Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-11
COTTON IN AFRICA
British Experiments There Not
Very Successful.
NATIVES ARE TOO LAZY
Difficulty in Securing Labor Chief
Cause of Failure.
SIR A. L. JONES ATTEMPT
Spent Many Thousands to Make Eng
land Independent of the United
States for Raw Material.
NATIVES ARE TOO LAZY
SIR A. L. JONES ATTEMPT
EI MILAN T.. RIIS

Ef WILLIAM r. CURTIS.
Written for Tn" and the Chica-" Record
Herald.
The British government has not bccn
very successful thus far i'll its efforts
to promote the cultivation of cotton III
India. Egypt and in its African colonies.
fhc trouble seems to be 4 lack of energy
II the part Of the natives and the ~
iiculty of securing other labor Inc as
souan darn the Nile, which vas IN
ended 10 develop by irrigation a vast
lrca Of desert land. has not thus tar
been utilized to the extent that was en-
1ectcd. and although considerable tract
ias been taken mp and several companies
nave been formed for the colonization
and irrigation Of the surrounding coun-
~. only :, small proportion las been
sold 10 actual settlers and the cotton
,.rnp Of Egypt shows no increase IN
volume Indeed. the total for 1900 Is
smaller than for several previous years,
Which Is accounted for by various local
reasons. hut is significant because it
shows that the opportunities offered by
the aSSolIan dam have not been taken
advantage Of TO their full extent. Al
though that dam cost a large sum OF
l,uir,y and is monument OF engineering
skill, several Of the reclamation projects
Of the United States government IN the
ar west have been more expensive and
viii reclaim larger area.
Although Egypt SwarmS with poverty
stricken fellahs, as the peasant class
is called il is Very difficult to make them
work and several enterprises intended to
take advantage of the irrigation facilities
If the ASsouan dam have failed because
Of til, inability TO secure labor An
American gentleman who purchased a
large tract Of land attempted TO secure
,uored einigrantS in the United states,
but was only partially successful, and the
people he took over soon abandoned their
American habits aud fell into the lndo-
lent ways of the natives. This was not
due TO the hookworm, or any other in
Iernal cause, but TO the Influence of tie
climate and environment And the same
trouble prevails throughout all Africa
wherever the British. French or German
authorities have attempted to extend the
cultivated area and produce cotton, sugar
ana other tropical crops.
Same in India.
on both the east and west coats OF
Africa the cotton experiment has been
tried with the same results. In India
the natives do not produce enough raw
material To supply their own factories,
although they have had the hearty en-
enlargement and support of the govern
ment and Il ready market at the max
imum prices for every pound of cotton
they were able to produce. The Ger
mans have made an effort to induce the
natives on their colonies on tie west
coast of Africa to plant cotton, and
have been no more successful. Both the
Germans and English have taken expert
cotton planters. both white and coored,
from the southern states to Superintend
their plantations. and have demonstrated
that the soil and climate are admira oily
adapted to the purpose, but they cannot
persuade the natives to work. That is
Ill
attempts have been made to introduce
cotton culture ever since the colony
was founded, seyenty-tiye years ago Life
is too easy, the climate is too enervatins
and men who can live without labor are
very apt to do s.
Several years ago the manufacturing
interests of Lancashire, England, became
actively interested in promoting cotton
culture in Africa. with the hope that they
might arrange for their supply of raw
material from that source and thus be re-
ieved of their dependence upon the
United States. y society called The
British Cotton Growers Association" was
organized, with its headquarters at Liver
pool. The membership is composed chief
~ of cotton manufacturers in Manchester
and the surrounding towns, each of whom
purchased a certain number of shares of
stock. the proceeds of which went into Il
promotion fund for maintaining expert
mental plantations in the African col
onies and paving bounties to the natives
TO stimulate industry. The managers and
superntendents came to the United States
to be educated in the cotton business
ard experts have been sent from this
country To Africa to teach the native
farmers how TO plant. cultivate. pick and
an cotton. The sum of 5000 100
..as already been expended in these
efforts, and at recent annual meet
!nS of the association it was decided
10 Increase the capital ana extend the
work. Committees We're appointed to So
lclt subscriptions from merchants. ship
perS. bieachers. printers and other allied
trades. and particularly the members of
the several branches of the labor unions
in the cotton manufacturing districts of
Lancashire. y plan was formed for sell
ing one-pound shares of stock to the mill
lands on fve-year instaiments, to be
paid ut the rate of 4 shillings q share
ler wear. 1t is a little difficult to under
~tand why the rich manufacturers should
ind II necessary or advisable to ask the
cooperation of their employees who are
paid very small wages. the maximum
Icing 10 shillings, or ~ week, but they
calculate that they raise S1.IO,sD
from the trades" as the labor Organiza-
lions are called, during the next live
ears