THE TRANSVAAL.

Evening Star, Issue 13047, 15 February 1907, Page 8

THE TRANSVAAL.

rVson Otr Special Correspondent.] PITTING ON THE SCREW. Wo have had a mild sensation bon’—a nine days' wonder—caiH:i..rnii!g tho auditor--bip of some of our milling companies, and. as a matter of course, it has furnished an excuse for asking questions in the House of Commons. Mr Howard Pim. one of the leading members of tho accountancy amt auditing prof&sion in South Africa, and who enjoyed a very profitable practice., has always been a determined opponent of the introduction of Chinese labor. Ho takes part in politics, he is a member of the .Municipal Council, has been deputy mayor, and is contesting one of the Johannesburg seats in the interests of the National party. He is auditor for many mining companies and mining and financial corporations. and amongst them the Baud Mines, iumittd, cue of Wernher. Beit, and Co. s companies, and which in itself controls some eight or nine of the large deep level producing mines. When the agitation for and against tho importation of Chinese took place two or three years ago Mr Pim occupied a prominent position amongst tltosc who were opposed to the Celestials. As a consequence the ILuia Mines, Limited, did not reappoint liim to the anditorship o i their company. Quite recently he was r£ reappointed auditor to two other mines also controlled by the same house. Before this step was taken Mr Rim was invited to meet some of the local managers, and the matter was put very plainly before him. He must not take a part in jiolitics opposed to the interests of those who employed him as an auditor, or he mustacrept the alternative, ami bo content to see someone else appointed in his stead. He refused to be dictated to. and asked permission to attend tho meeting of the

to attend the meeting of the company. He went there, and when the question of the appointment of an au<litor came up asked whether tin' failure to re-appoint him was owing to any jack of appreciation of his efforts professionally. He was told it was not so, bat that they could not reappoint him because ho was acting in a manner opposed to the interests of fee company. This episode 11 at-urally created a great’deal of newspaper controversy, and voluminous correspondence was pnb&hed by Mr Pirn and by Messrs Eckstein and Co. (the representative branch of Wemher, Beit, and Co.), and this correspondence went back to the first deprivatmi of office, when a correspondeooe took place between Mr Pirn and Sir Julius Wemher, of London, who is the KcttJ of the firm. At tho interview with the firms managers it was suggested that the matter be permitted to remain in abeyance until March, when the elections would be over, but Mr Pirn insisted on a decision being arrived at tmnKxbately, as lie* could not remain, under a threat of dismissal by those who availed themselves of his professional services. At one time there was an attempt made to procure a definite expression of opimou from the Society of Auditors and Accountants, but the lending members wore not inclined to fall out with those from whom they got tlre moat profitable portion of their work, ami to nothing came of it. The public were keentv interested, and it soon resolved itself into a party strife. The lead given bv tho principal mining house hero win be' followed by all the others, and rtxoferefi itself into’ a disciplinary action wb»ch nil mines employees are not slow t< understand. It has bin tho custom for a considerable time to find that men who in a public manner fee actions of a mining group very soon realised that they must look for a’job else where, and that job elsewhere was often difficult to bo met with when they had loft a mine under such circumstances. A similar description of discipline was never previously attempted in respect to a professional man of nigh standing like Mr Pun, but it dearly indicates the intern ions of the mining magnates in reference to all who are oppcocQ .to them. In episode of a eonicvbat similar deseription occurred about Uic same time, the issues were different, Mr E. P. Solomon, the president of the National Asßadalkm, is also a director of the Jokanoesbnrg ..Consolidated Investment Company, the principal financial corporation connected with toe Bamato group. Ho was told in a short note by one of the local managers that Mr S. B. Joel, a nephew of Barnatos. and now the bead of tho firm, and who also is in London, did not appreciate Mr Solomon’s political attitude, and suggested that he should resign his position on tho directorate. This also evoked some correspondence, bat the pafaiic did not take much interest in Tt, iWotnrr that any mining house could have whom they liked on their directorates. _ It may bomeedioned that nearly all the mining companies on the Band are entirely controlled by the rcTmrwr booses, who hold a yery large proffcrtion of their shares, and that the directorates of such companies are really appointed by them. The usual shareholclers’ meetings are held, and the chairman or president makes a lengthy statement, to which a very wide publicity is given, but the attendance is very small indeed, being only the number required undo- tho statute, and comprised chiefly of of the controlling houses., THE POLITICAL CONTEST.

