Enclosure 2 in No. 3. 
LEADING ARTICLE IN THE ‘‘ SIERRA LEONE WEEKLY NEWS,” 
SATURDAY, 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1922. 
Tar ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN 
Provinces, 1921. 
There is another question to which attention has been drawn 
and which demands the exercise of much discretion and great 
commonsense by the men responsible. It is with reference to 
what are known as domestic slaves or dependents. In the 
Koinadugu and Port Liokko Districts, 162 are said to have been 
redeemed. This is really a. delicate matter and we are glad Captain 
Stanley has dealt with it as should be. With due deference to 
Messrs. Hodgson and Sayers, we think they have not yet acquired 
the right perspective at which to look at the question, and we 
fervently express the hope that they would not be actuated with 
zeal without fuller knowledge of such an intricate domestic and 
economic problem. We agree with Captain Stanley that the case 
cited by Mr. Hodgson of a man who hanged himself rather than 
return to his master is a new experience of which we have never 
heard, and consequently cannot appreciate the premium he has 
sought to make of it. We entirely endorse what Captain Stanley 
has stated, to the effect that in all respects these slaves are 
practically free men ; for not only are they free to move unmolested 
in the country and are sent out to great distances wherefrom, if 
they wish, they could betake themselves to French territories or 
to Freetown, but they also enjoy several domestic advantages from 
their masters to the extent of eating with them from the same 
dish ; besides, they are also granted facilities to keep and rear a 
family and enjoy the close protection of their masters. These men 
are useful to their masters in that they help to work their farms, 
in return for which they are allowed certain days in the week to 
work their own farms and look after their own personal business. 
We have some personal knowledge of the institution and see in 
the academic attitude of reform of these political officers a sort 
of hazard, treading towards ‘‘ the danger zone ’’ of the productive 
capacity of the people, and this, we repeat, they need to do 
cautiously. 
It is known that farms are worked after a communistic system 
and the greater the number of the dependents of.a man the larger 
his chances of turning a great yield ; if this is interfered with with- 
out great care, we are apprehensive that it would be like, not only 
slaying the goose responsible for the golden eggs, but, alas, also 
Sightening the cords of restriction on the people almost to breaking 
point. Then there is also the tendency of encouraging the influx 
of idlers and do-nothings into the Colony and city to become 
plagues and dangerous customers to honest persons and, ultimately, 
dependents of the Government in the prison yard, a veritable penny