SOUTH AFRICAN OUTLOOK.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 77, 2 April 1910, Page 10

SOUTH AFRICAN OUTLOOK.

A GREAT FUTURE. Sir Walter Hely-Huichinson, GiC. M.G., Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, read a paper on Btb . February on the South Af ricar* outlook to the members of the Royal Co/onial Institute in the Whitehall Rooms, Hotel Metropole. In his opening remarks Sir Walter HelyHutchinson reminded the- audience that he had lived in South Africa for the last sixteen years. A few years ago the South AfricaD question filled the thoughts of every citizen of the Empire, and latterly there had been some recrudescence of general interest in it on account of the remarkable and unexpected developments which had followed so speedily on the establishment of responsible government in the new colonies, and of the agreement which has been arrived 1 at for launching' the vessel of South African Union next June One of the most interesting features of the new development was that it has been achieved on the initiative and by the exertions of people in South Africa, without, suggestion or prescription, without interference of any kind, from outside South Africa, whether in principle or in important detail. (Cheers.) South African Union was "a unique experiment. In previous cases of federation the local Governments had remained intact except for some diminution of authority. In South Africa there would be a Governor-General, Ministers, a Parliament, provincial councils, and administrators ; a Supreme Count, and a central railway administration, which was to work on business principles. The Union would assume the debts of the four colonies, and the organisation of defence would be in -its hands. Native administration would be centralised. (Hear, hear.) The area of British territory included in the Union was about 4/0,000 square miles— a little less than four times the area of the United Kingdom. The total trade of South Africa in 1909 amounted to about £81,000,00U, of which 77 per cent, was with the United Kingdom and 4i per cent, with other British possessions ; the exports in 1909 exceeded the imports by about £21,000,000; the total public debt was abfcut £114,000,000; and the total budget of the four" colonies, exclusive of railway expenditure and interest on railway capital, is about £11,000,000. The pastoral and agricultural resources of b'outh Africa showed most satisfactory signs of improvement. The wool export, for instance, last year exceeded the export for 1908 by 35 per cent, in value, and proved a record, and maize, which was a new export, and a very promising one, showed an increase of /SOS per cent. (Cheers.) i,arge quantities of food and drink were still imported, but owing to improvement in the output of the farms in the matter of foodstuffs there was a reduction in imports under thai head of some 5£ per cent in 1909 ; whilst there had been an increase of 65 per cent, in the export of certain articles of food. Such results bore testimony to th* recuperative powers of the country. (Cheers.) LABOUR PROBLEMS. There were social and economic sidea to the native question, as to which something might usefully be said. Nearly all the unskilled labour in South Africa waa done by black or coloured people. Work of that kind had been generally, almost universally, considered as beneath* the dignith of a white person. The primary result was that the body politic in South Africa differed from tb.e ... body politic in in any other ' country which claimed to be called a white man's country. It was, speaking generally, composed of a white oligarchy resting on a basis of black and coloured labour. There was no white working cla.ss, properly so called. From their earliest jears children were subject to a mysteriour influence. '" Tommy, run down into the garden and fetch me my reel." Tommy, aged 4, to his mother: "Yes. mother"— and then, to a Zulu 6ft high— "Pick that up and give it to the mistress " (Laughter ) Again, a lad of 12, with a. thirst for information : Who scrubs the floors and cleans the boots, and does things of that kind in England?'" "White men and women." "Gracious! aren't there any Kaffirs?" (Renewed laughter.) And then a magistrate: "Commandant, will you let us have 8 couple of your black policemen to off-saddle and knee-halter our horses?" "The Governor has just offsaddled and knee-haltered his own horse, and I think you had better do the same for yours — my men are at their breakfast. ' These were some of his own personal experiences. NOT A WHITE MAN'S COUNTRY. South Arrlca coultJ never become a white man's country in the sense that Australia or Canada is a white man's country. The presence ip such preponderating numbers of the native races forbade it. To his friends in South Afiica he had no idvice to offer. They knew the circumstances, and were fully qualified to deal with such difficulties as might arise. To his own countrymen at Home he would say, "Leave them alone ; !et Ihem work out their own salvation." (Cheer 3.) The English and Dutch races would influence each other for good, seeking each other's good qualities rathei than criticising each other's failings ; and if the South Africat nation of the future should combine the best qualities of both races, no nation amongst the daughter nations of the Empire would be better fitted to take its share in dealing with the gieat problems of Empire, and none would be better qualified to speak with the enemies of the- Empire m the gate. (Cheers ) Let Ihem work out their own salvation. (Loud cheers.)