Evening star., 1906-03-23
Held Sittings in Public.

Baron Moncheur stated that. according
to the report, the commission held sittings IN
public and collected the evidence OF several
hundred witnesses including judges. Of
ficiais, agents of companies. missionaries OF
all denominations and of natives The lat
ter had confidence in the members of the
commission Whole villages presented them
selves before the commissioners. their
Journey requiring days and days or tedious
travel. The commission found great ulni-
Guilty in procuring trustworthy evidence
because the average Congo native examined
as witness believes the truth as being not
what Is or has been, but what ought 10 pe
from his personal point OF view.
by the law of the Congo Free State all
vacant land is declared government prop
erty. The same principle is aoopiea ny
other governments, and especially tnose
having colonies in the Congo basin. me
natives were confirmed in the possession
and In the ownership of the lands Winch
they had under cultivation. AS, however,
this constitutes but very small portion OF
the territory strict Interpretation or the
law would give the native no chance TO de-
velop Therefore the commission recon-
mends that the native be granted a larger
space Of land round their settlements, ana
that they be encouraged in agriculture, ana
be left free to dispose OF their crops
Before the establishment of the Congo
Free State the staple articles or trade IN
Central Africa were ivory and slaves. The
supply of ivory has been nearly exhausted.
Therefore although liberty Of commerce is
formally recognized, 1t happens that at
present the native is not engaged In any
trade from which he receives medium OF
exchange, for his wages In the government
service are paid In kind or In brass rods.
which constitutes an unsatisfactory and
variable standard. For this reason the
commission recommends the Introduction
of a medium of exchange-real curreDGy--
which will enable the native to trade more
freely.
System Of Taxation.
ut Is known by almost everybody that
the Congo Free State has been severely
criticised for it's system of taxation. which
requires the native to work forty hours a
month although for this work he receives
a regular wage.
in that which concerns colonial ieglsla-
ton IT is known that the native must pay
a tax of some kind. As the native has but
few possessions IT is evident that the tax
he can most easily pay Is a moderate con-
tribution In labor. Moreover no civiiiza-
tion can exist without labor, and as the
white man cannot stand the strain OF work
I'm equatorial regions. II follows that the
native Is the only available source OF labor.
He is naturally lazy, as oil semi-unciyilized
people are. But 1t must also be said that
his wants are few and easily satisfied. Yet
the government finds 1t necessary to levy q
tax In the form of work, TO induce him to
contribute his personal effort to develop the
country. This system furnishes the only
means of training the native In habits OF
industry which form the foundation OF
civilization.
"In the early days Of tho state. thai Is to
say, until November Is 1908, the system OF
taxation was very unsatisfactory, ~ the
assessment and collection Of the sax was
left largely to the discrstfon Of local agents,
After November Is, 1903, q law Was enacted
providing that each adult native shall con-
tribute tax In labor. not to exceed forty