Abstract
FOR countless centuries Africa had supplied labour to Eastern countries. When the American continent was discovered, an immediate demand arose for African labour for its plantations and industries. Eventually the slave trade came to an end, and Africa turned to developing the, export of its own products, chiefly forestal. Progress after the change–over was slow at first. At the opening of the present century, however, mining was already well established, and plantations were started to extend the growth of economic products and secure a higher standard of quality. There ensued an increasing demand for paid labour. Nevertheless, in West Africa, the collection and preparation of forest products was still carried on by the natives in their own villages, as it still is. They traded their loads at the nearest store, or the one that offered best terms, and what they received for it was shared out between the members of the family concerned.
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MIGEOD, F. LABOUR CONDITIONS IN WEST AFRICA. Nature 148, 685–687 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/148685a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/148685a0