SOUTH AFRICA TO-DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 21, 26 January 1925, Page 6

SOUTH AFRICA TO-DAY

SOME OF ITS PROBLEMS

SIR JOHN LUKE'S IMPRESSIONS.

(FBOM OUR OW» COREPSPOKDKII.)

LONDON, 17th December.

Sir John, Luke, M.P., whew was with the party of oversea Parliamentariansin South Africa, is at present in.London and he has given me some of his impressions of that part of the Empire. His general idea of South Africa is that it is an immense country, with great potentialities, and many inducements to settlement, but by the right class of European settler He came away, however, more than ever convinced that New Zealand is thempst desirable part of. the Empire to live in Naturally, Sir John referred to the colour question. The Indian competition was in many branches of business and occupations of a domestic character, he said, but the native people were also making serious inroads into "the generalavenues of labour, the unskilled ranks being at present those mostly affected. But in skjlled work, too, large numbers were engaged, and as new industries were established a most serious problem would be presented: The ousting of the whites would certainy result if proper safeguards were not provided "In my opinion," said Sir John, " the native labour should be absorbed in agriculture and pastoral enterprises/the class of industry natuve has assigned them. The Government is taking the social question into most serious consideration and General Hertzog, ; the present Prime Minister, and his Government, will seriously tackle the problems arising from the colour-question." The well-managed and well-equipped; and staffed railway service, the construction of. railways over most of the most difficult country, impressed Sir John Luke very greatly. The railway system, he maintained; was a credit to all concerned. One striking feature of all the large towns was the particularly fine Town Hall which has been provided. Trams and other public services are for the most part municipally owned, and are carrying out very important and useful work. 'The gold mines are being worked at some profit, but the returns are. riot "so . marked as those .of many years ago. : Ihe profits are now made available ~to a great extent by the improved methods.and by saving the finer gold. Owing to the skill and genius" of the chemists and the engineers, there is fresh .optimism among the mining fraternity, and a confidence that better tunes are ahead, when new grounds are opened up, . ; '_■ " The whole of South Africa," said Sir John, !'presents many opportunities of success to those engaged in pastoral and agricultural work. The great drawback is -the uncertain and small rainfall^ and if rear success is to be secured more important and bigger- irrigation schemes must ; be. carried out. The country can be assured of success in sugar,'cotton tocaccp, and tea cultivation, for the native labour can be relied on to carry out the_operations connected with these industries. If is the land of the native and their intelligence can be availed'of to make these important products of great commercial benefit to the Empire /lor young men of grit and determination no doubt there are opportunities of success, and 'British capital can i bring about great transformation and: make South Africa a health-producin" country. ' With small capital there are" fewer prospects. Whatever controversy may be engendered as to the place and power of large capitalist concerns, South Africa cannot, in my opinion, be developed successfully without the aid and co-operation of the capitalist. ' The laud has an abundant supply of iron and coal. The latter is worked successfully and the iron industry can' become one ot the nost important of British enterprises. It will require considerable i.capital, however,., and.it isjto be honed that the British people .will exploit these .enormous measures of ore; and that they Will not be jockeyed out by foreign enterprise and capital,", '. :.