Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1901. THE LYTTELTON DESPATCH.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 26, 1 February 1904, Page 4

Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1901. THE LYTTELTON DESPATCH.

"It must not bo forgotten," says tho Secretary of Stato for tho Colonies in tho despatch which, wo criticised at some longth on Thursday, "that thero is much that is abnormal in the economic conditions of tho Transvaal which might call for abnormal measures." Undoubtedly tho economic conditions of that unhappy country aro very far- from normal, and as desperate diseases demand desperate romedics7 it might very well require at tho present time somo abnormal medicine It was on this account that tho Spectator gavo a reluctant approval to tho proposed importation of Chinamon— an approval strictly limited to tho temporary needs of the present emergency, and absolutely withdrawn when SLr. Cresswoll demonstratod that ho had made tho Village Main Roef Mine piy with white labour till his directors put a stop to tho experiment, not on economic, but on political grounds. Not tho fall of dividends, but the rise of an enfranchised woiking class, wns what the directors dreaded. The pica of n temporary omorgency is also irreconcilable with tho scope of tho policy which hns been approved by Lord Milncr. Us supporters aro already talk-, ing of half a million Ghinameu and a five years' term, and nn experiment on so vast a scale and for so long a period is for all practical purpot.es permanent, for to btop it at tho end of tho teim •would necessarily bo a "woik of much greater difficulty tlwn to Icavo it ulonc altogether. When we hay "peiinunent," wo mo.vi for as long as tho trcasiues of Iho mines continue to ultract tho Gciman Jews to to country. In this connexion it in intarexting to note that th» mine* will pxobablr bo wockod out in thirty or foi'ty

years. "XL i» well uudeiiitood in South Afiicn," fcuid the African Hcvicw, a mining urgun, thrco jeurs ago, "that the gold mining period is but tran.Mont, and that iv twenty years' tune the majority of the gmtt mines will bo exhausted, und the gold which now enhance* the credit of the 'l'ldiisvaul will Iwvo found its way to Kurope, and left tin; poor agricultural iv Bonrcos of tin 1 counliy to bear a load of debt." Then, but. not till then apparently, (.ho country will bo fit for a decent in.in to live in, piovided, of course, that he in not too particular an to the umouut of laxos he has to pay. Ou the hido nf iiublic finance »ye can well undeiptaml that Iho case presents iUolf to Lord Milncr an one of urgency. From a variety of reasons the trade of tho TiaiKsvnnl, n» lo a largo extent is also that of all South Africa, is seriously depressed, and tho revenue is suffering accordingly. " Tho labour difficulty," wrote tho Johannesburg correspondent of The Times last month, " has given a great j-el back to the revenue. Tho opinion is growing that tho Transvaal is unable to assume its share of the war debt due in February." Tho uneasiness was reflected in tho motion recently tabled by a member of tho Legislative Council at I'reloria asking tho Imperial Government to relieve the Transvaal nnd Orange River Colonies of the £30,000,000 war contribution. It would bo interesting to know on what terms the consent of the mining syndicates wwoa o obtained by Mr. Chamberlain and Lord Milncr to the imposition of thio charge. As the syndicates calculated before the war that relief from Boav exactions and nmnuuingoment would savo them 6» per ton, amounting to "an ; increase of annual dividends by £2,413,268 ! based on Insl year's tonnage of oiu | crushed," they could certainly afford to be generous ; but generosity not being much in their line, ono is templed to a«k whether tho promise of tho Chinese contingent, which Lord Milner and hia Council have now authorised, was part of the I consideration given for securing the mineowners' consent. Whether this be fio or not, Lord Milnor'« urgent requirements as financier must necessarily incline him to any dospernte expedient that promises immediato lelief. Wo sympathise with him in his difficulty, but aio nevertheless .satisfied that it would he criminal to allow the pressure of the moment to be made the pretext for itrevocably mortgaging thp destinies of tho Transvaal. Far bettei iome immediate trouble than f>uch a future as the renudy will involve, and sooner or later Loid Milner must devke somo better method than cockoring the syndicates. Men aio now recalling the first had .shock which he gave to tho sup porter* ol his wm policy when nearly nil tho important appointments in the Trans vnal and Orango River Colonies immediately after the annexation were given to employees or ex employees of the fin andal magnates of Johannesburg. The allianco which that policy indicated ia bearing its full fruits now, and a good man is conspiring with many bad ones to ruin a great country. One small grain of comfort was brought to us by the enblo on Friday ; tho Hon. A. Lyttelton has promised a full discussion in Parliament before tho Transvaal Chinese labour ordinance is sanctioned. This is fair dealing, and if tho Opposition tackle tho question boldly, they will have the Imperial sentiment of these colonies as ovorwhelmiuglj in their favour as it was agninst them while the war lasl°d. Tho reception which Johannesburg has given to the Hon. Mr. LyUelton's announcement is a, gratifying' proof of tbe panic with which Clio prospect of discussion by a free Parliament inspires the magnates of tho Rand. Johannesburg is filled with "consternation 1 " by tho now 3. Of course, we are also told that "the principle involved creates fear of disapproval iirespective of tho merits of tho measure. Ihcre is strong objection to tho id&a that n, colonial Act should be subjected tr> Parliamentary revixioti " Tliu syndicates believe bo strongly in autonomy and democracy tJiat they are naturally aghnsl. at the proposal,' mid it is nil on strictly disinterested and constitutional grounds. Thoso of us who are not so squeamish only havo our appetites whetted by tho scruples of Johannesburg. What will tho British Government nnd Mr. ChambeUain make of it nil? Will the latter explain that tho anti-foruign crusade in which ho has been engaged for tho las> three or four months is subject to nn implied exception in favour of the yellow man? Wo siinll see, and in tho meiuitimo the colony will agree wiih the* pious hope of Johnnnesburg that the meagre may bs discussed stiicrly on iv merits.

