASE

MY AND WAS

LYAR AYAH

Philip.

bla zon to have the same

And it may be he will wish |● It expresses ltself in the in- cons of wealthy or Influențial men of many countries who have been educated in the Hahn tradition,

duenees in play.

Influence

No Drink

Two culor boys showed me round... One was Rudolf other The von Sandersleben. Alcxander Goetz, whose family, of German extraction, are now Americans living in California.

At the end of the tour I came

to the conclusion that there

And in Jimmy Orr, Prince something crazy about Salem,

secretary who

I is not an ordinary educa- Philips Gord

tion. is, as I have dis was at covered

re-

Gordonstoun. In An- It is dieult to say exactly

Lamch at 1.20 is the biggest meal of the day and is followed by a lie-down for three-quarters

of an hour.

Each boy does two afternoons

a week only of sport. The sport

es

is Imited to hockey and athle

athletics were part of the Greek system, and hockey, I suppose, the nearest approach to a Greek team game,

On their other afternoons the boys work in the gardens or the carpenter's shop, or with the blacksmith, Or nt music singing.

or

At 4.45 there is a break for bread and jam and yoghurt,

There follow two study hours when silence must be kept,

At 7.30 there is another wash and shower. Then a change into another pair of grey shorts and a grey jackot,

"Bedtime is between 8.30 and 10 according to age.

Mixed

from visits to Salem thony Craxton, who produces why.... perhops it will be

·ard Gordonstoun, a, quite the Prince on TV and who was better if I just describe what I

also at the school. In Julian saw and what von Sandersleben. This routine of the 170 boys

the grandson of Sir and Gociz told me.

Churchill, also of the

markable education,

Sandys, Behind the entire system is a

Winston German,

now in his seventies.

same school. In the grandson of They get up at 6:15, put ол name la Kurt Hahn, His

short very system to

short- Admiral Horthy-once dictator their produce leaders. founded in the despair of the Hungary-also of Gordon- grey shorts, shirt, pullover, and

either sandals or shines, German ruling eloss after the atoun. First World War—has had immenɛe suCCERS,

is very largely chared by tho

40 girls who occupy the same buliding.

"The Spartans," I read in an of the Hahn system, account "attached a great importance to the education of their future

and wives mothers of their children, and we ought to do the same."

On Saturday there is, a grand ..that is a German clean-up shower,

tradition which, if you have Aved there, you cannot fall to At 7.15 there is a breakfast of tave seen. porridge and a roli... nothing The rest of the day is spent in

That is part of the "projects." system.

They go straight out and have an⚫ It expresses Itself in Prince

Ernst August of Hanover, who 4 run round a field for 500 yards. I believe it is an Influence has proved his right to British They then have 10 minutes or so cliizenship and is now claiming PT. This is followed by clean- the Dukedom of Cumberland, ing up the rooms

and a cold He is a product of Salern.

which has already sprowa a

tentacles throughout the world,

It expresses itself. In his brother, Prince Georg Wilhelm

It expresses itselr through of Hanover, who is married to a to drink. another branch school founded gister of Prince Phillp's, the near Athens after the war at Princess Sophie. Anvayta. with the help of

Queen Frederika, a relative of For Prince Georg is head Prince Philip.

master of the founder school,

Her son, the Crown Prince of Salem, in South Germany. Greece, has been educated And it was there I met him. It there,

It expresses self through was To who FAVO schools in Khartoum and. West,

Africa where men trained in solution to find out

the Hahn method play an in-galom system” is,

South China Morning Post Ltd. portant part

Job Printing Department

Telephone: 20002

• It expresses itself through

Sport

in

A project is a subject you are Intercaled astronomy, or radio, or botany.

say.

political 1tre of Ancient Greece after

*Plato most celebrated of Greek HERE is then a short inter- philosophers (428-345 BL.C.) want denominational service, Kurt to restore the distracted social and Hahn, as his whole thinking I pali [#1_giery, " Just as MC tho about education, shows, was 12 Tudors at Balais Urted to create new fundera sfter the calispen, of Platonist more tirart anything is Kalper) Germany la 1912 E what "the oing until the war, But since

Plato believed that the object of Thao Christianity has played s education was hot dmgly sebestius:

· BITERARINI POY -clliginship, and purt in his Ufe.

