LAND TENURE AND COLONIZATION 71 



which the king's ministers can delegate. The seat of the colon\''s govern- 

 ment is at Asmara. The governor acts through a government office, 

 divided into directing departments the number and competence of which he 

 establishes in accordance with needs. An Office of Accounts and a secreta- 

 riat also depend on him ; the former being especially charged to control the 

 management of finances and report on it, while the latter has the custody 

 of the archives and is concerned with general formularies and with the de- 

 spatch of business relative to the colonial staff. The stewardship of the 

 colony depends on the governor's secretariat. 



In his examination of the most important administrative questions the 

 governor is helped by a Council of Administration which has however only 

 a consultative voice. 



This council, over which the governor presides, is composed of the Direc- 

 tor of Civil Affairs, the Director of Finances and Accounts, the President 

 of the Court of Appeal and the commander of the corps of colonial troups. 

 In special cases other officials of the colony can be summoned to its meet- 

 ings. 



To administer the colony's civil affairs a body of colonial officials, chos- 

 en among persons having the necessary physical and intellectual aptitudes, 

 exists. 



The colonj-'s territory is divided into districts and governed by com- 

 missioners or residents whose jurisdiction and competence are defined by 

 a governor's decree. At present there are eight commissioner's districts 

 — namely Hamasien, Acchele-Guzai, Serae, Barca, Cheren, Massana, 

 Assab and Gasc-Setit. There are also the resident's districts of Sahel, 

 Mareb, Scimenzana and Dancalia. 



Civil and penal justice is administered according to the provisions of 

 the royal decree of 9 February 1902, No 51, on the colony's judiciarj^ organ- 

 ization, as modified by the royal decree of 27 March in the same year, 

 NO 126. 



By the terms of the ordinance of 22 September 1905, already mention- 

 ed, the colony's defence is entrusted to a royal corps of colonial troops and 

 to the ships stationed in the Red Sea. 



^ 2. Agricultctral condition.s in erythrea. 



A. — Soil and Products. 



The soil of Er>i:hrea is fertile, and — unless there are anomalies due 

 to atmospheric phenomena or devastation by locusts — the natives obtain 

 abundant and varied harvests by superficial and extensive husbandry. The 

 climate, the hydrology and the soil of Erythrea combine to create con- 

 ditions adapted to very diverse forms of agriculture, the most numerous 

 and productive of which could not be practised in Italy (i). 



(i) See in this conucction Allcgaio C. of the Relazione sulla Colonia Eriirca (1910 and 1911) 

 bj^ F. M.\RTiNi, piesented by the minister Prinetti to the Cliambcr of Deputies during the ses- 

 sion of 13 December 1912. (L'agricoltiira ncll'Eritrea. Report of the extraordinary civil ro3^al 

 Commissioner bv Dr. Gino B.\rtlommei-Gioli) . 



