CACAO PRODUCTION AND SALE 105 



for the appointment and report of a special medical 

 commission. 



The Portuguese Government is prepared to meet 

 this demand, for it has recently sent a Commissioner, 

 Dr. Joaquim Gouveia, to San Thome to make a 

 thorough examination of labour conditions, including 

 work, food, housing, hospitals and medical attendance, 

 and to report fully and confidentially to the Portu- 

 guese Colonial Secretary. 



Wi&&*?*' 



Drying Cacao at Agua Ize, San Thom. 

 The trays are on wheels, which run on rails. 



If this important step is followed by adequate 

 measures of reform there is every reason to hope that 

 the result will be a material reduction in the death 

 rate, as the good health enjoyed on some of the rocas 

 shows San Thome to be not more unhealthy than other 

 tropical islands. 



Cameroons. 



The Cameroons, which we took from the" Germans 

 in 19 1 6, is also on the West Coast of Africa. It lags far 

 behind the Gold Coast in output, although both com- 

 menced to grow cacao about the same time. The 



