West Africa Evolving.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 21, 22 May 1912, Page 33

West Africa Evolving.

EVROPE IN AFRICA—BUSINESS IN THE BI’SH-THE RI’BBER AND PALM OIL INDISTRIES—OCT POSTS OF COMMERCE—THE - BAGMAN” OF HIE iJVSH-ANCIENT IN DVSTRIES— El’R OPES Fl Tl RE COTTON-Fl ELD.

BY

FRANK E. VERNEY.

IT is a remarkable fact to any one who knows West Africa and its potentialities as an inexhaustible storehouse of many natural products essential to the requirements of civilisation and as a huge market for the wares of the Mother Country that its affairs obtain such scant publ c attention. Seldom it is that the general public has put before it with due prominence the fact that among the mi,lions who have their habitat in West Africa there is a constant and rapidly growing demand for the manufactures of British workshops, varying in nature from a strip of Manchester cotton to a Crewe engine, from a Birmingham tin can to a Clyde steamer, and that under the influence of an increased commercial attention. combined with wise Government administration, West Africa will ultimately become one of the Empire’s greatNow it is my desire, so far as the limits of this article will allow, to show what the “ West Coast ” is doing: to indicate the revolution which has already been krought in a land of which less than a century ago a few intrepid ex* plorers brought back stories which caused the people of England to regard it as a veritable hell on earth, a place of black devils and deadly pestilence. Our West African colonies are represented by Northern and Southern Nigeria plus the actual coastal areas or littoral territories of Sierra Leone, the Gambia, and Ashanti. But. practically speaking, by virtue of extent of area and productive value, British West Afiica may be interpreted ?’s Northern and Southern Nigeria. Nigeria has an area of close on 334.000 square miles, which means that the Brit-

ish Isles. France, and half a dozen Hollands would easily be accommodated within its frontiers. EVROPE IN AFRICA. For administrative purposes it is >plit into two provinces, each with its own Governor ami civil stall'. On the north it is bordered by the Great Sahara and Lake Chad, annd on the south by the Gulf of Guinea. With this brief geographical description I will ask yoti (*’ accompany me into Lagos, the metropolis of Southern Nigeria. Here is a town which forces upon one with deep conviction the fact that West Africa has both a present and a future in the trade of the world. Instead of a medley of mud huts fronted by shrieking savages, is a well-ordered town of straight streets and large -squares. Leaving the wharves

where yelling kroo-boys are busy unloading from steamers and surf-boats European goods, and loading palm-oil and rubber. etc., you will find yourself in a busy thoroughfare— not the object of a crowd of admiring niggers, but one of a number, each of whom has his own business to perform, and is performing it. Here you will see a fat. satisfied-looking native, possibly a wealthy merchant, garbed in orthodox frock coat and silk hat. who, if accoste I. will probably be able to discuss topical questions with you in French or Eng ish. There you will see a bush native, clad in naught but a loin-cloth, his head laden with a load of seventy or eighty pound • of produce, wending his way to maiket. Across tb<* road, in that smart-looking store, a miniature Whiteley’s, will b* found several white men and their LI ick assistants busily engaged in supplying the wants of their black customers, taking over the counter coin of the realm in exchange for European commodities. 1 can go into one of these stores and purchase almost anything, from a Sheffield iaz< rto a Coventry bicycle. Here on th? actual fringe of darkest Africa I can buy myse;f a complete outfit, from mosquito hoots to a solar topee. 1 am asked out to dine either at the mess of the Nigerian Regiment or with a trader, and entertained to a table d’hote meal which compares favourably with what I. could get in London. I am offered a petit verre of Vermouth or sherry, champagne and port are at my disposal, my solids include caviare and pate de foie gras, and 1 can wind up with a Chartreuse. French coffee, and Havana cigars. 1 tell this, not as an inducement to Sybaritic individuals to visit W'est Africa, but by way of emphasising the metamorphosis which savage Africa has undergone in the last few decades. Lagos has its Government buildings,

schools, post offices, railway, and a telegraph system, all partly staffed by black assistants. Strolling into one of the --el tools. you will see an intelligent-looking black teacher, probably the son of a simple savage whose sole law was that of might, ami whose world was limited to his wives and his cooking pot. instructing a crowd of young African hopefuls in Euclid and algebra. Many of the minor clerical position- in the Government offices are held by natives. who are as facile with the pen as their fathers were with a machete, indeed. some of these du-ky civil servants are in receipt of salaries of as much as three hundred pounds a year, and. in their own estimation at least, are as invaluable to the Government as is the Governor himself.

