§ 37. Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Colonial Office is aware that the Liebig Company, to which the British South Africa Company has assigned 1,200,000 acres of land in Rhodesia at per acre, prohibits the public from entrance into this area and prevents the natives from selling cattle to any other buyer than the Licbig Company, whose agents fix their own prices for such sale and have warned cattle traders and natives alike that the company would not permit them to buy or sell cattle on this land, and have prohibited the removel of cattle when bought by cattle traders from the natives, there being no proclaimed roads through the land so transferred by the British South Africa Company to the Liebig Company; whether the Colonial Office is aware that the Native Commissioner at Gavanda, Mr. H. A. Elliott, is himself interested in mining 2638 transport and cattle dealing and carries on these businesses in his wife's name, and is charged with neglect of the interests of the natives and collusion with De Loessa, the manager of the Liebig Company; and what steps, if any, does the Colonial Office intend to take for the protection of natives and whites alike against the combined efforts of the British South Africa Company and the Liebig Company to ruin freedom of contract and establish a monopoly in this area?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Harcourt)No, Sir, I have no information to the effect of the question, and I am not prepared to accept charges of this kind against officials, unless they are supported by definite evidence. I may add that the reference to "this area" appears to imply some misaprehension. The 1,200,000 acres do not constitute one area, but lie in scattered blocks.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLLie in scattered blocks which are the very best lands in Rhodesia.