ffceving discussed the Ooostitation, Het Volk is displaying considerable activity. Its branches have been formed several months ago, and it says much for the implicit ccmfidencteiho Dutch place in their leaders first thev should form branches and have-a perfect organisation without having announced any definite policy. Its head Committee at'present is chirflv occupied providing Candida tea for the Rand divisions, some ten or twelve candidates having been announced. It would seem that Het Volk are anxious, if poasffile, to get an working majority in the new Parliament. They mar fairly count on securing twentv height of the country seats. Thev have put forward three candidates for Pretoria and ten for try. i»~i tbt? bo socceeuai m

in getting two-thirds of these elected they will have an actual majority in the House, whith is composed of sixty-nine members, and it will not then be a question of the British co-operating with the Dutch, but of the Dutch saying whether they desire the co-operation of the British. In nearly every Rand constituency the British vote is the strongest, but a's several men are standing for each they will probably so split the votes amongst themselves that Met Volk candidates will get in. Possible the British sections may learn wisdom before the election takes place, but there is no indication of it at present. For the six Pretoria seats, the Nationalists and Hot Volk have each nominated three, and each will support the other’s candidates. There is no arrangement for the Rand as yet, although Hot Volk will occasionally support Nationalists—that is, in cast's where they could have no chance, even if there wore a split amongst the British votes. The Labor party, both here and in Pretoria, are still at sixes and Sevens. It is probable they will put up ten or eleven candidates altogether, but it is impossible to gauge their working strength, as so many of the mine workers are inticonced by the Progressives.

One of the most interesting*fcdntests will lie at Pretoria, where Sir Richard Solomon. who was Attorney-General of tho Crown Colony Administration, and for some time Acting Lieutenant-Governor of the Transvaal, will be opposed by Shr Percy Fitz.Patrkk, one of the managers of Eckstein ;urd Co., and whose special duty it appears to be to take charge of Ihe'politioal branch of that firm's business. General Smuts is standing for another of the Pretoria seats, unci General Louis Botha is contesting Stonderton, having a probable opponent in the Hon. Hugh Windham.'who is a brother of a former Imperial Minister. Mr Wyndham stands as ail Independent, although he is in reality a Progressive. In this connection I niay mention that a great number of candidates who style themselves Independents are actually Progressives. THE HOLIDAYS. The holidays have come and gone. Holi-dav-makers liad their pleasure spoilt by the rain, both Christmas Day and New Year’s Dav being wet. Otherwise the season has heei! a satisfactory one. Notwithstanding the acute depression which has subsisted throughout the year, all the business people here seem to have done well during the holiday season. One of the local papers, the ‘ liand Daily Mail,’ has a.shilling subscription fund every Christmastide for the purpose of providing Christmas dinners for those who are very poor. Last yea© the amount raised was £800; this year it was ft that an additional effort, was required, and the amount raised was £1 5 ' This sum possibly owed something of 1 -roportions to the fact that certain wc.'tliy politicians, especially those connected" with the mines, made larger contributions than usual. As a whole the people are facing the new year with much more sanguine feelings than they have regarded the outlook for some time. This country is notable for its sudden changes ■ changes in the industrial outlook, in the commercial and financial situation, as wadi as in the political views of many of the people ; and it seems quite likely that the eighteen months of acute depression will be' followed by a period of sober and chastened prosperity, even if not of flourishing business and industrial expansion. THE OUTLOOK. 11, ore is. after all. no reason why the country should be depressed, or why it should" not bo prosperous. Last year the mines paid in dividends over five and a-half millions. Every month something like £1,200.000 represents the amount left in the country out of the gold yield, and as the population of the Transvaal is under 400.000 this contribution from the mines should make things nourishing. There is also a growing feeling that under self-government much of the uncertainty and 'strife will be swept- away, aud things will become more settled. The share market. which is our financial barometer, is already responding to this optimistic view, probably influenced by statements of Het Volk leaders, who declare that though thev are anxious to have the Chinese repatriated they are confident that ample provision can be made to supply their place ; that they will not lie a party to any measure which would compel a single mine to shut down. ' This country should be very rich and very prosperous, and the financial aud commercial crisis it has passed through is simply the reaction from a projected boom which did not come to pass. It was anticipated that there would bo a very "Teat industrial expansion following the completion of the war. and iieople rushed to the country to participate in this. The expansion was restricted. and all classes who had been speculating on the future found much cause for lamentation. A weeding-out process has been going ou for some time, and things are now gradually righting themselves, whilst the restoration of the public confidence will still more largely contribute to this cordiaDy-desired result. , THE O.R.C. CONSIITDTION.

