PATER'S CHATS' WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 62

PATER'S CHATS' WITH THE BOYS.

" GOLDEN BUTTER." Last week I said I would probably write a Chat upon vegetable fats, one name of which is " golden butter,' ' because of the great use now made of these fats as a substitute for butter. You will have noticed that the Germans are making frantic efforts to get back their lost colonies, and also that as soon as peace is declared Japanese and Dutch ships are ready to lift copra products from the South Seas and transport them to Germany. It is only a few years ago when these vegetable oils went entirely to the soapmakers. Lever Bros, have a large factory in Sydney, I think it is, for manufacturing soaps and candles from the copra and other products of the islands of the South Seas, but about 1900 "the margarine manufacturers entered upon the scene and commenced using it (the vegetable oil) in combination with otlier fats (animal) for the purpose of edible butter, until to-day palm oil, palm kernel oil, and cocoanut oil form the main ingredients of n*ut-butter." In 1913, the year before the war broke out, a trade journal drew attention to the " insistent craving of the rapidly multiplying populations of most civilised countries for edible oils and fats, and that this hunger is now our resources of industrial oils." The war has accentuated this demand, and scientific research has perfected processes for making nut-butter pure and simple, or for blending it with butter or? refined fats. At one time copra (dried coooanut—why -not spell it coconut f) was used only for making soap and candles, the refuse being sold as oil cake for fattening cattle or feeding calves; but now these are industries secondary to the major one of using the oils as food for human consumption.

One reason why Germany would like her colonies back is because the German Ivameruns and Togoland contain millions of acres that can be used to produce palm oil. Harris, in his "Germany's Lost Colonial Empire," says: "The economic value of the German colonies is best expressed in terms of ' butter.' There are vast ' butter' possibilities in the oil palm, in the cocoanut palm, in the ground nuts, in the cotton seed, and in the cocoa bean. Next in order of value come diamonds, rubber, gold, hemp, cotton, and scented woods."

The cocoanut grows in all the exGerman African possessions, but it requires a measure of cultivation, and does not thrive far from the influence of sea air. The German islands of the Pacific and ex-German New Guinea and its neighbouring islands, of course, produce an almost illimitable supply. So you see how valuable the ex-German colonies are. They are now freed from German rule— I'll give instances of their brutal treatment of the natives next week, all being well, —but it must be borne in mind that thev are to be governed by us and Australia through mandates which, while throwing all the onus of governing upon us, gives all nations equal facilities for trade; so the Germans will be allowed to trade on the same terms as ourselves, but have no responsibility ; further, as Germany, in all probability, Avill soon be admitted to the League of Nations, she will have the malicious pleasure of criticising our government of her forfeited colonies without standing any of the'expense —at least, I take it that way. A few figures will show what- Germany has lost in losing her colonies. In 1913 a writer said ofvßritish West Africa that in seven years the vegetable oil exported had increased in value from £2,400,000 to £5,300,000, and in quantity from 198,000 tons to 312,000 tons. And yet it is calculated that only 10 per cent, is exported. What an essential, then, these oils and vegetable fats must be to the natives 1 And the ex-German colonies can proctuce what "British West Africa can. In 1912 there were about 800,000 cocoanut trees in British West Africa, produo-

ing when matured from 30 to 300 nuts per annum; and, taking the low average of 30, German East Africa should be sending 25,000,000 cocoanufcs every year to the European market, and as these produce about 60 per cent, of butter-fat and 40 per cent, of residue for cattle cake, this means 8000 tons of edible butter. The Germans know there is money in cocoanuts, and even more in palm oil and kernel oil.

As the Germans are not good colonisers under their own Government, they do not produce so much copra as the British, because they do nob know how to manage the natives. The Germans are all for system, and expect the natives to accommodate themselves to German methods; while the British allow the natives to adopt a go-as-you-please policy, and buy their products from them. The difference between the German and the British has been explained in another way: The Germans, to punish a man, cuts his cocoanut tree down, while the British, instead of cutting down a tree of the offender, makes him plant another one, and so in time the native has a large plantation, while the native under German domination finds himself treeless !

It is the vigorous, self-propagating oil palm that has found "its way into every yard of those millions of acres of forest land in the German Cameroons and Togoiand." A word or two upon this oil palm will be interesting. The tree grows frcm 40ft to 60ft high. "At the head of the female tree hang the huge bunches of oil nuts, from 500 to 2000 forming a single bunch, and each nut the size of a walnut, composed of a fibrous nericarp matted together with pure yellow oil, while the whole is enveloped in a tough skin" [so is the cocoanut.] It is from this outer fibre that palm oil is obtained. After the fibre, with its adhering oil, is removed, there remains a small nut about tie size and shape of a peach stone, which, when, cracked, gives the palm kernel." There are many varieties of this oil palm, but the)fibre of the kind most, widely distributed " contains 66 wer cent, pure oil and the kernel 49 per cent. Within recent years the glycerine in this oil has become one of its most valuable constituents, of which it represents from 7 to 9 per cent. This palm tree is even now the premier industry of West Africa, but there ;#: still vast areas of forest lands as yet untapped." Bub the cocoa palm grows cocoa, pods containing cocoa beans producing a butter of a delicate quality, ' too expensive to eat, but an excellent medium for the ointments, and pomades of medical science." Here, again, is seen the difference between British and German methods of handling natives. The British exports from Africa are approximately £3,000,000, while the German exports were only about £300.000, and from territory as favourable and as great. Here are some tabulated figures referring to cocoa exports : Britisrh GreMuaw. Gold Coast. Kamerune. &3,Ba»> 191,000 Sei. miles. &q. miles. £ £ 1806 .. 336.269 48.000 1911 1,813,468 140,000 1913 .. 2,489,218 150,000 By the. bye, for years we have been importing Burmah candles which are made from a vegetable wax. Unless the spirit otherwise moves me, I'll have a Chat next week upon "Germany's Lost Colonial Empire."