AIDING AGRICULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 48, 26 February 1935, Page 9

AIDING AGRICULTURE.

SOUTH AFRICA'S WAY. SPECIAL TAX ON GOLD. "It is my opinion that no country can prosper in "these clays depending entirely upon agricultural products, in which, of course, I do not include wool," said Mr. R. Wilson, an Englishman who is visiting New Zealand after living for many years in Rhodesia. "I have a good knowledge of South Africa and its affairs," he added, "and I think I am pretty safe in saying that that country, with all its richness and vast territory, could not rely exclusively on agriculture. This is" what New Zealand will have to realise. "Take the position in South Africa. The price of gold is about £7 1/li per ounce, against the normal price of £4 4/11. The Government imposes a CO per cent tax on the difference and so is able to subsidise its products for export. Maize is grown extensively and carried for shipment long distances by rail at rates which really do not pay. However, the railways also carry unlimited quantities of minerals, the rates on which compensate for loss on maize and other products. The mine owners protest that, instead of having their rail transport costs reduced in recognition of quantity and value of minerals carried, they have to carry a burden—charges that arc not in proportion to those for primary products. The Government, however, regards it as a law of compensation operating in the broad interests of the country at large, for minerals can stand the tax." Gold Resources. The visitor went on to say it seemed probable that the west coast of Africa was going to be the richest gold producing territory of all. That was saying much when it was remembered that last year, from its string of mines, Africa had yielded £90,000,000 worth of the chief currency ore. Not many people at present were awsjrc of the resources of Northern Rhodesia, particularly in copper. It was authoritatively estimated that the supply of copper available in the Held between the Zambesi River and the Belgian Congo was sufficient for world requirements. The Roan Antelope mine had a plant which cost 15,000,000. It was equipped on the largest scale ever known. In the whole of Rhodesia there were not more than 00,000 Europeans, and, even more surprising, in the Union provinces the total European population waa only about two millions.