The Patch portion of the Orange River Colony population being in an overwhelm - injr niajontv, it naturally follows that the distinctive political, association there—the U„ie should have a vastly preponderating numerical strength. Since the announcement that, the Constitution would be "ranted lo the Orange River Colony, and The general terms of that Constitution have been made known, another party has been formed, called the Constitutional , ;irfv. under the presidency of Sir J. i: Fraser. This was the gentleman who untested the Presidency of the old Free State with ox-President Steyn. This name ' i in"s to the mind how slight a thing might have averted the war. Prior to the Jamieson Raid Mr Fraser was a commanding personality in Free Free Stale politics, and he would have secured election against President Steyn were it not that the Jameson Raid, had disturbed people's minds and caused them to fcade vith the extreme section, ■who were anti* British. Had Mr Fraser been elected on that occasion, the Free State would not Have entered into tho alliance with _ the TransvaaL and without such alliance it is extremely doubtful that the Transvaal weeid have embarked in hostilities. -Mr Fraser was President of the Raad up lo the time of the British occupation, and it was he who went oat with the townspeople and tvmiW over the keys of Bloemfontein to Lord Roberts. H© told me of the conversation that took place between himself and the British ocnmiander. Lord Roberts sail: "Well, Mr Fraser, I suppose yon are eiad to see the Union Jack over you Icain?” and the Raad President replied: ‘•'Xo, mv lord. You will scarcely credit it that this is the bitterest day of my life. Tho Free State was, in eveiy sense of the word, a model republic—happy, contented, prosperous, and well governed—and by tho folly of oi>o man we-have lost that freedom and independence. *’ Ho cheerfully worked in, liatmony with tho British a iter the occupaiinn, and was appointed a member of the Legislative Council, receiving knighthood.about a couple of years ago. Be was bom in Cape Colony, but hved in tho Orange River Colony the greater portion of hisfife. The new party of which he is president terms itself the Cmi-Ttitnkonal party, and declares its mlwitiflii of working with 3 the Government and preserving the unity of South Africa-and the -Empire, It will get support in. the larger towns, but never expect to bo- more than a useful minority in P n d iomen t~ Its imnilesto npwww with the Constitution, but convoys, a hope that many features will be softmed down, by tact and mutual forbearance. 11 emphasises the fact of the Orange Riser Colony being essentially an country, and that the weilaxe of the country mast depend upon the development of its agricultural resources. The Urie has not expresed itself in any way, and probably it will, like the Bet, Volk in the Transvaal, wait until the precise terms of tho Constatutiou are made known before ii discloses its views. It has experienced leaders, capable men of good standing, 'The Orange River Colony has made verysubstantial progress since the war, and is mpidlv increasing its docks and herds, notwithstanding the drought and the ravages | of locusts. Although essentially an agricultural. or, l abelled say, a,eaaWwal country.

it is quite likely that it may yot develop mineral wealth to a considerable extent. Diamonds have been worked at Jagersfonto.in for many yeara, and one of the most successful of the new diamond propositions is tho Roberts Victor, which is located in the Boshoff district, to live northwest. In fact, diamonds, or indications of diamonds, are found in many parts throughout the country, and in addition has coal and iron. They have not yet found gold m payable quantities, but the indications arc promising, and crude petroleum lias also been met with, especially in tho north-east. For its s'ze the Orange River Colony promises in tho future to be one of tbo most prosperous of the South African States. Johannesburg, January 4.