Developmental Plan

Aid For British

Colonies

War Holds Up Great Developmental Plan

THE Secretary of State for the Col onies (Lord Lloyd) in a recent BBC broadcast (Pacific Regional Session), paid glowing tribute to the re sponse of the Colonies to the Mother Country in connection with the war.

Among other things, he mentioned the numerous monetary contributions for the purchase of Spitfires, and the enthusiasm of Colonial Defence Volunteer organisa tions. He could not help conjecturing how different would have been the response of the same peoples to a call for help under Nazi rule.

The speech must have been disappoint ing to many, however, in one particular; it implied that there was not much chance of the Colonial Development scheme, outlined early this year by Mr. Malcolm McDonald, being pursued in anything like the detail that was proposed, be

cause of the more urgent financial and other needs of the British Government connected with the war. Certain sections of the scheme were to be proceeded with on modified lines, education and medi cine being mentioned as the likely field.

Actual details of this proposed’Develop ment scheme have been only recently made available, though they were in cluded in a statement made by Mr.

McDonald in the House of Commons in February last. In his preamble, Mr.

McDonald referred to “the need in many territories for an improvement of Gov ernment machinery and a reinforcement of the personnel of the development services to ensure more effective economic expansion and consequent promotion of social welfare”, and the inability of cer tain colonies to finance entirely from their local resources the required expan sion and improvement, particularly in the agricultural, health and education services.

“In the last ten years, a few Colonial Governments have been enabled to face budget deficits by grants from the Home Exchequer amounting to £12,000,000.

From the Colonial Development Fund, established in 1929, grants have been made for economic development schemes to the extent of £5,000,000. The Govern ment now invite Parliament to extend this policy, to include within the sphere of home assistance social welfare ob jectives—for example, education, which have been outside the scope of the pre vious Fund —and to facilitate recurrent as well as capital grants.

“It is accordingly proposed to replace this restricted Colonial Development Fund with its maximum expenditure of £1,000,000 a year, by a new vote for assistance to Colonial Governments, for economic and welfare objects, up to an annual maximum of £5,000,000 for 10 years. A Colonial Development and Wel fare Advisory Committee, with unofficial as well as official members, will be formed to advise the Government in the con sequent planning of expenditure.

“A further annual sum of £500,000 will be made available from the Home Ex chequer for special Colonial Research work, in annlication to the whole Col onial Empire of proposals formulated for African dependencies in Lord Hailey’s re cent ‘African Survey’.”

Development programmes facilitated by this proposed help from home will re quire in their preparation and execution close co-operation between the various technical and social service departments concerned. This has been secured in the Colonial Office by the strengthening of its

economic department and the setting up of a special social services department.

In the dependencies where such schemes must first be shaped, co-ordination machinery (e.g., local development ad visory committees) will be set up, and staff strengthened as funds permit.

Assistance to a dependency under the proposed scheme will not entail the financial control associated at present with grants in aid from the Home Ex chequer. In other words, each Colony will retain its own distinct treasury organisation and independence. . . . “From London there will be assist ance and guidance, but no spirit of dic tation. . . . The whole effort will be one of collaboration between the authorities in the Colonies and those at home.’’

Financially depressed Colonies like the Solomons will be feeling inclined speci ally to damn Mr. Hitler and all his works if this promising scheme is unduly re tarded. —“Islander”.

The success of the Papuan Govern ment’s scheme of native coffee planta tions in Sangara district is shown by the fact that 300 acres are under cul tivation and production last year was esti mated at 190,000 lbs. (against 22,652 lbs. in 1932). Half the profits will go into the Native Taxation Fund and the other half about £2,000 will be divided among the native workers.