Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Office of Commonwealth Relations
Date:
[1947]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Basutoland / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/88 page 10
    April, 1946. Collection within the Territory suffered owing to drought and the very high price of maize which prevailed throughout the year and led to many Basuto emigrating to Union farms to work for food. Courts. As indicated above, the revenue from Court proceeds greatly exceeded the estimate, due to the Courts taking far more cases than was anticipated. The volume of Court work being so much higher than had been expected led to considerable dissatisfaction on the part of Court Officials, and it was found necessary during the year not only to make substantial increases in the staff of most Courts, but to raise the salaries of all officials in the lower grades of Court. The cost of these increases was £5,000 for the half year during which they operated. Six cases of misappropriation of funds by Court Officials were reported, leading to four convictions for theft, whilst investigation is proceeding in the other two cases. Stray Stock. Fifty four centres were established to which stock which is found straying must be taken, and where it is held for ten months after the finding has been advertised. Stock unclaimed after this period is then sold at public auction sales. Owners of lost stock are learning to visit these centres in their search for their lost animals and the number of animals being claimed is gradually increasing. There is evidence that certain Chiefs are still prone to hide stray stock for their own benefit, and the Paramount Chief is appointing special inspectors to investigate suspected cases. Native Administration Officials. Most Chiefs, Sub-Chiefs and Headmen appear to have accepted the position whereby they now receive salaries from the National Treasury in place of the Court fines and stray stock proceeds on which they used to live, but reports are still being received, and are under investigation, of Chiefs continuing to levy unauthorised fires to augment their resources. The establishment of Stock and Wool certificate writers has not been finally settled as more information regarding the requirements of certain districts is still awaited. (As a deterrent to stock theft no person may sell stock, wool or mohair without presen¬ tation of a certificate of ownership.) National Treasury Staff. The Financial Secretary in his annual audit report on the National Treasury commented on the keen interest in their work displayed by the senior staff of the National Treasury. The junior staff, most of whom were engaged as new recruits when the National Treasury started, preference being given to ex-servicemen, are nearly all showing considerable promise, and steps are being taken to examine their knowledge of their duties before their two-year probationary period expires. Home Industries. £50,000 from the War Levy Fund was credited to the National Treasury Reserve Fund on the 1st April, 1947, for the establishment of the Home Industries Organisation. The revenues of the Organisation have so far been very disappointing, less than £500 being
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