Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/304

 252 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — SIERRA LEONE

A Government railway, a single line of 2ft. Bin gauge, "open from Freetown to Pendembu, near the Liberian frontier, a length of 227* miles From Boia Junction, 64* miles from Freetown, a branch line runs to KaTabai a distance of 104 miles ; and a further extension to Baga in the Sadugu District is contemplated. There is also a mountain section from Freetown to the official quarters at Hill Station a distance of 5f miles. There are over 1,100 miles of telegraph and telephone lines. In 1919, 1 615 118 postal packets were dealt with in the Colony ; money order transactions amounted to 103,842?. There are 536 miles of combined Saph and telephone service in operation. There are, 43 post offices and uostaTa-encies. At the end of 1919 there were 6,328 depositors m the Lvngsb nk with 96,114*. (inclusive of interest) to their credit. The West African Silver Currency was introduced in 1913 (see under Nigeria, p. 242), but Sidsh coins are still largely used, and the French five franc piece is W tender at 3,. 10^. Currency notes of the United Kingdom and Nigeria are in circulation, the amount at June 30, 1919, being 150,250*.

Tb* Protectorate -On March 7, 1913, an Order in Council was issued proT ^L f oS^ffldatiation of the Protectorate of Sierra Leone The Order applies to the territories, not being portions of the Colony of Sierra Leone Win- between the sixth and tenth degrees of north latitude and the tenth and fourteenth degrees of west longitude, and beginning at the extreme southerly point of the Colony on the Anglo-Libenan boundary, as dSim ted undeJ the provisions of the Anglo- Liberian Conventions, November 11, 1885, and January 21, 1911. The Protectorate extends

inla ?heGo°verno 8 r° and Commander-in-Chief for the time being of the Colony of Sierra Leone is also the Governor of the Protectorate. Authority is a yen to the Legislative Council of Sierra Leone, by ordinance to exercise and Provide for giving effect to the powers and jurisdiction acquired by the Crown. P Th ^Protectorate has an area of 27,000 square miles and a popu- lation according to the census of 1911, of 1,327,560. The Protectorate was proclaimed August. 21, 1896, and the whole territory has been divided into 3 Province!, each of which is placed under a European commissioner. Circuit courts are held at the chief centres of population ; convictions in 1917 84 There are also district commissioners courts, chiefs courts for purely native cases (not serious crime), and combined courts (a chief and a non-native) for small debts and trivial misdemeanours (assaults, abusive language) arising between native and non-na ive. The chief articles of import are cotton goods, spirits, hardware and tobacco ; the chief exports a S kernels, kola nuts, and palm oil There are severabnussion and MnWimedan schools. A Government school tor the sons and nominees of STl S was establish, d at Bo in the Railway district of the Protec torate on March 1, 1906. The school, which is under Europeau supervision, opened with 8 pup ; at the end of 1919 there were HO pupils. An ele- mentary school was opened at the end of 1915 ; Hum, are also 8 Goveinment Co Vernacular Schools. An Agricultural TrainingOollege was established W the Government in 1919, with 30 pupils. tfWe are over 92 non- Government schools, of which 49 arc unetea bjf ttrt Government. Governor.-R. 3. U'il/ruisoi,, C.M.G. (2.500Z.). Colonial Secretary.- -Dr. J. C. Ma.nnll. C.M.G.