WEALTH OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 120, 13 February 1908, Page 5

WEALTH OF SOUTH AFRICA.

Sir Eichard Solomon, Agent-General for the Transvaal, speaking at a dinner of tho . Anglo-Saxon Club,''referred to tho period of acuto depression through which South Africa is passing, and said that tho people of South Africa wero, notwithstanding, confident of prosperity in the near future, and they had every reason to bo]so. ; Tho country was rich in natural resources, the greatest producer of gold in tho universe, and substantially tho only producer; of diamonds, with which 'it could always supply tho demands of tho world. Thero was every prospect that in tho near fiituro tobacco and cotton of tho best quality would, bo 1 exported in largo quantities from tho Transvaal and Rhodesia. 'J'hero was an amplo supply of coal for all tho possible future requirements of South Africa, lor its railways, nnnes,. and industries. Matal coal lvas said to bo tho next,best to.English and Welsh, and was being entirely used by tho Union-Castle. Company's .steamers, bothon tho outward and homeward voyages, banners wore producing ■ more .than ,evor before, and it was said 1 that the Capo farmers especially had never beon in' a"inoro prosperous condition than to-day. All ■ tho Colonies wero now exporting "mealies" (American corn) to London, and good prices wero realised there, and .it confidently anticipated that , one million bags of mealies would be sent to London during tho present season. .Notwithstanding tho great resources of tho country, its prosperity depended'on tho working together Of tho European races. A spirit of good-will was abroad in the land, and was being shown, not only in public speeches, but, with few exceptions, in 'the l'ress. Tho general foeling was that South Africa must be got-out of tho rut, and-.that this could only be done by tho two raccs pulling together. :Ho attributed this chango f of fpcling.to tho grant of. self-government to the' Transvaal and ' Orango ltivor Colony, .1 policy which was /not only courageous • and magnanimous, but wise, for the only; policy by which tho Dutch people-could be made good subjects of tho Empiro was that under which thoy wero mado full partners in its administration. ■ . . To read some ofr tho.: English ono would suppose that ' retrenchment was started by the present Government of the Transvaal with the malicious objcct of getting rid of British officials ;and "putting Boers into their places, whereas, as a matter of ifact, retrenchment was started by tho Crown Colony Government, and wr.a carried out by it on tho recommendations ■ of Mr. l'arris, an eminent . Indian- . Civil servant, who had been lent ,to tho . Crown Colony Government of.the, Transvaal,by the.lndian Government for tho purposei of reorganising tho Civil Servieo of tha£ colony. . Tho present Government of tho Transvaal, in continuing tlio rotrenchme-nt commenced by the Crown Colony Government, was .being advised by' Mr. l'arris. It ' had . been positively stated 011 public occasions by Mr. Botha and his colleagues that tho' statement so frequently made in, newspapers , in England -that English' officials in tho Transvaal woro being dismissed, and,.Dutchmen outsido the servieo put into their places, 'was absolutely without foundation.