Northern Nigeria

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 863607721

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-45464

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Lugard, Frederick John Dealtry http://d-nb.info/gnd/117667412

Title:: Northern Nigeria

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Maj. Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1907

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (65 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

22 COLONIAL REPORTS—MISCELLANEOUS. so that, on the one hand, the tax would not justify the cost and trouble of its collection, and on the other hand, the traders would not pay a sufficient tax. The tolls do not, I think, in reality in any way decrease the demand for imports or the prices paid by the caravans for them ; they merely enhance the price to the ultimate purchaser (from the caravan middleman) just as any other form of taxation upon this middleman would do, for he must eventually recoup himself at the cost of the purchaser; nor would he reduce the prices which he now obtains from the consumer if the tolls were abolished. This would merely increase his profits. Finally, I may observe, that since the Government has from the very inauguration of British rule taken these taxes on trade in transit out of the hands of the Native Administration and treated them as a Government monopoly, there is no obstacle whatever to their modification from time to time, and if eventually a good substitute can be found, their abolition would not in any way affect the incomes of the chiefs, or the sources of the revenue of the Native Administration, and would thus cause no dislocation or discontent. The Govern ment of Northern Nigeria cannot, therefore, be confronted with the difficulty which the Government of Lagos recently experienced over this question, since in that Colony the right of levying tolls had been left in the hands of the chiefs. The Canoe Tax. 22. The next tax for consideration is the Canoe Licence. This, unlike the former taxes, was not in existence under the Native Administration prior to British rule. When the capital of the Protectorate was located at Zungeru great quantities of goods had to be transported up the Kaduna River, which is only navigable for steamers about three months in the year. During these three months the bulk of the heavy stores and material are brought up by steamer, but there remained, of course, a quantity of freight during the remain der of the year which was transported by native canoes. The canoe owners realised very large profits indeed on this trade, and, similarly, canoe-men on the Benue gained corresponding profits by the conveyance of mails and stores, and it seemed just and right that they should pay a tax in proportion to their profits. The tax was of a nature well understood by the people, who are accustomed to class taxation. It had a very useful result in bringing the Residents of riverain provinces into close touch with the canoe owners, so that it became possible in any emergency to forecast with accuracy the num ber of canoes obtainable and the means of calling them. With the construction of a light railway from Bare to Zungeru the

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