WHERE THE NEGRO IS SUPREME

Hokitika Guardian, 6 February 1929, Page 7

WHERE THE NEGRO IS SUPREME

(My SIR PEKCIVAL PHILLIPS.) ENTER HE. Uganda. Every observant traveller who comes here by way of the east coast is at once si ruck by certain sharp contrasts between Uganda and the British Colony oT Konya, through which he lias passed on his GOO-milcs journey from Momhasn. fie leaves Nairobi filled with conflicting opinions on the questions of European scUlomenl, and arrives in Kampala clearly convinced that, here at least there can he no doubt "of the official’ policy as regards the development of Uganda. Kenya may or may not be a white man’s country—it depends entirely on what you mean by a white man’s country—but Uganda is beyond question a country for tlm blacks. The Negro is supremo. The Government is conccnlrating its energies on making him more fit for responsibility in every phase of'liife. lie has his own tribal courts and judges within the surveillance of .British authority; lie is being educated and trained on European lines, and the envoys of the Christian Churches are giving him a new faith in place of the heathen practices of bis forefathers. His rights as the original owner of the land are being carefully safeguarded against encroachment by white sett'ers. Jn short, the policy in Uganda is to make the European an auxiliary to the native in the development of the resources of the country—exactly the opposite to the policy which is being appied in the Highlands of Kenya. You can see a marked difference between the two general types of Negroes to he found any day in Nniribi, the capital of Kenya, and Kamala, the native capital of Uganda. Tin* hii'.aars of Nairobi are frequented by native women wearing barbaric ornaments and scanty garments; wild, shy ’creatmjes, not over intelligent; tine men with elongated earlobes and other tribal marks unpleasing to the European eye. In Kampala the men wear long cotton gowns; the women deck themselves in ample skirts and high bodice sof bright materials. They show a fine courtesy when accosted, the men halting, hat in hand ; the women sometimes dropping to their knees before replying, particularly if the questioner lie a priest or nun. The green slopes round about are dotted with little hamlets of mud and wattle that show evidences of care; the village compounds are fairly clean, and their inhabitants wash themseves at least once a day. They are a bright alert-minded, cheerful people, these Ihmnnda of the Kampala hills, with a social and political organisation of their own and an elaborate system of chieftainships under their sovereign, the Kabaka. Like the members of the three other great tribes in the Protectorate, they bad attained a condition approaching elementary Western civilisation even before British rulo was accepted. The task of developing these types of natives has been easier than in outlying areas of Uganda, where interior tribes of Bantu stock lived in a state bordering on chaos. Their only government was that of village rain-mak-ers or of warriors who bad assumed the leadership of a group of villages bv force of arms. It was necessary forthe British. Administration to appoint local chiefs, to whom European advisers were attached to instruct them in their duties. As these chiefs became competent local native councils were formed, end then general tribal councils, which bad authority over a greater area. In this way even the lowest and most, degrad ed tribes were taught, self-discipline and gradually raised to a higher status than they enjoyed before the establish ment of British rule.

Those self-governing communities within the I’rotectorate are encouraged in every possible way to occupy and develop their land and to take up various crafts which will accelerate their progress. Special attention is being paid to agricultural training at the (lovernment college at Kakerere, as the 'future of the country depends almost entirely on its farmers. Kampala lias a new technical school, where the native is being taught various trades, in order that village life may he improved.

Native production has been steadilv encouraged for the past IS years and is increasing year by year. Cotton is the chief staple at present, hut the agricultural department has been inducing the natives to grow coffee, and in tie 1 near future it will rival cotton as an export from Ugnnada.

The improvement in the standard ol health cvf the native is an important feature of the work undertaken hy the (lovernment. on his heliall. '1 he greatest, scourge is venereal disease, which is prevalent to an almost iinliolievahle extent, ami in addition there are Ihc usual tropical diseases, which ate encouraged hy the general ignorance, dir!., and apathy of the lower types of Negro. Mulago Hospital, the (lovernment institution at Kampala, is performing splendid service with a small stall or hard-worked European doctors and nurses. More than nOO.nnO natives attend every year, and during this year thore will he r,0.000 new out-pat ienls at the central hospital and six outlying dispensaries. Some cf them—women !IS „vll as men —walk 20 miles from their homes for treatment. The oll'ort to make the native of Ugnnada healthy is in itself no light task.