Annual report on Sierra Leone / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1948]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Sierra Leone / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/74 (page 5)
    In general, production continued at a high level. The 1947-8 rice crop, the staple diet of the vast majority of the population, was a good one and supplies of rice during the year were adequate. A Colonial Office sponsored Rice Mission, consisting of two officers with experience in irrigation and agricultural problems, visited Sierra Leone in April and May to examine the prospects of developing the rice-growing industry. Their report was under consideration at the end of the year. The production of palm kernels and palm oil, the main exports of Sierra Leone, showed a large increase. But produc¬ tion of prime Sherbro piassava, the raw material for high grade domestic and industrial brushes, showed a decline; greater production of this high quality piassava is however being resumed. Production of Sulima piassava was slightly below that of 1947. Timber production reached a higher ievel than ever before. The high output of diamonds, iron ore and chrome ore was maintained. An important step forward in the commercial and industrial field was marked by the formation on 1st September, of the Department of Commerce and Industry, to supersede the Supplies Department. In addition to the duties of the former Supplies Department, the department will gradually assume other duties some of which are at present being carried out by the Agricul¬ tural and other departments. There will also be some new duties which will include the development of exports and of production generally, the promotion of new industries, the guidance and development of internal marketing arrangements and the encouragement of Africans to undertake a larger part in commerce. The standard of social services has in general been main¬ tained and within the limits permitted by the serious shortage of qualified staff, new projects for development have been undertaken (see Part I (b) of this Report). The Medical Service in particular has suffered in respect of staff shortage, and it was necessary to close two hospitals in the Protectorate, making a total of three closed in the past two years. These hospitals have operated as dispensaries. However, only some 200 fewer patients than in 1947 were admitted to all hospitals in 1948. The general health and standard of sanitation throughout the territory have, on the whole, been satisfactory. Apart from cerebro-spinal meningitis which gave some cause for anxiety, no major outbreaks of infectious disease occurred. As in the health services, shortage of staff remained one of the most pressing problems throughout the year in the sphere of education, but prospects for producing trained teachers have improved as a result of the decision to double the intake of