Greater Number Of Changes Research Articles

AFTE1t seeing four Governors in six years in Northern A RhodesiaJ and an even greater number of changes in the Department of Native Education with the consequent delay in crystallisation of policy, it is like a breath of fresh air to find such a clear-sighted, competent and comprehensive statement as the P;m Commission Report. The Commission consisted of Sir Alan Pim and Mr. S. Milligan, and was appointed at the request of the Government of Northern Rhodesia to enquire into the Snancial and economic position of the Territory, with a view to reducing the cost of administration, and to make recommendations generally. The Report states that the present scale of expenditure is inadequate for the needs of the countrr and in a few years time it will be much more inadequate. Thus, far from reducing the cost of administration, the examination of expenditure estimates made it clear that no economies of importance could be suggested, except ?I,ooo in the Customs Department, and by increasing the number of Africans employed in the service. The main stress of the Report is actually placed upon proposing a number of important increases in social and medical services which are at present most inadequate. These findings are based on a close investigation into such questions as the physical and other features of the country as they affect its economic resources, its capacity to yield revenue and its requirements in expenditure; the history, extent, causes and results of migrant labour attention being drawn to the absence of any definite policy towards industrial labourlocal government, agnculture, forestry, livestock, health and education.

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