BLACKS PREPONDERATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 262, 5 November 1928, Page 10

BLACKS PREPONDERATE.

SOUTH AFRICA'S PROBLEM

DEVISING SUITABLE • XiEGISItATION.

TRADE UNION" ORGANISATION,

"Our aim is to maintain the purity of the race and the standard of civilisation," said Mr. E. G. .Jansen, Speaker of the House of Assembly of the Union of South Africa, who is a through passenger by the Aorangi. He was referring to what he termed the greatest problem facing South Africa —the native question. The policy that was being advocated had been termed "segregation," and a commission had been set up to frame a number of bills to be submitted to the next Parliament dealing comprehensively with every aspect of the question. "What is aimed at," said Mr. Jansen, is a code for the future to keep the black population entirely separate from the

whites. It is a burning question in Africa, and the solution is held to be in the direction of allowing the natives to have their own councils so as to per- ■ mit them developing on their own lines. I must admit it is a most difficult problem to solve, and it is not easy to give an opinion as to how the legislation will ultimately be framed. "What we have to remember," he continued, "is that we have a vast territory to control with a population of 1,700.000 whites and between 6,000,000 and (.000,000 blacks. The natives are organising on trade union lines, and as long they keep to legitimate means there will be nrf'cause for uneasiness, but there is always the possibility of political agitation developing. I cannot say there is a total absence of Communists, but there is the ever-present danger that they may make themselves felt in .South Africa as in other parts of the world. It is on account of our lar<re coloured nopulation that we are doing nothing to attract immigrants to the country who may have to fall back on unskilled labour for a living. In this respect we *ue totally different to New Zealand. Canada and Australia. Our problem is 0 different to yours. We certainly lesire more colonists, but we are careful to do nothing to attract immigrants who have not sufficient capital to strike out for themselves. We have a fair number of nnemploved, and the Government is doing its utmost to assist them. For instance, help is forthcoming to 'dace these men on the land, which can be acouired very cheap and on easv terms." Summing no the situation Mr. Jansen =aid the .natives were not fit. takin? as a whole, to be represented in Parliament in the ordinary war. but he considered the sood sense'of Parliament would solve the problem and devise a ""heme that would be for the pood of +he coloured races and "ood for the population as well without any hardship beine imposed on any section of the community.