Annual Report of the Colonies, Southern Nigeria, 1903
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
COLONIAL KJSPOKTS—ANNUAL. No. 438. SOUTHERN NIGERIA. REPORT FOR 1903. (FOP Report for 1902, see No. 405.) fttmnttl to both Douse* x>t parliament ha CommanS of JH.tjeety. OctoZ^r, 1904. LONDON: PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, BY DARLING & SON, LTD., 34-40, BACON STEW, E. And to be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, EAST HAKDING STHBST, FLWST Swuurr, E.C* and 32, ABINGDON STRUT, WESTMINSTER, SW,; or OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH ; or 1. PONSONBY, 116, GRAFTON STBMBT, DTTBIIN, 1904. [Od. 2;38-iof] Price U CONTENTS. PAGE. FntAMOui. ... ... ' ••• ... ... t«* ••• •»* ••• TRADE, AGRICULTURE, AND SHIPPING ••• •«» »«• ••* •«» 11 LEGISLATION 24 EDUCATION ... 26 GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS ... 27 JUDICIAL STATISTICS ... ... ... •»• ... ... ... 28 VITAL STATISTICS 29 Posr, TKLEORAHI, AND SURVEY 33 PUBLIC WORKS r.« ... ... •»« *•• **• »•» • •• 35 MARINE DEPARTMENT 36 MILITARY FORCES AND EXPENDITURE 36 CIVIL POLICE 38 ADMINISTRATION ••• ... ... ••• ••• ••• ••• 38 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ... 38 tl OOl-OHIAL BEPOBTI—AWWVAU > No. 483. SOUTHERN NIGERIA. (For Report for 1903, m No. 406.) REPORT ON THE BLUE BOOK FOR THE YEAR 1903. FINANCIAL. 1. The revenue for the financial year 1902-3, ending on 31st March, 1903, received from all sources amounted to £440,809, while the expenditure for the period amounted in the aggregate to £455,293. In addition to the revenue collected during the year a cash balance oi £50,692 was brought forward from the previous year which gave a total sum of £491,501 available for expenditure. REVENUE. 2. The following comparative statement shows the sources from which the revenue was derived during the three yeara 1900-1,1901-2,1902-3. — 190CM901. 1901-1902. 1902-1903. £ £ £ Customs ... ... ... 361,472 335,929 410,041* Licenoes, &o. , 2,050 6,407 4,789 Fees (paymen^ for specific service*) ... 6,613 9,326 10,028 Postal Revenue 2,365 4,341 4,944 Miscellaneous ... ... 7,492 6,810 11,007 Totals ••• ••• 360,894 361,815 440,809 • Specific duty, £355,250. Ad valorem duty £54,791. 675 Wfc 22878 10/04 P&R 5 IMW A 2 CO J-Otfl AL BEPp&W—ANtfUAU The revenue for the year 1902-3 exceeded that of the pre vious year by £78,994. This increase was largely due to a lnore settled state of affairs in the country generally. The expedition in the Aro country was completed in March, 1902, and trade, which had never quite stopped, revived considerably in the oil-producing areas. The financial year of the Pro tectorate is from the 1st April to the 31st March, and for this period, 1902-3, th^ revival of trade continued. Importers had ordered large consignments previous to the conclusion of military operations and these orders swelled the imports for the third and fourth quarters of the year 1902. In this con nection the revenue derived from Customs duties for the period, i.e., the financial year, is to be observed. The amount of duty collected from specific goods imported shows an in crease of £71,468*: an increase of £2,644, only, appears under ad valorem. The amount collected from ad valorem duties for 1901-2 was £24,114 in excess <Sf that collected in 1900-1; but it must be observed that on the 1st April, 1901, ad valorem duty was increased from 6 per cent, to 10 per cent. The duty collected on " specific" goods for the same period amounted to £50,651 less. These figures taken together indicate heavy importation« in 1902 and that the increase of revenue under ad valorem duties in 1903 is satisfactory. 3. The increase under " Fees" of £701 arises principally from export dues on timber. 4. During the year the stock of old stamps was withdrawn and the King's head series issued. This was necessarily anti cipated by an extensive purchase of stomps by collectors. The increase (£602) under this head therefore does not imply an increase of postal business. " Money Order Commissions," a sub-head under "Fees," shows an increase 'of £57 over the sum (£265) realised in 1901-2: this is insignificant in amount but appreciable in a small community. • 5. The amount of revenue collected under u Miscellaneous " shows an increase of £4,196 compared with the receipts for the previous year. The increases occurred under " Sale of seized property," £165; " Interest," £388; and " Other w^ices un specified," £5,492. Ar amount of £3,169 charged to the Government of the Gold Coast on account of the Ashanti Expedition was credited to the last-mentioned sub-head. 6. The foregoing paragraphs deal with the period of the financial year as has hitherto been customary, but this year has so long: closed that the figures have lost much of their interest. Similar information is therefore given so far as it can be ascertained—with accounts kept for years ending on 31st March—for the calendar year, 1903. 