'We look in vain through to-day's messages relating to tho Eastern crisis for any word to inspire hope that a peaceful solution will be foiind of tho questions at issuo. Tho situation soems more threatening tJian over. The Russian reply to tho lnkist Japanese Note has not yet been delivered, iho reason for- the delay being, according to tho Paris correspondent of The Times, that tho Tsar's .advisers Dud it exticmely difficult to frame a despatch n'liich shall not be taken as provoking wax 1 , and yet will avoid a concession of what they regard as vital points. Jf, as seems only too likely, A\nr should break out, we feur that Iho chief bhuno for it will bo due to tho unyielding and uncom promising attitude ot the Jupaneso Government. Granting that tho great congestion of population in the Island Empire makes it imperative to find new fiolds of settlement on tho mainland, in Korea or Manchuria or both, it should surely not bo beyond tho xesources of diplomacy to Hud a medium course which, while providing for that necessity, would at tho barne time allow access to the seaboard for tho dwellers in Russia's possessions in tho Far East. In deciding to refer the matter to tho arbitrament of war, Japan may iind that, although sho may gain some initial success on the ocean, she has undertaken a task to which she is unequal, nnd mny alter iminonse sacrifices havo to be satisfied with far les>s than j,he might now seeuro from the present disabilities of her opponent. But tho presuro of popular clamour, and tho knowledge that Russia's military prepaiations aro not in such -an advanced state as her rival's, aro rapidly pushing the Mikado's Government towards war, with all its unknown disasters and possibilities.

It ia now stated that General Kuropatltin, Russian Minister of War, who is now on bis way to the Far East, yrill in ease of war command the Tsar's land forces. Ordinary traffic on the Siberian railway is to bo suspended after to-nior-row, so ns to leave the line frco for tho transport* of troops and military' stores. This proves that the Russians aro straining every nerve to strengthen their position in the Far East. An important item of news is tho report that stocks havo fallen in the European capitals. Tho fall in French Rentes shows that thoro is a feeling that Eastern complications may result in Franco being called upon to fulfil hor treaty obligations towards Russia. Hurried preparations are also said to bo making to equip British warships at tho Capo station for seu. They may bo intended for somo sort of international police bcrviro, but they im»y also bo meant to proven t an attempt I\V Franco to" render active, assistance to her ally. Wo believe- thnt both in Franco and England the opinion is strong ih,\( tho quarrel does not concorn them, and bhnuM bo hottled by tho No parties chiefly concerned. A war would certainly bo extromely unpopular in both countries, and it mny bo taicen for granted that their respective Government will, if thoy cannot avort hostilities botwesn others. Uo every thina possible to

maintain a neutral attitude themselves. ■ In this connection it is to be regretted that our own Premier, in his excessive patriotism, neglects no opportunity of trying to iuiUune colonial icelinj- against Russia. It is to be hoped that his speech at Timaru on Saturday contained the last reference of tho kind that we shall have to record.