There are dusky dentists and doctors, ami black barristers; and the latter, in verbose eloquence, can give points to our own K.C.’s. Even the theft of a scraggy fowl will inspire them to great oratoric.d efforts. However, this childlike vanity does not prevent the educated native, the product of a new civilisation, from being an extremely useful citizen. Lagos has a railway which extends inland through the oil and rubber districts to Ibadan ami Oshogbo a distune of about PJO miles—as far as from London to Liveipool. It is the beginning of a network of lines which will extend from th? (•cast to the Sahara and Lake Cha I, t. pping territories of titanic wealth. nil 1 bringing into dose touch with Europe immense virgin markets. Lagos itsdf is a great centre for palm oil. palm kernels, rubber, and cotton, etc., and all day long, by canoe along the myriad of creeks and lagoons, through the

forests on the heads of the natives, and down from the hinterlands by rail, come these products en route for the factories of Europe. The trade of Lagos and its hinterlands has been steadily increasing year by year, and now, in 1906, the value of it amounts to more than £2,000,000, divided fairly equally between exports and imports. Verily an eloquent testimony in favour of the “ idle ” native and his muchmaligned country. In these African cities, of which Lagos is a type, every one is busy. Everywhere is the mark of progress and pregnant signs of development to come; and the vital spring of the whole is Trade. Trade with a capital T. BUSINESS IN THE BI SH. But to obtain a proper insight into Africa’s industrial ami commercial system you must come with me a few hundred miles further along the coast to the centre of the Niger delta, a huge steamy area of swamp, creek, river, ami forest. forming the greatest hothouse in the world. At Sapele and Benin we tin I tremendous quantities of hardwood, mahoginy. and ebony, etc., which, cut from the surrounding forests, is lying awaiting shipment. It has been obtained either by hired native labour under the supervision of white traders employed by Liverpool merchants, or bv native chiefs xvbo-e followerscut down the trees and roll them to the nearest creek, from whence they lloat the logs down to one of the timber ports and sell to a trader. There are great possibilities in timber alone as the huge forests of the delta abound in it. There are millions of pounds’ worth of valuable hardwoods waiting to he cut. but until roads ami railways are extended the major portion of this wealth must remain locked in its natural fastness. Imagine the difficulty of dragging a log through the forests when a passage has to be cut through dense undergrowth and trailing vines which bind together the masses of vegetation with the tenacity of steel cables. Vet. in spite of such difficulties, which will be overcome as development pro<*eeds. £1,000,000 worth of timber ha- been exported to England during the last ten years. THE REBBER AND PALM OIL INDI S TRIES. Two other great African industries of which tin* Niger delta may be regarded as the centre are rtlblier and palm oil both

of which, particularly the former, are in dispensable to the requirements of modern civilisation. Hundreds of thousand- of the natives of Southern Nigeria are en gaged in collecting palm oil ami palm ker nels from the fruit of the oil palm tree, ami tapping the latex from the d'lil'eient varieties of rubber trees. Traders ami ollicia’s have taught them how to do thi-. and the Department of Agriculture haestablished plantation- in many place- to instruct ami advise them in the cultivation and care of rubber tree-, in order that the huge .-apply shall not be exhausted. and that t lie future may see ; n increase rather than a decrease in the product i\ e areas. In 1906 the export- in these products from Nigel ia amounted to the follow arz: Rubber, £307,077: palm-oil ami kernels. From the coastal region- of Southern Nigeiia. with the product- of its mighty

forests, we will go up the Niger. Down from the north, through the centre of Nigeria to the sea, Hows the great river, Twelve times the size of the Thames, an I fed by countless creeks, it forms a vast circulation system connecting th* country’s wealthy forests and fruitful plains with the outer world. Along its mud ly waters come craft of all kinds from the native “dug-out” to a 200()-ton Meaner laden with native produce going to the markets of Europe ami European goodcoming into the heart of Africa. Ol TPOSTS OF ( O.MMERt E. On its hanks at intervals are native towns, each one with its several British stores —or “factories,” as thev are called in coast parlance—stalled l>y one or more white men and their black a-si-tant-. Attached to each of these factoiies. which are generally erection- of pin scantlings and galvanised roofs, with wile verandahs, are large enclosures, -tocke I with produce awaiting tin* arrival of a branch -teamer to convey it to th • Out in the bush or up the numerous creeks are other branch factories, all ramifications of one or other of the bg merchant firms of Liverpool. The-e fac lories form the tentacles of tin* civilising octopus of progre-- and <-oinnier< e--really synonymous terms —which is advancing its grip on Africa. They are all engaged in tapping the wealth of the colony, in feeding great Briti-h industries and making now markets for the manufactures of British workmen. The trader, with hi- factory, often opens up to trade a district in which no white foot but bis own has trod. He does not follow the >wor<l. It tie* sword comes at all. it generallx comes after, to enforce some newly im|H»rted law which has travestied an ancient native right, and caused resentment. THE “BAGMAN” OF HIE Bl S||. The trader’s prime as-i-tant in Nigeria’s commercial -\-tcm i- the llau-a “middleman.” who max l»e de-cribt*d as the “bagman” of tin* buMi. He i- tie* direct descendant of the num who. centuries ago. working in conjunction with the Arab trading caravan- which came aero-- the 'Sahara from Tripoli, laden with silk-, cottons, and arm-. I»art«*rel with the forest and coastal tribe- for ivory ami gold du-t. Trading i- bred in him. ami the major portion of the conn try’s trade come- through hi- hand-. From the factory he obtains on trust, or purchase- for cash or kind, a consider-

able assortment of goods, cottons, cloths, pots, pans, beads, knives, brass rods, etc., with which he loads up his caravan of bearers o r his canoes, and sets forth on his journey. Into the bush or up the creeks he goes for hundreds of miles,

