Having, then, "conceded" the greater part of the Congo to
himself, Leopold set aside the best part of it, so far as rubber is
concerned, as a _Domaine Prive_. Officially the receipts of this pay
for running the government, and for schools, roads and wharfs, for
which taxes were levied, but for which, after twenty years, one
looks in vain. Leopold claims that through the Congo he is out of
pocket; that this carrying the banner of civilization in Africa
does not pay. Through his press bureaus he tells that his sympathy
for his black brother, his desire to see the commerce of the world
busy along the Congo, alone prevents him giving up what is for him a
losing business. There are several answers to this. One is that in
the Kasai Company alone Leopold owns 2,010 shares of stock. Worth
originally $50 a share, the value of each share rose to $3,100,
making at one time his total shares worth $5,421,000. In the
A.B.I.R. Concession he owns 1,000 shares, originally worth $100
each, later worth $940. In the "vintage year" of 1900 each of these
shares was worth $5,050, and the 1,000 shares thus rose to the value
of $5,050,000.
These are only two companies. In most of the others half the shares
are owned by the King.
As published in the "State Bulletin," the money received in eight
years for rubber and ivory gathered in the _Domaine Prive_ differs
from the amount given for it in the market at Antwerp. The official
estimates show a loss to the government.
Pages:
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49