7. The revenue for the calendar year 1903 received from all sources amounted to £429,283, The following statement shows Jiow, it is derived, SotmifefeN NIGERIA, 1903. & 1903. Calendar Year. 1st January Head* to 81st Deoember. i Customs duties ... ... 400,145# Licences, &c. ... ... 4,083 Fees, (So. ... ... 8,440 Postal Revenue ... 4,649 Miscellaneous ... 12,066 Total... ... 429,283f • £399,116 less rebates. f Total for the quarter 1st January to 31st March, £86,678. LEGISLATION AFFECTING REVENUE. 8. The European Reservation Proclamation, No. 10 of .1902, came into operation on the 1st January, 1903. Under this Proclamation Local Boards of Health were enabled to be established. •» 9. The revenue of the 'Board derived from rates levied, rents paid, &c, is payable to the Treasurer of the Board, but the High Commissioner has power at any time to direct that any surplus revenue shall form part of the revenue of the Protectorate. 10. By Section 50 of Rule No. 7 of 1902, made under the Mining Regulation Proclamation, No. 18 of 1902, a fee of £1 per annum for every square mile or part thereof of lands named in the* licence is payable by the holder of an exclusive licence; £5 for every assignment or transfer of an exclusive license; £b by every holder of a general licence, and other fees. 11. Patients' fees ranging from one shilling to ten shillings per day are payable under Section 20 of Rule No. 11 of 1903, made under the Hospital and Dispensaries Proclamation, No. 7 of 1903. COLONIAL REPORTS ANNUAL. I 4 a s 8 & s Ci i ii 11111 11 r3 1 tjM <©• OM«OWM0000O©00« rH »H *H oo rH i»H »»•« rH »-< rH rH •3 s 3 33 I — <M 00 00 r-J rH K) fO CO rH «Q O rH SO <fet«©rHOO^r^©-<«<IOOlClr*4t<- r-l t»« rH . rH r73 I '•8 oecj ©t-»t-oeoiO«©rH«© fig ^(MtClOOOOQlOQOiHOQ ^*<S0© <—I r-i rH ^ rHiH S3 8 rH-M ©^t-00rH COt^lO iw'O^i-i^- T- OS ©CD00 ©O> rH rH <—< ^ .-• f-< rH ©to --Mini-© ir«t^» ..©©«—• O ©IQ MOt- a. 9 * ~ rH «H*H »»4 r—»rH e^5o«o&5 35 ©©£ *3 ©** ^a^sd la •I I' 0.9 $ 90 O p 1 .2 W SOtfrHBfc* «iGis*:A, 1901 13. There was a net increase of expenditure, am oompared with that of the previous year, of £123,99$ 14$. Id. WHk one exception, it will > Ken Oat-** inrnnd *xp««lit«r. occurred under each head as compared with the previous finan- cial year. | The increase (£4,243) under " Political and Admini strative " is due to the necessary increase oi stall lor the year, vide " Administration." 14. The increase £29,172 in the expenditure of the Marine Department is accounted .for by an increase in staff, European and Native, cost of coal, and the purchase of the sternwheeler " Valiant" for Niger Transport.* 15. During the year an increase of Native Staff was made in the principal departments at headquarters; this having been found necessary to cope with the increase of work and to enable the proper amount of effective work to be done daily within reasonable hours. This, to a large extent, accounts for the increases under the heads "Treasury," "Custom*," and " Secretary." 16. The head " Legal" was, up to 1900-1, included in "Judicial." 17. In 1901-2 the head " Prisons " included the expenditure under " Police." The increase. of expenditure (£888) under " Forestry and Botanical" is accounted for by the appointment of a Conservator of Forests. The increase (£3,690) under " Medical" was owing to the delay in payment of salaries to Medical Officers employed upon Expeditionary Works; -as also to expenditure under new sub-heads for " Outfit allow ances to medical officers " and " Expenses of doctors at School of Tropical Medicine." Passages of officers are debited to " Transport," and to an increase of staff is largely due the corresponding increase in expenditure (£3,832). All expenses necessarily incurred in opening up new country, establishing new markets, and making customary gifts to native chiefs is charged to the head "Aborigines," and the increased expendi ture (£1,808) is due to the large areas brought under effective control during the year. 18. In the report on *the Blue Book for 1902, in reference to the surplus of revenue over expenditure of £30,419, it was observed that this surplus rould have been largely reduced had it been possible to bring to account all expenses incurred during that financial yo»rHy the military options: then taking place in the Aro country. The expenses of Expedi tionary Works are charged under "Miscellaneous" am? the increased expenditure (£20,994) was principally incurred jn connection with the Aro Expedition. The cost of establishing new districts, a natural sequence to any expedition of import ance, was also an important item in the expenditure under this head.