COLONIAL EMPIRE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 249, 2 August 1941, Page 8

COLONIAL EMPIRE

THE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT. IN SPITE OF WAR DEMANDS. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, July 31. The capital development of the Colonial Empire with financial assistance from (front Britain continues in spite of the demands of the war, as shown by the eleventh and final report of the Colonial Development Advisory Committee. During the period April, 1939 to July, 1940 (after which the Colonial Development and Welfare Act came into force) “the committee recommended assistance from the Colonial Development Fund to the amount of £966,095 toward schemes estimated to cost altogether £2,009,298. This brings the total assistance since 1939 to £8 875 083 toward the total estimated expenditure of £19,284,536, of which £5 671,656 was recommended by free grant and £3,203,427 by, loan. The committeo claims that this aid fostered in no small measure the development of the resources of the Colonies, while contributing considerably to employment in Great Britain. During the period assistance has not been given unless, ' firstly, the schemes could be jearried out with local resources of men and materials and without detriment to, the war effort; ‘secondly, no expenditure outside the sterling area was involved; thirdly, unless the schemes were important and urgent. ' '.“Of the assistance recommended since April, 1939, 40 per cent, has been for public health, 18 per cent, for agricultural developments, 11 per cent for electricity, 8 per cent, for water supplies and water power, and 7 per cent, for land reclamation and drainage.”—British Official Wireless.