94 (No.99 ECONOMIC CONDITIONS free trade since 1910, however, has enormously increased the number of traders, mainly Belgian and Portuguese, with business in the country, and has brought into the field the important firm of Messrs. Lever Brothers, to which reference has been made above. An imposing effort to colonize the Katanga attempted by the Compagnie Foncière, Agricole et Pastoraledu Congo ( 1909–12) ended in failure, and the company surrendered the 150,000 hectares which the State had conceded gratis, and on which a Benedictine monastery was to be founded. The presence of so many powerful companies naturally renders the entry of any mere individual trader difficult, unless he restricts himself to petty trade as do the Portuguese, but there is still room for powerful firms.

(2) FOREIGN (a) Exports In 1912 the exports from the Congo amounted to 16,000 tons, while those of 1913 reached a total of 19,600 tons . As regards values, however, these figures are misleading, for the price of rubber having dropped from 10 francs per kg. in 1912 to 5 francs per kg. in 1913 , a fall of about £500,000 occurred in the value of exported rubber. Quantities are therefore a better basis of comparison than values, and the progress of export trade in recent years is indicated by the following returns for 6 leading items out of 150 shown in the official reports : 1913 . 1916 . Metric tons. Metric tons.

Rubber 3,600 3,200 Ivory 276 318 Copal 4,698 8,700 Palm nuts and kernels 7,195 22,400 Palm oil . 1,981 3,850 Rice 2 901 1 The figures are from Congo Belge, 1916, Rapport Annuel. London , 1918 .

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