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He continued with to elaborate over the purchase of land for the
construction of Monrovia's Free Port, for the construction of
Capitol, Law Courts and other public buildings.
These expenditures should not be considered in isolation from the
internal political situation which still deprived the peoples
from the Hinterland from full political participation both in
the Legislative and in the Executive and Judiciary Branches of
Government.
The organisation of the national security forces through a
strengthening of the army and a reorganisation and coordination
of the local police forces came second in importance. The
strenght of the nation's army, the Liberian Frontier Force, was
increased by 75? during these five years, the Officers' and
soldiers' salaries were doubled and their subsistance
allowance(s) raised by 50?. Also the salaries of the civil
service were raised. The increases depended on the rank and
status of the civil servants and varied between 75? and 150?
(21). This decision was even more politically motivated than the
other as traditionally the support of a President of Liberia is
to a large extent determined by his popularity with the civil
service. Nepotism, alliances with politically influential
families and financial generosity understandably have an impact
on this popularity and political support. In 1951 Tubman won
the Presidential Elections after intimidations and the hounding
out of the country of a tribal candidate for the Presidence,
Didwe Twe.
Agriculture seems to be the most neglected of all sectors of the
economy which have importance for the nation's development.
Prior to 1944 the annual appropriation for agriculture was about
six thousand dollars which covered salaries, equipment, travel
etc. During the Five Year Plan Period general appropriations for
agriculture increased from $ 43,100.00 in 1946 to $ 99,488.00 in
1949 (no figure for 1950 being available). In 1948 (note: after
the Centennial Celebrations) a Department of Agriculture and
Commerce was created and, with assistance from the U.S.A., this
Department was gradually expanded. The gradual introduction of
an agricultural programme after 1944 was greatly influenced and
facilitated by the United States Economic Mission to Liberia,
However, owing to the Government's traditional lack of interest
in agriculture, it had to start from scratch as no basic facts
were available in Liberia from which a programme of agricultural
development could be established. In March 1950 the U.S. and
Liberian Governments took the decision to create a Central
Agricultural Experimental Station, to be located near Suakoko in
the then Central Province. But the first governmental
agriculture-related research programme in Liberia only started
in 1954 because of delays in the completion of the construction
of the necessary facilities (laboratory building, housing for
staff and employees etc.) (22). For a further discussion of the
U.S. assistance to Liberia in this period see below.