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firm of Eastracios18 had been responsible for it. In addition, workshops

of 1097

Page 184 used also for the assembly of incoming lorries were established. Repairs to and maintenance of transport used by the Corporation in Dar-es-Salaam were also carried out.

Land-Clearing Equipment and Agricultural Machinery

224. It was the responsibility of the Mechanical Engineering Department to assemble all specially developed equipment and agricultural machinery. The Department was responsibe for the formation of an African Mechanical Engineering Training Wing at Ifunda. Nearly 100 trainees from the school have been received in the workshops and their progress is being charted.

PART IV: TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Port of Dar-es-Salaam

225. The most serious transportation problem in 1948-49 resulted from the inability of the port of Dar-es-Salaam to cope with the rush of post-war traffic and the requirements of the Groundnut Scheme. There are no deep- water berths in the port and all ocean-going vessels have to discharge their cargoes into lighters. The port area itself was congested and insufficient space was available for the discharge and storage of goods. The average tonnage of imported goods handled each month in the last year before the war was 7,150. In March, 1948, the imports were 28,000 tons. This

increase

in traffic had overwhelmed the port facilities. The quays and storage sheds were choked with goods. Ships were sometimes held for weeks before they could be discharged. The daily rate of discharge had fallen from 450 tons per working day to 300 tons.

226. These delays in handling cargoes urgently required for operations in East Africa were a constant menace to the smooth build-up of the essential supplies and equipment. Regular meetings were held in Dar-es-Salaam between the Corporation, the Port Authority, and representatives of the East African Conference Lines. Representatives of the Ministry of Transport also visited the port. Immediate attention was given to short-term measures which would reduce congestion in the port and enable it to be worked efficiently at the optimum rate for its existing facilities. There was no immediate alternative but to limit the loadings which the East African Conference Lines would accept each month for Dar-es-Salaam. In April, 1948, this monthly total was 11,000 tons general cargo and 3,500 tons vehicles of which 2,750 and 875 tons respectively were allocated to the Overseas Food Corporation.

Conference in London, January, 1949

227. It is vital that the capacit of Dar-es-Salaam port should be increased, and the Corporation has taken a full part in all the official discussions to determine what long-term improvements can be made to the port. These discussions culminated in a conference in London in January, 1949, under the chairmanship of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and which was attended by:

The Minister of Food,

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, The Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Transport,

Sir Philip Mitchell, Governor of Kenya,

Mr. E. R. E. Surridge, Acting Governor of Tanganyika,