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Its exportable products are: — Minerals.—Gold, asbestos, chrome, coal (and coke) and mica. Agriculture.—Livestock—beef, pork, etc.; tobacco, citrus fruit, white maize, dairy produce and eggs, ground nuts, hides and cotton. Twenty-five per cent of the European and the bulk of the Native population centres round and is directly engaged in Agriculture. Since 1898 it has been the policy of the Colony to grant substantial preferences to imports from the United Kingdom, this policy having been provided for by Mr. Rhodes on behalf of the young country in that year. Preference has also been extended to other British Countries which reciprocate; investigation shews that the preference in the duties charged on Empire products amounts to 55 per cent of the duties charged on foreign goods. The Colony is prepared to grant increased preferences on certain classes of British goods with a view to providing further protection against foreign competition and, after discussion and consultation with representatives of the United Kingdom, a schedule has been submitted of a revised tariff which makes provision for these increases. Similar consideration will be extended to the other British countries which will reciprocate. Prior to the passing of the United Kingdom Import Duties Act this year only one product from Southern Rhodesia was receiving preference from the United Kingdom, namely, unmanufactured tobacco. Thanks to this preference, the export of Rhodesian tobacco to the United Kingdom has made considerable progress since 1926. " The United Kingdom Import Duties Act, 1932," now provides for a preference of 10 per cent on the following further exports from Southern Rhodesia —asbestos, citrus fruit and mica. In common with the rest of the world, Southern Rhodesia is suffering great hardship from the fall in market prices, and, despite every economy on the part of the producers, prices, in the case of nearly all products, have reached an unpayable limit. In the case of the base metals, asbestos and chrome, the demand has fallen independently of prices and the output has almost stopped. The mica producers, a small but promising industry, have gone put of business. Assistance is sought, by way of increased preference or otherwise, for the following: — Agriculture: Livestock industry (beef, pork, etc.) Tobacco, Citrus fruit, White maize, Dairy produce and eggs. Minerals: Asbestos, Chrome, Copper. Livestock: Meat. There are 2,500,000 head of cattle in the Colony. It is estimated that the feeding grounds can carry three to four times this number. The present herds have been built up in a little more than thirty years. The Export trade has been as follows: live cattle to the Union of South Africa; live cattle and frozen meat to the Belgian Congo, Northern Rhodesia and, in small numbers, to Portuguese East Africa; frozen meat to the continental market. The South African markets are becoming saturated ancl the only hope for the Industry lies in export overseas. Tobacco The consumption of Southern Rhodesian tobacco in the United Kingdom during the year 1931 amounted to 6,250,000 pounds. As already mentioned, the preference granted by the United Kingdom has led to the use of increasing quantities of Empire leaf, including Rhodesian; but 51041—fij