RHODESIA'S FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 160, 31 March 1908, Page 8

RHODESIA'S FUTURE.

; ; . j, ,f, i.' ■/;' lV"'■' ;■ i Several thousand shareholders of the British South Africa Company thronged tho Great. Hall of the Cannon Street Hotel reeently on.the Occasion; .mcetinc; summoned to,hcar- the 'r.eiwrt of .tjie visitinE commission;sent.but .toXßhodesii-Jast -summer, consisting of the Marquis of Winchester and Mr. .Henry.Birchcnough.- C JI G.' ' ; , .The. Duke ;of, Abercorn-presided, 1 and-all -thp- ' of ;the v 'companyJ^wq^s,preseht Dr Jameson, who is, busy iuth a gonoral election • in; Capo Colony. ! "■J tiw'-re^^c^racticaßy. devolved on Mr Birchenough, who J described tho impressions derived Jfrom his visit* to Rhodesia.- ■'■ •■' ■■ . Regarding tho railways, Mr Birchenough renimded;. thp.-. meeting-.; that- .the" '.Chartered debenture capital with which tho Rhodesia railways had been,constricted.: ' -i ' The railways in Southe'rn Rhodesia from \ ryburg to Bulawayo had reached the point -where revenue; and,- oxpendituro- :balanced;' and woro making no call on the Chaitered Umpany for ■ debenture interest • Tho' section from Bulawajo to tho Zambesi was partly -paying ats, debenture,:charges,. '" but the northern section from tho Zambesi to Broken Hill had not yet begun earning' any of . its debenture interest;-. But/it was- hot' the jntontion of Mr. Rhodes-and Mr Beit he said, that-tho lmo: should stop at-Broken mil, and the directors considered that their' true-policy 'was; to . push, .it forward' towards the mines-of'Katanga-' - ' - The Congo State Railway,- he said,- was prepared ,to -continue its; line'froih. the'point whore'the. Rhodesian system will cross tho frontier to the Katanga Copper distance of-230 soon as the Rhodesian- [Railway-. reaches the -frontiferi.'That arrangement: would ' justify the"' Chartered Company: and 'the: others parties interested in .proceeding, 'with - tho construction of the section.' from' Broken , Hill :-t6- the Cdrigo frontier, ,a distance of about 200 mijes. ■-■' The. Marquis,' of: AVinchoster .'compared the enormous advance that .he'noticed' when' ho visited Rhodesia; last-'year,"vwithi its- conditions when he .was-a Resident in 1899. The Marquis-., stated 'that. ' tlio:T'f3o-per-<;cnt. ,clause'.' .-imposed on mining; .properties u'ndef-the--1903 ordinance, had failed' utterly, .and .they had now decided',.ori : a isystenT: of' royalties \iri its'" jilace,': which would: bein force 1 until December, 1913: ; r ' ; : v Tj'Cy had .'resolved, on-, t)ie , appointment' of tho'.niosti capable , instructor'ih-;'the "science .of - agriculture, * that •'cotild.. b0",.. obtained,, to' ,hell), the -Rhodesian :farmors* in;.their .fight' against- cattlo plague, locusts, ■ and -other' posts.

' -^Vl-E&w^ey^^lio.'spliqit^'.te-.'tto l company.. alludod -.to, tho question of assistanco front - the Imperial Government, donying the statement '.that- the' Government'. was ■ going to -lend, thorn two millions,:"or /whatever it was,-. att 3£>per cent. Ho reinarked that they could. -find a buyer for': Rhodesia ; if ! they wanted : to sell, and, raiseil-niuch laughter by saying that until the ■ country .was' a selfgoverning Colony—like the.' Trii nsva al—tliey could not expect the Government; to guarantee a 16an : , for.:,them.•-<

;Tho ,fodera'tion- of South; Africa Would' unquestionably take - placo one day,- ;iio .said, and., it' would' bo the' aim of: the directors of the Chartered Company to-see:tha&'Jif- such an arr^uEement'; was concluded, • -•■s hot loft out.