§ MR. ERNEST FLOWER (Bradford, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether in view of the recent mortality amongst British officials in Sierra Leone, he will endeavour to allow the same rules as to leave in that Colony which are in force in the Gold Coast Colony; and what extra cost to the Colony this change would involve?
§ THE SECRETARY of STATE FOR THE COLONIES ( Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.)Nothing has occurred to lead me to modify an opinion expressed in the answer which I gave the hon. Member for East Norfolk on March 12. With regard to the cost, additional officers would have to be appointed to supply the places of those absent, and additional expenses would have to be incurred for passages, to say nothing of the indirect loss to the public service through more frequent changes; but the exact amount cannot be stated without reference to the Colony.