ORANGE RIVER COLONY.

Evening Star, Issue 12873, 24 July 1906, Page 3

ORANGE RIVER COLONY.

RKPRESTSNTATIVK v. RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT. [Special to the Star.] July 25. Mr Richard J ebb. the representative of the 'Morning Post' (0.), who recently visited New Zealand, writes to the ' Press*' from Bloemfontedn pointing out the danger arising from the probable intention of the Home Government grafting autonomy to the Orangia Colony. He admits Uwt Sir H. Campbeil-Bitfinermnn sent a committee to inquire into the question of tbo Constitution, but claims tliat those Who met tho Committee came away with the idea tliat responsible government was their predetermined policy. He holds that responsible government is necessary hi the Transvaal, but. not in Orangia,, for the following reasons:— •'The British population is in a hopeless minority, and would be completely outvoted. Responsible o-overn-mont at this stage would mean handing over tlie colony to the very coterie of Boer irreconcilables who forced the old Free State into war, and remain to-day the bitterest enemies of the ideals for which we fought These men have now organised the Boers into a .dumb political machine, of which thev have constituted themselves the autocratic directors. Their platform speeches are intensely anti-British, and they continue to hokl up the • ideal of a South Africa which shatl be Dutch awl not British in, language and sentiment. Ex-President Steyn exhorts tlie faithful never to forget the concentration camps, and they shrink from no malicious misrepresentation of tihe actions and intention of the existing Administration. At the present time they are playing to the Radical gallery in England, In the hope that power will be placed in their hands. For example, they now affect a whimpering sympathy for the natives, denouncing the methods of the Naital Government in sup- j pressing the present disturbances, although i they themselves condoned acts of revolting cruelty to natives during the war. and have i always treated them as animate. Such ! hypocrisy deceives none of the British here, and disgusts the better dass of liners, who fully realise the importance of straightforwardness and (if white solidarity in dealing with the native question. Since the war the Government liave placed some 800 heads of families on I land, of whom 666 are still in occupation. I The others for the most part have taken up private land. All these men fought, on omfide, and the most of them are, from Cape Colony. All parts of the Empire arc represented. They have started with three exceptionally bad seasons in succession, consequently three-fourths of them are in arrears with their purchase, A hostile Administration could squeeze them out in twelve months, and give tlie farms to political supporters on easier terms. In addition, there are about 700 independent settlers, who bought farms after the war, and invested large sums of monev. The majority are from the old colony, and know the Dutch character intimately* Thev would neveT have come here had they foreseen responsible government. Na&uratty, they intensely resent the prospect of being placed under Dutch domination. On the veldt the Boers still outnumber the British by fifteen to one. Finally, responsible government will become an additional and serious obstacle to a South African federation. Federation is the supreme need of this country, both for the sake of its internal progress and hi order to- place the Imperial relations upon a satisfactory footing, as in Canada and Australia." Mr Jebb thinks the one urgent need js to ensure that the question shall be decided only after full consultation by all the Staites which were partners in the war, and not by a solitary Government, representing mainly those in whose eyes the wut was a crime and the British. South African a fraud.