al which have been sent out, to local and electricity ecquomy committees, either rake, or pass on, informal gestions of all kind for bringing to the jon of various sections of the com- the need for such economy. The this circular were not for , but simply for informal ces to be put up at the discretion of in- dual licensees. Informal circulars of kind are settled departmentally and not require individual approval by nell,
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TEST AFRICAN GROUNDNUTS
(TRANSPORT)
Sir R. Glyn asked the Secretary of State the Colonies whether he is aware shortage of rolling stock on the West can railways is preventing the ship- nt of groundnuts; and whether, before further development of this type of Poduct is encouraged, ho will onsure that transport arrangonents are made such to ensure the shipment of each year's førvest before the neặt crop is gathered in. Mr. Creech Jones) The movement of 1946-47 groundout crop, which was of the largest on record, has been jegaging my attention and that of the gerian Government for some time. wing to the accumulation of war-time Løwars of maintenance, to staff difficulties
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able to move it and, at the same time, to reduce progressively he carry-over of the present crop.
I agree with the hipn. Member that the aim should be to arrange the shipment of each crop before the next harvest is gathered. Efforts improve transport arrangements will befenergetically pursued until this goal is reached. Meanwhile I hope that adequate storage can be pro- vided in the Kano area to prevent the loss of any substantial quantities of groundnuts which
be harvested within the next two seasons. The provision of adequate transport will certainly be a very prominent consideration in any plans for increased production and it was for that reason that the Mission which is now
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completing its examination of long-term plans for increased groundnut production in West Africa includes a transport expert.
COLONIAL EMPIRE
Administration of Justice -
(Capital Cases)
Mr. Dumpleton asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is now able to make a statement regarding pro- coduro in capital cases in the Colonies.
Mr. Creech Jones: Yos. On 3rd April· 1 promised a further statement regarding procedure in capital casos in the Colonies.
Tho administration of justice in criminal matters in the Colonies follows broadly the wystem in this country, and there is for most Colonies a Court of Appeal corresponding to the Court of Criminal Appeal here. Every convicted person has the right to petition the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for special leave to appeal from a de- cision of a Colonial court, and this right is frequently exercised in capital cases.
d to the delay in the delivery of new comotives, it is estimated that there will approximately 20 to 25 per cent. of still unrailed at the cominence- crop ent of the new season in November. Fourteen new locomotives have, however, ently arrived from Canada and it is aped that twenty additional Vulcans, ginally to be delivered this year but ayed in production owing to the fuel aisis, will be in operation in Nigeria early
1948.
By March, 1948, therefore, suming that some of the present staffing aculties can also be overcome, the milway should be operating at a rate ¦mpable of moving to\port_within a period by the accused's
12 months a large crop of groundnuts han any yet produced. Adequate storage ists to provide for the carry-over of the 1946-47 crop and careful plans are being made to provide cover for the 1947-48
op, pending its raping to port ot, of course, possible at this stage to stimate the size of the next crop but the indications are that he railway will be
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It is
In the Apedwa case the Initial cause of delay was the fact that the first peti- tion to the Privy Council was not lodged advisers until eight
months after the date of the dismissal of the appeal by the West African Court of Appeal. The second main cause of delay was the course which the advisers of the convicted men took (a course which is without precedent in the experi ence of the Colonial Office) of trying to upset the convictions by taking the various proceedings of which I told, the
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