The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1914. SOUTH-WEST AFRICA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 55, 21 October 1914, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1914. SOUTH-WEST AFRICA.

Not a very great deal is known of that large and important tract of country Jiithorto known as German South-West Africa, but it happens that there was presented to the British Parliament about a fortnight be-, fore war was declared, a most exhaustive and interesting report by British Consul E. Muller, reviewing the trade operations and financial position during the past year. Covering an area of about 320,000 square miles, the colony has a population of about 150,000, of which only some 14,000 are Europeans. The revenue and expenditure for the year ending March 31st, 1915, have been estimated to balance ‘at £2,081,157. That the colony is being developed on British lines is evident from the Consul’s remarks. Artesian bores have been put down in many parts, a sum of £50,000 has been set aside for preliminary work in connection with projected irrigation schemes, and a land bank has been started to help agriculturists. The report shows that the diamond industry is the dominating factor of the trade of German South-West Africa, and its remarkable growth is sufficiently evidenced by the fact that the annual output has grown since the fields were discovered, in 1908, from .39,375 carats to 1,570,000 carats in 1913. Although this large quantity was produced last year only 1,284, /27 carats were sold. The prices obtained wore better, in spite of the fact that a large stock of unsold diamonds had to be locked up in Berlin. The 1,284,727 carats realised £2,153,230 an average price of £1 13s 6d per carat—whereas during 1912, 902,15/ carats were sold for £1,303,092, or an average of £1 8s 8d per carat. The loss of tins territory is therefore a considerable one.