SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 33, 8 February 1910, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE.

MERRIMAN DECLINES COALITION. A UNITED DUTCH PARTY. LONDON, February 7. The Capetown correspondent of the "Daily Mail" reports that Mr. Louis Botha (Premier of the Transvaal), Mr. J. C. Smuts (Colonial Secretary of the Transvaal \, and Dr. L. S. Jameson (exPremier of Cape Colony) are willing to assist to form a no|n-party Union Government, but Mr. Meiriman (the Cape Premier) has detached the Cape Afrikander Bond leaders. Mr. Merriman, speaking at Worcester (Cape Colony) after consultation with Mr. Botha, who is at Capetown, advised the Progressives to get out of the "little clockboat coalition idea," which emanated from Throgmorton-street (the London Stock Exchange). The Union Government would need all possible criticism. The South African party embraced national feeling in a broad way, and it looked forward to managing its own affairs without interference. Mr. Merriman added: "My idea of a Progressive is a man who is fond of borrowing, who wants to imitate Australia, who admires the Imperial South African Association, which we loathe, and who has one eye on South Africa and the other on the English Stock Exchange." Continuing, Mr. Merriman deprecated the amalgamation of the Afrikander Bond, Orangia Unie, and Het Yolk, but the three might constitute a United South African party, which he hoped would be the dominating party of the future.