The_Open_Door_deel1

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mismanagement, nepotism and outright corruption. Embezzlement has
taken place at all levels of Government: from as low as the tax
collectors and administrators, up to the District Commissioners
and Superintendents, and including Secretaries of the Treasury
and even Presidents of the Republic (5).
However, external factors also contributed to financial
difficulties. In the early 193O's Liberia's revenue, which for a
large part consisted of customs duties, fell sharply following
the decrease in the volume and value of international trade which
was caused by the International Economic Recession. This is
illustrated by Table 27. The high level of imports in 1928
reflects the investment activities of Firestone which company
around this time started the physical build-up of its plantation
after clearing tens of thousands of acres in the preceding years.
Year
1928 $
1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
S o ur c e s :
IMPORTS
4 ,029,507
2 ,064,440
1 ,615,454
858,742
n.a.
n.a.
TABLE 27
THE IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
ON FISCAL AFFAIRS 1928 - 1933
(in U.S. dollars)
EXPORTS
$ 1,465,768
1,476,356
912,062
679,885
n.a.
n.a.
REVENUE
$ 1,276,438
1 ,013,572
840,473
551,306
353,388
321,299
EXPENDITURES
$ 1,319,768
1,200,252
927,111
676,711
517,397
232,786
- Annual Message President Barclay, 1932
- Brown: 1941, p. 186
- "A Report by the Supervisor of Customs (Charles I.M. Caskey)
R.L., For the Period from January 1, 1932 to July 31, 1932",
p. 5. In: National Archives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Monrovia.
Consequently, as of September 15, 1932 the Public Debt had
Increased to $ 2,759,575.76 (of which the 1926 Loan represented
an amount of § 2,192,000.00, the remainder being the floating
debt). In an attempt to alleviate the financial difficulties the
Government of President Edwin Barclay at various times reduced
the salaries of the civil service - on one occasion by as much
as 50? - whereas the salaries of the Fiscal Officers functioning
under the Loan Agreement had to remain unchanged.