Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1158

 1036 LIBERIA

In 1910 the United States Government intimated its willingness to assist Liberia by taking entire charge of the finances, military organisation, agriculture, and boundary questions of the countrj'. The negotiations reached a satisfactory conclusion, and in January, 1911, a scheme was agreed to. In October, 1911, the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany finally approved the details of the scheme. This involves the raising of an international loan of 500.000/., secured by the Customs, rubber tax, and native head-tax, which will be a<1ministered by an American con- troller and British, French, and German sub-controllers, the American controller also acting as financial adviser to the Government. It is also provided that for the security of the revenue a frontier police force sufficient for the maintenance of peace in Li]:)eria shall be established, and that the United States sliall designate trained military ofiicers to organise the force.

Production, Commerce,— The agricultural, mining, and industrial development of Liberia has scarcely begun. There are forests unworked ; the soil is productive, but cultivation is neglected ; cocoa and cotton are produced in small quantities only, and indigenous coflfee is the staple product. Piassava fibre, prepared from the raphia palm, is largely exported. Palm oil and palm kernels are exported. Kola nuts, chillies, beni seed and anatto seed aie produced for local con.sumption. Beeswax is collected, and gum copal is found but is not collected. Tortoiseshell, improperly prepared, is sold in small quantities. In the forests there are rubber vines and trees of 22 species. The rubber industry is in the hands of the Liberian Rubber Corporation which holds a concession for the exploitation of this product over 8,000 square miles of Government forests in addition to a considerable plantation area. Iron is worked by the natives. Gold in small quantities, copper, zinc, monazite, corundum, lead, bitumen or lignite, and diamonds have been at difterent times found in the interior, but not as yet in payable form or abundance. Ten diamonds of good quality and Brazilian character were exported in 1909 by the Chartered Company, together with a small quantity of gold. About 144 small diamonds were obtained in 1910. A charter has been granted to the Liberian Development Chartered Company (Limited), for prospecting and working minerals, for banking, for acquiring land in the country, for agricultural and other undertakings, and for the construction of roads, railways, and telegraphs.

The conditions under which trade is carried on were unfavourable, but are now improving. Business houses are permitted in the interior under special conditions. The chief imports are rice, Manchester goods, gin, tobacco, building timber, galvanised roofing iron, ready-made clothing, and dried and preserved fish, but the total import trade of the country is comparatively unimportant and does not proliably amount to 250,000/. in any year. The im- ports of leaf tobacco for 1910 amounted to 394,686 lbs., valued at 12,319/. Of the total import, Germany furnished 278,221 lbs., the United Kingdom 75,675 lbs., Holland 26,177 lbs., and the United States 14,613 lbs. The chief ports of entry were Cape Palmas with 110,567 lbs., Grand Bassa with 81,826 lbs., and Monrovia with 81,614 lbs. The chief exports are rubber, palm oil, palm kernels, piassava fibre, cocoa, coffee, ivory, ginger, camwood, and annatto. In 1907 the imports amount^-d to 804,920 dollars and the exports to 796,500; in 1908, imports, 965,626 dollars; exports, 899,569 dollars; in 1909, imports, 1,065,200 dollars, and exports, 970,500 dollars. The trade is chiefly with Great Britain, Germany, and Holland.

According to the 'Annual Statement of Trade' issued by the Board of