The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-01-24
Mr.. Pinder, Ambassador Of Goodwill
Continues His Mission In africa

with the undermining of this de-
partment. When the Economic Mis-
sion came to Liberia, the Govern
ment's Bureau Of Agriculture had
3 staff of one or two and a token
appropriation Of few hundred
dollars a year. Within a year, it
had been enlarged and granted
more funds. IN 194S, the Liberian
Government created a Department
Of Agriculture and Commerce Of
fill cabinet level, with a budget
Of $i0o, 900. year. In 19l9, the
Liberian Government paid for the
whole training program, which has
been continued and expanded with
the aid and advice Of . U. S.
mission.
When Pinder first started making
his expeditions into the country
side, living with the people and
making note Of what was lacking
in their diet, he was struck by the
small, scrawny chickens which
laid eggs not, much larger than
robins eggs. At his recon menda-
ton, the Economic Mission and the
Department Of Agriculture import
ed from the United States several
hundred large ROSTERS Of the best
stains. Two hundred Of these were
allotted to the Booker T. Washing
Il / Institute and the rest we're
kept at one Of the Missions sta
tipa-.
c.orts Of big, healthy chickens
az the size Of the eggs they laid
spread through the countryside.
People travelled long distances on
foot or by canoe TO see them. A few
Of the new chicks were given to
native farmers. They agreed to
feed them strictly according to the
rules laid down BY Missions per-
sonnet and later to distribute their
offspring to heighbors. Those farm.
ers lucky enough to be assigned
the chicks have treated their good
fortune as q solemn trust and in
helping with their distribution.
Large, fresh eggs are doing won
ders in raising the Liberian stand.
ard Of eating and living.
J The national income Of Liberia
comes mainly from rubber grow
ing, which belongs mostly to . pri-
vate concession. and from the sale
of palm oil, palm kernels, and
cocoa. Red palm oil Is important
in the processing Of tin plate. All
Of It used to be obtained from
wild oil palms. The oil was ex-
tracted BY the simplest of hand
methods. Pinder brought in a bet
ter strain Of palms from Nigeria.
These have been successfully rails
ed on the experimental farms Of
the Government and the Mission.
In terms of individual human
beings and Of families, the changes
wrought by these improvements
have been large An example is
the case Of Festus S. Kandukai,
his wife. and their four children
Of school age. all working the whole
day, were scarcely able TO wiring
q bare subsistence from their Is
acre farm and the few wild palms
on il, The family's income was
about 5000 q year.
In 1896, Kandakai asked the
Economic Mission for help in grow
ing vegetables. Three years later.
In 1919. the Kandakai family had
an annual income Of $4,000. In
addition to selling the vegetables,
they have added some to their own
diet. The four older children 90 20
elementary school at Saukoko now.
Kandakai has added 4 block Of
about 50 acres to be planted TO
improved palms and cocoa and
some day in the not too distant
future he expects 10 own all his
land outright.
There IS the village Of Dimeh.
Amino. not far from Monrovia.
where the LiheFian Government,
with United States cooperation,
has begun = pilot project. World
War II had cut of the trade In
palm oil, palm fiber. coffee. and
rice which had been carried on
with German and LehaneSe trad.
ers. There was 50 little We could
sell, the tribal elder, Mono Taw-
eh. told "a American visitor. that
We found h impossible to pay our
hat taxes" The ant tax Is the
pFimcipal realestate tax IN Liberia
and amounts 10 about three dollars
Q rear.