Jenderalp, Violmar ought not to be Classes: follow from 7.45 to 1 10 4.m.

Nothing should be "Taff to chance, There is then a break is palem zaid down that whim not for bread and butter and some in acel a boy is inquenced пот thing to drink-ton, milk, or an Thacker Indire

| tho - Outward Bound schools, The prince fa ́very. English, In where chosen young men and appearance tweed jacket, grey girls are sent on short character- Bängel, trousers; But then inuilding courses---both- In (Bri--he - wak. educated at Marl- tain and Germany in the Hahn borough, which now has an tradition,

exchange system with Salem, It cxpresses itself in the The school in lay lovely schools, which are being planned. PWF) of country - Fich rolling

There are more clames, fol- (Dirikina should be "strict - far, mán. lowed by worit about the place in bei Üne and bar, The Joană, leading to the yards, crilog their Hom bedrmetmad, leta ma, chopping wood.

Each term there are expeditions in the area to increase initiative and self-reliance

also. This is the Salem system.

It is a Spartan regime. The buy& sald they found 龋 strenuous.

The organisation of the school is fascinating. "Everyung is perfectly organised here," I was told.

The head of the school is called "The Guardian"-"the Guardians" were the ruling castle in Plato's Ideal Republic,

He is appointed by the Prince."

He is assisted by 12 "Helpers" the Auxillaries" who helped Plato's Guardians,

Under them come the "Colour Bearers," who

Utle

wear 7

1

But, Sybory important, thought that all the boys and girls looked strained under their sking tanned by sun and wind.

Salem has now spread around this German countryside

there are subsidiary establish ments in several houses,

The boys and girls are mainly Gorman..

from the noble houses

from the rich in-

ductrialists familles

The Cost

strong ad- mixture from abroad

stripe on their pullovers, They BUT there is a pre a self-electing body. The qualifications are for all-round it is part of the system that it

have an should

international qualities.

Under them come the flavour.. "Colour Bearer Candidates," There are pupils from Eng-" That is an essentially German rank. In their army there Afghanistan, from Chile, and

were "Oficer-Candidates."

The

Colour-Bearers," "Helpers," and "the Guardian" are each responsible for some activity or for a group of boys. Several times a term there is a parlament attended by "the Prince," where some matters can be discussed.

All punishments go up on the board-Johann von 50-and-eo, extra coal-carrying for

not taking a shower."

Honour

to a

A

THER punishments are

march

village and back. The distance is graduat-

od according to the crime

Generally

land and Scolland. There are Americans

and boys from.

Colombia,

Often they are the children of Germans who have made money

broad.

"assod" AF-

The fees are cording to income,

The rich pay more. The less

rich kas-although there is n sort of means test if you say you can't afford very much.

But the average cost is 4,000 marks a year... about £830-

£340,

This is the system that I found slightly crazy.

This is the system barod on Plato

"Our perfect Guar- dlan must have the following characteristics: philosophle

disposition, high spirits, speed,

sure it would thing, anyway, to Guardian"

and strength."

I am not 50 there is no check be a good that the march has been made. produce a "perfect

"The system is, I was told, class. "that everything should be done

out

of 'Ehrlichkei}'—a 'ponse of honour.''

So I went from Southern Germany to Gordonstoun to

The rooms of the boys and see what was going on there.

the girls-aro very simple.

There are varying numbers

to the rooms

According to scriority. Each boy has a bed that folds back. There is a simple table and chairs,

TOMORROW:

The school that trained Prince Charles' father