peddling his wares to remote villages, bartering his stock for native produce. At the end of his tour he comes back to the factory laden with palm-oil, rubber. coffee. cocoa, kola, indigo, etc., which he exchanges for more goods, making a good profit out of the transaction. Then. in addition to the trade through the middleman, the factory is busy supplying the needs of the native tribes in the vicinity. Every morning outside his verandah the trader will find' a crowd of natives of all types, squatting beside the produce which they have brought in to exchange for whatever strikes their fancy or need. Then there is a busy time weighing in and bartering. The trailer in charge of the factory also periodically sends out his assistants, or goes himself on tours of exploration, telling the chiefs of the villages en route what he will give them for bringing produce. ami inducing those already supplying him to increase their activity. If he strikes a well-frequented native caravan route or a district particularly prolific in any of those things for which there is a demand at Home, he will open another branch factory. Thus, in snowball fashion, is commerce creeping its way into the vitals of African life and extending the supply sources of materials essential to the prosecution of many modern industries. Many of these factories do a tremendous trade and the white assistants have little time for idling or sporting. At certain seasons it is work from early morning to late at night, ami every man. from the chief agent of a company who goes from factory to factory in a snug

steam laumh to the greenest clerk from home, must actively fulfil his part in the great commercial struggle. ANC lENT INDUSTRIES. \\ •• will now go up into Northern Nigeria and see yet another phase of West

African conditions, one of which is of immense importance to the Empire. Up the Niger by steam launch, past towns and villages, past the Benue, which has its source near Lake Chad, past Lokoja, the capital town, with its

traders’ stores, its Government House, its military barracks, its telegraphs, etc. — right on along the Upper Niger, and thence across country into the heart of Hausalaml to the great emporium of the Hansa trader. Kano, the Manchester of Africa. At Kano we come into contact with purely native manufacturing industries, and a commercial life in the making of whch the white man has had no part — cotton cloths of splendid workmanship ami design, leather riding boots, shoes, sandals, sword scabbards, saddles, etc, Iron agricultural implements, weapons, have for hundreds of years been made, in this Hansa city. Indigo dyeing, hidetanning. and cotton-weaving are proceeding extensively to-day. and the indefatigable Hansa is as expert at these things as he is at peddling European goods or farming the fertile plains of Northern EUROPE'S FUTURE COTTON FIELD. It is this same Hansa, with his in grained love of agriculture and trade, who is. with the assistance of railways and Government guidance, going to convert the immense uplands of Nigeria into vast cotton-fields, thus solving for Europe the vitally important question of cotton supply. For many years the fact has been demonstrating itself that the cotton belt of America is inadequate to supplying the cotton mills of Europe with the necessary material commensurate with the rapidly increasing demand. Further, painful distress on many occasions han been caused among the millions of people

engaged in this industry by reason <>s bad weather or stock manipulation causing a large decrease in the output of the United States. In Nigeria the British Cotton-Growing Association have found the remedy. It has the climate, the soil, and the labour;

and. moreover, cotton is indigenous and an ancient native industry. Several large ginneries have been erected in various parts of Nigeria, and a substantial start has been made in production. In a large number of places the Government has inaugurated experimental farms to instruct the natives in the proper methods of cultivation, and every thing is being done to encourage indi vid mil effort and to establish this in dustry on a sound and substantial basis The results have already exceeded expectations, and est Africa has demonstrated her ability to do what no other place in the world can do. Palm-oil and kernels for our soap and oil trades, rubber for our motor and main other industries, cotton for oui Lancashire mills, mahogany, ebony, and other valuable hardwoods, cocoa. < olive, maize, hemp. etc. — all these is this little known colony supplying. But the point of all to be remembered is that every pound's worth of produce exported from West Africa means thimport of an equal value of European manufactures. As civilisation advances and our trail ers extend their operations, more and more goods from hmm* are required, and there is no local manufacturing competi tion to handicap the imported goods of our home industries. Space has permitted me to indicate but briefly some of the things that are being done and how they are living done. I can only sum up by stating that there are but few places mi the earth's

surface which offer so many possibilities to the commercial world and such opportunities of prosperous development. Nigeria may truthfully be described athe world's greatest forcing-house. in which Nature has put forth her powers and shown her fruitfulness, scattering in riotous confusion her stupendous riches, and provided the labourers to cull them, at the same time giving to the Old World a magnificent virgin market and field for commercial enterprise. As J have shown, the development of these resources have been proceeding silently and surely, and the following figures are interesting as showing the rate at which commercial development has already progressed in spite of the great difficulties of transport under which trade has laboured. 1897 1906 Approx. Nigeria ... C 3.000.000 £6.299.689 Gold ('oast 1,500.000 3.539.994 Sierra Leone 750.000 1.602.474 Gambia . ... 303.434 579.739 Total £5,553,434 £12.021.896 Nigeria’s railway system will give a great impetus to this development and rivet down on West Africa the mantle of prosperity, and at the same time prove beyond all doubt West Africa s value as a great asset of the British Empire.