62 [N0.99 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS trade in 1912 and the abandonment of the Govern ment monopoly in rubber and ivory, the Government steamers plying on the river made the return journey from the upper Congo practically empty, for the traders could not afford to pay , even for rubber and ivory, the high freight rates charged. The Government was therefore obliged in 1913 to reduce these rates by 50 per cent. in order to get cargoes, with very satis factory results as regards the increase of general traffic .

The river steamers are almost universally stern wheelers. The largest of them are of about 500 tons burden, but the building of steamers of 800 to 1,000 tons was contemplated before the war. Large flat bottomed barges pushed or towed by a tug are also utilized. There are a floating dock, several large slip ways, and ample facilities for construction and repairs at Léopoldville. The necessity of burning wood fuel has hitherto been a source of much difficulty and delay.

In 1913 the construction of a 4-inch oil pipe-line with several pumping-stations was completed , for the pur pose of pumping oil for fuel from Matadi to Léopold ville, a distance of 246 miles. The concession is for fifty years, at the end of which time the whole of the plant reverts to Government. Whatever difficulties may be · experienced on the upper reaches of the Congo and its great tributaries, there can be no doubt that the long stretches of navigable waterways in the central Congo basin are of immense value to the Colony . It has been proposed to install light motor boats on the main stream between Léopoldville and Stanleyville, and experiments with an 80-horse power boat having a speed of 23 miles per hour have proved satisfactory.

The great lakes on the eastern frontier, Albert, Edward, Kivu, and Tanganyika, Lake Mweru on the Katanga frontier, and Lakes Leopold II and Tumba in