§ MR. R. J. PRICE (Norfolk, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any confirmation of the report that, during the first seven months of 1896, out of about 20 English officials in the Colony of Sierra Leone there were three deaths and five cases in which the officials had to be invalided home; whether officials have to serve 15 months at Sierra Leone 559 before obtaining leave, whereas in the Gold Coast Colony they have only to serve 12 months; and whether, seeing that Europeans are particularly subject to illness during the later months of their stay on the Coast, the Colonial Office can see its way to making the rules as to leave in Sierra Leone the same as in the Gold Coast Colony?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN,) Birmingham, W.I regret to state that during the months in question, which were exceptionally unhealthy, no less than five deaths occurred among the English civil officials, of whom there are about 30, and three were invalided home, besides two (including the Governor) who were invalided to the Canary Islands. The periods for which officials have to serve in Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast before obtaining ordinary leave are as stated, but in case of illness sick leave is granted sooner. It does not appear that Europeans are more subject to illness during the later months of their stay than during the earlier ones, and, while I am anxious that everything possible should be done to improve the conditions of life on the coast, I do not think that a sufficient case has yet been made out for reducing the term of service in Sierra Leone to 12 months, and throwing a considerable burden on the finances of the colony. Sierra Leone, as far as statistics go, is more healthy than the Gold Coast.