The_Open_Door_deel1

j -109-
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S taxes or imposts of any kind or character except income taxes,
: j but in case it were to trade products not produced, processed or
j refined by it, the company would be charged the same imposts as
|| others similarly engaged in Liberia.
1| The very liberal economic policy of the early Tubman
|| Administration of these days is demonstrated by LeTourneau 1 s
|| obligations which were few and flexible. The total concession area
I - 500,000 acres - had to be developed and brought under
|| cultivation within a period of thirty years. Failure to do so
would allow the Government of Liberia to re-take all residue of
lands not developed - after the expiration of this period. The
company also had the right to develop areas other than the
original concession area in Sinoe County. After the development of
500,000 acres of land LeTourneau would automatically acquire a
concession for an additional acreage on the same terms and
conditions as the first one.
The company was committed not to import unskilled labour except
in case the local labour supply would prove inadequate, and to
train as many Liberians to fill as many positions as would be
practicable in view of its operations as in the case of the
African Fruit Company (see above). The Government, on the other
hand, promised to encourage and assist the company in securing
and maintaining an adequate labour supply and "to prevent the
infiltration of radical elements that will cause interruption
of the corporation's activities Or stop production and be dangerous
to the peace of the Republic" (48).
The terms and conditions of this agreement with Robert G.
LeTourneau were so broad, its selection of activities so wide
(including a novelty in concession agreements, viz. missionary
activities), its emphasis on iron and iron ore so remarkable, its
provisions related to labour so open to criticism, and its
omissions so many, that a full discussion of the agreement would
require a substantial portion of this chapter. This would not be
in keeping with the importance of the company as - according to
the information available - operations never started on a large
scale. At the end of the 195O's the company was engaged in poultry
production, some small timber and experimental agriculture,
and it sponsored the mission of 20 churches for which it had imported
1,200 bibles (49). No other documents relating to the
company's activities in Liberia could be traced, not even the
original "Statement of Understanding entered into on the 27th
day of 7ebruary, 195 2 by and between the Government of the
Republic of Liberia, herein after called the "Government" and
R.Q. LeTourreau", except the "Act to Create and Establish
LeTourreau of Liberia, Inc. And to Define its Powers", (referred
to above) Operations were probably discontinued in the
first half of the 196O's.
JUAN JESUS RAMOS ASSOCIATES PLANTATIONS
On yet another occasion the Tubman Government invested its time,
money, and energy in attracting a foreign investor in two ventures
neither of which yielded the result aimed at. In April 1952,
after the necessary negotiations, the Government granted two con-