YOUNGEST UNIT OF THE EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 22576, 18 February 1937, Page 16

YOUNGEST UNIT OF THE EMPIRE

KENYA COLONY IN EAST AFRICA RAPID DEVELOPMENT The youngest unit of Britain’s Empire is Kenya Colony, in East Africa. In 33 years it has been transformed from a trackless waste into a reasonably prosperous primary producing country, remarkably free from taxation, yet extremely well equipped with highways and public buildings, and in close communication with the rest of the world. Since 1920 there Ras been a large influx of British people to the colony, among them a number of New Zealanders, and tho European population is now about 15.000. Three of the British settlers, Mr and Mrs J. W. D. Pedley and Mr C. C. Kent, are in Christchurch this week. They are coffee planters, who'came to New Zealand principally to fish. Kenya was opened up with the completion of the railway in 1904. From then the colony has made rapid progress, until now practically all the available land has been taken up. Although the country appears large on the map, a large portion of it consists of native reserves and reserves for game, which are plentiful there. A large number of the settlers are soldier settlers, and there, are many retired people. Kenya is a popular place with retired members of the Indian Civil Service, who, living on their pensions, free from income tax, are able to do a little farming. Mr Kent said in an interview with the ‘ Press ’ that labour problems in Kenya were not great. There were 3.000. 000 natives and about 50,000 Indians. The natives provided unskilled labour in the coffee plantations, and the Indians were employed on skilled work, principally in the building trade. The natives unfortunately for themselves were not blessed with much brain, and the Indians had the better of them in skilled work and in positions of any responsibility. Still a Crown colony, Kenya had no Government of its own, Mr Kent said, but was governed by British officials. Its Assembly could advise, but not administrate. In the manner of all colonies beginning in this way, Kenya was keen to have self-government. The white people wanted more say in the control of the colony. The Government, in the usual British manner, took good care of the natives, providing schools, and gave them a certain degree of judicial authority over their own people. This authority was abused, in that bribes were frequently accepted by the responsible natives. They did not respond well to education, and were usually beaten by the Indians for positions that were offering in the Government employ. The coffee-growing industry, in which ho was engaged, was the oldest in the country, Mr Pedley said, and although not occupying a very great portion of the land, -was the best revenue-produc-ing product.. It offered a profitable living for the growers when prices were good, but between 1930 and 1936 the returns were low, sinking to_ 4d a pound, and it was only just possible to carry on. There was a considerable improvement this year. A newcomer to Kenya starting coffee growing or any other industry required a considerable amount of capital. • The colony was excellently served with highways and aerial communication with other parts of the world, they said. The air service brought it within six days of England, and it would shortly be within two and a-half. Fine roads and new buildings had been built, and the country was definitely making progress.