The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN AFRICA.
Important Steps Taken to Diminish 10 ~
the Second Brussels Conferences.

| Wnlcn most OF the civilized states b0ok part,
ndoptod measures to prevent the sale OF spirit
Qua liquors In oil parts OF tho interior OF Africa
| where tho traffic had not been introduced and
gradually to reduce the volume OF the trade.
| by means OF increasing import duties. in those
| regions where Bummarily to prohibit Il wohld
| practically destroy all commerce. 1t was pro-
| vided that later conference should be held, At
| time to be agreed upon. to take such further
| measures for the repression OF the trade as the
| experience derived from the workings OF the
| Brussels act might suggest. This Conference.
attende by Observation-Disclosures from eleven
| European powers and the Congo Free State.
met In Brussels on April 40 last. appointed
| commission to examine the whole question
| and draw IN new act reconvened on May 80
| 10 receive the com missions report. and signed
| a new convention on JuneS 4. The results OF
its work have Just been made public. since 10
| has become Inv by the ratification OF the pow
| ers concerned.
| The report contains striking evidence OF the
| terrible effect that the liquor traf1c has had
| upon the natives. Traders have sold spirits for
many years on the lower Congo from it's mouth
| 10 the rapids n hundred miles inland. The
Congo state has found it almost impossible to
| oppose the traffic there without running oil
| commercial relations. This district along
| ninety miles Of river and tho narrow sea 'front.'
| consumes about 800 600 gallons OF spirits In
| year. Alcohol is the real money OF tho coun.
| try. Everything the native acquires which he
| can use In trade Ia converted into spirita.
| When he takes to drink all the members OF his
| family follow his example. Women are, oftsn
seen giving n sip OF spirlts to their nurs.
| ing children. The resulting m Mortality has been
very great. The population Is now sparse
and villages are rare though the numerous
| cemeteries. filled with the victims OF drink.
show that the country thirty years ago. was
densely peopled The measures taken to 70.
| duce tho traffic have been Intellectual because
| the blacks OF the lower Congo and the neigh.
| boring coasts willingly pay the duty Of fifteen
| frames per hsctolitre about twenty six and .
half gallonsl and II the supply on tho lower
| Congo Is not equal to the demand the natives
| scour tho coast reglonS north and south for
additional supplies The Congo State authors
ties were OF the opinion that the tariff rate
| must be largely increased. not only In their own
territory but also in the neRhborinR French
| and Portuguese colonies to reduce the COM
sumption on tho lower Congo.
| In regions where the sale OF LIQUOR began
more recently the blacks are superior In
physique and morale to the besotted natives OF
| the lower river There Is a still more striking
| contrast between tho natives OF the upper
| river whore no spirits are permitted to be sold
and those living near the ConRo's mouth. The
! people living in the interior are intelligent.
| robust. well built and take good care Of their
bodies while the contrary IL true OF the inhab-
| itants OF the lower Congo The natives who
have not acquired the appetite for drink have
| no idea Of the degradation 1t produces.
The British plenipotentiares urged . uni.
| form imposition OF duty OF 100 francs per hso.
! tolitre on proof spirits containing 80 per cent
OF alcohol and a proportionally higher tariff
| on spirits containing a higher percentage.
High tariffs. they said. had been imposed In
| all the British colonies for some years and they
have neither destroyed general commerce nor
| diminished the revenue The increase In the
| tariff rate In the Gold Coast colony has pre-
| vented augmentation Of the liquor imports.
| and In 1897 duty OF 80 francs per hectoltro
| yielded a revenue OF 3.265.OO0 francs. The
duty on the Gold Coast has now been raised 70
| 124 francs. In Lagos and the Niger territory
the increase in duties has diminished the Inn
portatons. The Lagos importations fell from
$1,000 hectoltres In 1895 to 90. 900 In 1893.
and on the Niger coast from $4,000 hectoltres
| In 1895 to $4,000 in 1897.
1t has often been asserted that the native re-
quires IA certain amount OF spirits and that .
dlminution In liquor importations would lead
to a corresponding decline In the imports OF
legitimate articles OF trade. This has not been
the experience OF the British colonies. In the
| Gold Coast. Lagos and the Niger colonies. q
decline in the spirit i'm ports has been accom-
panied by an increase in tho importation OF
general articles OF trade. In Lagos. for exam
pie. spirits formed In 1894 II per cent. In
1895. 7 per cent and in 1897 8 per cent OF the
total imports. while In those years the ports
| OF other goods amounted to $4,000. 900
| 22.OOO.OOO and 19.O0OOO0 francs respectively.
| The British authorities believed that the
! general imposition on all parts Of the Afri-
can coast Of q tax Of 100 francs per hectolitro
on spirits would not diminish the Govern
ment revenues. The proof Is conclusive. the
plenipotentiaries said. that the commerce In
alcohol destroys other commerce that 10 do.
slrable and that the ultimate result Of the
trade in spirits, II unchecked. would be to de-
| stroy all other commerce by destroying the
| natives. while the diminution OF the liQuoH
traff1c will even force an increase OF other
trade which will be more profitable for Europ.
can industry. The present policy OF incrsas.
ing the duties on spirits should be continued
both with the view OF m aintalning the colonial
revenues and OF preventing the abuse Of spir-
tous liquors
The debate on the British proposals ocoupiea
several DAYS. Many Of the plenipotsntiaries
| expressed the view that the imposition Of Q
minimum tax Of 100 francs per heotolitrs at
| present would. IN many Of the colonies, be
prejudicial to the general interests OF COM
merce and would largely reduce the revenues.
A com promise figure was finally agreed 70 and
| the convention as adopted provides that In al
| the zone. not included under the regime Of
prohibition by the Brussels act Of 1890. the
minimum tariff on spirltuous liquors shall be
seventy francs per hectoitre. except In the
German colony Of Togo and the French colony
OF Dahomey where upon the demand Of those
powers. the minimum tax was IL ed at sixty and
fifty francs respectively These minimum rates
will DO maintained for elk years whom they
will be subject to such revision as seems wise
in view Of tho results attained. Meanwhile
any power has the right to increase the tariff
rate in its colonies Any distilled liquors man
| utacturcd in the colonies shall be subject to
an excise tax not less than the minimum tariH
The convention having heen ratified BY all
the powers concerned. has been deposited In
the archives at Brussels and is now law. Il
maintains the Prohibition oithe traflc through
out the entire Interior fixes q com pa rativelY
high minimum rate OF duty and will undoubt.
EDDY promote the dimnutlon OF the terriblO
| evils OF the African liquor trade.
LYING .IHOTT JAMAICA.