§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether grants of land in British East Africa are usually limited to 10,000 acres; whether this principle has been adopted in order to discourage large speculations in that region; and, if so, whether he can state, the grounds upon which the principle has been departed from in the case of the grant of 1059 100 square miles of this territory to Mr. R. B. Cole.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The Answer to the first Question is in the affirmative. With regard to Mr. Cole's land, the Director of Agriculture reported that it was useless for agricultural purposes. The only purpose for which it appeared capable of being utilised was the collection of the wild fibre growing upon it; and, as the fibre requires expensive machinery for its treatment, it was thought necessary to grant leases of large areas in order to induce persons to embark the necessary capital.