COLONIAL REPORTS—MISCELLANEOUS. 
5í 
Income of Principal Chiefs. 
At present these are shown as follows; they are much too 
high for mere district heads : — 
revenue from these five districts. In future the chief should 
not receive more than 20 per cent., or 25 per cent., the re 
mainder going to Government (75 per cent.) and to village heads 
(5 per cent.). The taxation is absurdly low, and will be in- 
or to “ office-holders,’ but the amounts are unknown and no 
system has been introduced. 
No difficulty is at present experienced. Cowries vary from 
In pagan and unsettled districts the assessment is, as usual, 
of the nature of a capitation tax (viz., based on population), 
but varying according to the wealth of the community. In the 
large cities and old Mohammedan centres it is based on the 
former taxation. 
The change, so far as it has been instituted in this province 
(which is only very partially), is said to “ have worked well ; 
the peasantry are overjoyed and the authority of the chiefs not 
diminished.” There is remarkably little friction or extortion. 
The chiefs are fairly content, but the fief-holders are aggrieved. 
This is not to be wondered at, since nothing appears to have 
been done to create for them positions as district heads. 
A great deal remains to be done in this province in applying 
the instructions regarding taxation. The discrepancies in the 
returns have rendered it very difficult for me to arrive at correct 
results. In some returns, for instance, the population is shown 
as three times as great as in others. 
General 
Tax. 
Jangali. Total. 
Nassarawa 
Darroro .. 
Lafia 
Keffi 
£ 
331 
162 
147 
103 
150 
£ 
44 
02 
96 
£ The total Gado is shown 
375 ¡ as £230 (not stated 
Ahn ja 
49 
199 
These incomes represent practically 50 per cent, of the 
creased. The chiefs do now pay certain sums to “ fief-holders ” 
Realization. 
2,000 to 2,800 for la. 
Basis. 
Results. 
General.