NIGERIA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 October 1924, Page 2

NIGERIA.

prosperous colony,. MAJOR OFFICER’S RETURN. Major A. Officer, formerly of Melbourne, who for the past four years has acted as a political officer and police magistrate in the British Protectorate ot Northern Nigeria, arrived in Sydney on by the Makura. Major Officer served withthe A.I.F. in the war, during the latter stages of which he was attached to General Monash’s staff. In an interview, he stated that Nigeria was in a veTy contented state, •lhe natives were law-abiding and apparently quite, satisfied with British rule, ihis, of course,, ivas to be expected, as the local government w r as in their hands, inasmuch, as the ruling was done by their native cliiefs 3 with the advice or the political afficers. The protectorate was progressing rapidly the most recent development being the erection of the new eastern railway When completed, this railway would be but) miles in length, extending from lort Harcourt to Kaduna. It would result m the opening of the rich palm oil areas between these two centres, and would iflso provide better access to the tin mines in the locality at which a ’JY i r of Australians were "working. Although Nigeria has been the principal supplier to the world of jialm oil, there were no signs of the diminution of the output. On the other hand, he considered, the resources of this great industry had been only half developed. For six months of his stay Major Officer was private secretary "to Sir Hugh Clifford, the Governor of Nigeria. On returning to Melbourne Major Officer intends going into business there.