§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has received any recent representations from the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation as to the importance of the Mwanza district of Tanganyika territory from a cotton growing point of view and whether any steps have been taken to ascertain the cost of the necessary railway from Taborah to Mwanza and the prospective yield of cotton?
Mr. THOMASNo recent representations on this subject have been received, but the importance of the Mwanza district as a cotton growing area is fully recognised. The northern part of the district, including the town of Mwanza, is on Lake Victoria, and is therefore in no immediate need of additional transport facilities. A scheme for a railway from Tabora to the neighbourhood of the southern border of the district, with a rough estimate of the cost, is now under consideration in connection with several other schemes for the development of the 1373W territory. I am not in a position to give an estimate of the probable increase of cotton production in consequence of the railway, but if expectations are fulfilled it should be very considerable.
§ Lieut.-Colonel MEYLERasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that an ordinance has been issued in Tanganyika limiting the erection of ginneries to one ginnery only within a radius of 10 miles; and whether, in the interests of cotton production, he will take steps to secure the modification of this feature of the ordinance?
Mr. THOMASThe rule referred to was considered to be necessary in order to encourage the erection of ginneries by securing to each ginnery a certain area from which the cotton would be supplied, and was intended to promote the interests of cotton production. The rule has been in force for more than a year, and I may add that it was submitted for consideration to the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation and the British Cotton-Growing Association, who made no objections to its adoption.