WEST AFRICA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 587, 19 July 1933, Page 2

WEST AFRICA

BRITISH COLQNIES VISITOR EROM NIGERIA TELLS INTERESTING STORY. PROFIT ON CURRENCY. A visitor to Wellington after an absence of over twenty years from 1 New Zealand is the Hon. L. M. Herapath, of the Legislative Council for Nigeria, and general manager of Barelay's Bank at--Lagos, the capital of Nigeria. Mr. Herapath is on furlough on a health trip, and is accompanied by Mrs. Herapath and daughter. To a Wellington Evening Post reporter Mr. Herapath gave an interesting talk on th'e Wiest African British oolonies, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, Niigeria, and Gambia. The last is the smallest of the four colonies, he said, but it is one of the oldest of Britain's colonies, the next, in faet, in age to Newfoundland. Eaeh consists of a Crown Oolony and a protectorate, and in each case the colony proper is but an infinitesimal part of the whole. Gambia is a long, thin strip of land 400 miles long and abo-ut 24 miiles wide, boun'ded on three sides hy French colonial possesions. Sierra Leone possesses the only real harhour on the West African coast hetween the Strait of Gibraltar and the Belgian Congo. The Gold Coast is one of the oldest semi-settled European spots on" the West African coast, with a wellvaried history of ownership, by the Dutch, the Danes and th'e British. Its main export ds cocoa, and the Gold Coast to-day is the largest single producer of cocoa, in the world. Nigeria, said Mr. Herapath, is the largest dependency of the four, and is the largesti Crown Colony and protectorate possessed by Great Britain. Its area is about eleven times that of New Zealand, and its population is estim'ated at hetween 19,000,000 and 20,000,000 Africans of varying races, heliefs, languaiges and customs. The European population is about 3000. Lagos, the capital, is built on a small island, only three or four square miles in area, and has a population of about 100,000 Africans and 1000 whites. A Possible Future Market. "The native population," continued Mr. Herapath, "exists in the main on its own products, but there is just a possibility, though I am afraid that at the present time it is rather remote, that the country could absorb quite a fair quantity of New Zealand mutton and butter. C'old storage facilities are provided at the main ports, but they would have to be extended to th'e upcountry districts before very much could be done in the way of exploiting frozen produce .of any kind." The colonies, be added, are served by regular steamship lines, Britdsh, Dutch, and American, and there are extensive rail services in Nigeria. On the Plateau,. 700 o'r 800 miles from Lagos, many New Zealanders and Australians are engaged in tin mining. Profits from Currency. Mr. Herapath made an interesting point about the currency of the colonies. "The currency of all th'e British West African colonies," he said, "is controlled by a currency hoard which ■sits in London. Piaper notes of 10s and £1 are used, and there is an alloy coinage based on sterling and also a nickel coinage of pence1, halfpence, and tenths of a penny. The coins haYe very little or no intrinsic value, being largely brass, and the profits of this currency are invested in securities by the board, and the profit from the working of th'e currency at the end of each year is divided among the colonies in proportion to the amount of currency absorbed during the year. As far as Nigeria is concerned the revenue from this source varies according to the business done, but during the last few years it has been something hetween £100,000 and £200,000." Japanese goods have been dumped in the colonies, p ELrbicularly cotton goods, artificial silks, and rubher goods — for instance, light sports shoes

at 3s 6d per dozen pairs — to such' an extent during the last twelve months that British goods have been almost run out of use, he said, but Nigeria is not at present in a position to. create effective protective tariffs because of trade treaties made years ago, not only between Great Bnitain and. the East, but between Great Britain and European interests. Beingdependent upon the European and American markets, the colonies were naturally feeling the depression and in common with all other countries were experiencing the same difficulties in halancing their budgets. Mr. Herapath expressed the warm appreciation he and his wife felt for the many kindnesses they had received from Government and other officials they had met during their visit. "I would very much like to see a market opened for some of your goods in the West African colonies," he said, "and there are some possibilities, but unfortunately they are still some time ahead."