PART II.
and to an individual. Thus a successful native agriculturist is ever
tending to become a pastoralist, just as a successful business man
ultimately is found to possess investments in the ** funds’ and to
have an income and a reserve apart from his business. We know that
this method of investment of surplus wealth ultimately would destroy
agricultural work were it not for the fact that disease periodically
reduces the numbers of cattle, permitting the over-grazed land to rest
and agriculture again to flourish.
The tenure of land in native reserves is of such a nature as to
restrict development in one sense, whilst in another to assist it.
Generally speaking a man is able to find land on which to work but,
within limits, any appearance of extensive agricultural work results
in the man’s activities being curtailed. With old men who appear to
have control of much land the incentive to produce a considerable
surplus is not great and land which may be utilised for agricultural
work is frequently held up by owners for their pleasure or their
livestock.
Thus we have large numbers of people inhabiting our so-called
agricultural reserves, viz.: Kikuyu and Nyanza, settled, many of
them, on most excellent agricultural land, provided in both cases
with railway facilities, served to some extent by traders, and peaceably
inclined. In parts the pressure of population is very great and for
various reasons the surplus population is not able to spread out over
equally good land in the possession of another tribe or sub-tribe. In
addition to the slowly educative forces exerted by traders and
administrative officers, numbers of these people, men mainly, go out
to work in areas in which European production has reached a high
standard or they work in the transport, building, or household
services. This ought to speed up the adoption of western methods
and ideas.
Kenya has for its main businesses agriculture and transport.
There is no mining and practically no industrialism. It is the business
of Kenya to move not only its own products, but also those of Uganda
and some of those of Tanganyika. The business houses operating in
these Territories are mainly conducted from Kenya. A number of
native people are engaged in clerical employment and as porters in
towns where large stocks are kept and broken down for distribution.
A large income accrues to Kenya from these transport operations. It
should be noted that Kenya Estates and Corporations operating within
the borders of Kenya may not recruit labour in Tanganyika, nor are
many labourers recruited in Uganda for service in Kenya.
Tt is not possible then to give an estimate of the drain on Kenya's
labour resources to maintain the traffic of East Africa. The number
of labourers required for a fair development of European areas in
Kenya 1s calculated as follows: Of the five million acres alienated, it
1s computed that not more than one and a half millions may come
under the plough. Of the areas which on present information may be
alienated in the future less than 10 per cent. will be cultivable.
Therefore one may take the acreage of 1,500,000 as a fair agricultural
development in European areas. To work this area we shall need
250,000 daily labourers. Here one assumes the progress of every
type of farming, coffee, sisal, maize, ete., i
For transport, household, pastoral and Government work we shall
require a further 150,000 people so that we will need 400,000 men for
work in the Colony.
Fred
Td