UGANDA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20283, 5 December 1935, Page 14

UGANDA

DESTITUTION UNKNOWN Uganda in British Central Africa was described by Sir Bernard H. Bourdillon, who has just returned from the colony, as one of the most prosperous units of the British Empire. Its prosperity was largely due to the successful development of the cotton industry, a davelopment which owed a great deal both to the example and to the advice which had been obtained from the British Cotton Growing Corporation. When he went to Uganda three years ago it was definitely a going concern, but it could not balance its Budget; to-day it balanced its Budget and had satisfactory surpluses, not by over-taxation or injudicious underexpenditure, but through prosperity. In the last three years the volume of trade had increased 65 per cent, and the value of its exports by 60 per cent. That was a figure which any other part of the Empire would find difficult to beat, and the main reason, he believed, that Uganda stood in such a satisfactory position was because they had been able to encourage native production. Native production was the mainstay of the country, and although there was a certain number of British settlers, there was no conflict between the interests of the settler and of the native producer. There was not, as there was elsewhere, any conflict between the native agriculturist and industrial development to attract the native from his farm to other occupations offering a higher wage. It was essentially an agricultural country, and cotton was at the moment the largest and most important cron. Indirect Rule The political development of Uganda had a close association with its econon’c development, Sir Bernard went on, and he described the development of the system known as indirect rule, which was also being applied in Nigeria. In Uganda the country was divided into a number of units of varying sizes known as native administrations. The essential feature was that each one was a financial equity in itself and its duties were more, or less those of a local council. The salaries of the chiefs varied enormously, and when a chief saw a neighbouring chief getting twice his own salary he would find, on inquiry, that the neighbouring district was the more prosperous. The chiefs had a direct and personal interest in the prosperity of the people they administered. This interest had at times to be curbed rather than stimulated in the way of expanding production, but he would be doing the chiefs less than justice if he suggested that the salary was their sole Interest. Many took a very real interest in the education and health of their people. The native of Uganda, taking it by and large, was an exceedingly happy person. Throughout the country there was no such thing as destitution. He could only think of three or four beggars, and they were mentally deficient. Everyone in the country had enough to eat and to satisfy his normal wants, but they aimed at increasing the standard of their wants.