THE Grey River Argus AND BLACKBALL. NEWS. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) _ SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1903.

Grey River Argus, 1 August 1903, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus AND BLACKBALL . NEWS. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) _ SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1903.

In various channels of human activity foreign nations have copied British methods, and not infrequently so as to enable them to successfully cope with their instructor. Bub in the art of colonisation neither France nor Germany has succeeded in catching that indescrible something which appears to be the mainspring of successful colonisation. _ Of the two countries mentioned France appears to be more likely to achieve a fair measure of success than Germany, though the only really self-supporting colony that France possesses is that of Senegambia, because old established as Algeria is it is not yet able to pay its way. Consequently it may he said that for a while all attempts at colonisation by foreign countries can be regarded as failures. None of them possesses anything m the shape of seif-government, though it would seem to be an incongruity if they sought) that privilege before they were self-supporting, At any rate, whatever may, be the" cause, I German colonies do not attract Germans, who sown to rather; incline to go anywhere else than to a German, colony. Even the lately acquired Kia-o-ehaw fails to attract them. A report on the German colonies forrlast) year, lately issued by the Foreign Office, gives no information as to the domestic politics of the Germ in colonies, if they have any politics at all. It is that Government officials and the missionaries between them have raised the moral standard of the natives of Genuany'a African posses-ions and impioved the primitive methods of agriculture. But in not a few places it is found to be next an impossibility to get the natives to work. Jn other places, the nigger of the soil is willing . enough that his wives should work, tuough it is beneath his dignity to do so. It is found from the report referred to that in the whole of the African protectorates there w- re but 6,661 white inhabitants aud b<it 4,203 Geux mans at ths end of 1902, and 1902 was a 'year of marked increase. In the great expanse, of East Africa' " it amounted to exactly four, in the Cameroons .to thirtyMhree, and in Togoland to twenty two. Bufrin South West Africa it reached the substantial total of over 1,000. "Ibis, however, was due to the large Boer immigration caused . by the war. The result has been that in some districts, such as Grootfontein and Ke- tmanehoop, the" Boers now vtry Urgety exceed the Guyiuain, to tLe 3crious joacern of the Governor, who successfully urged ths ' Reichstag feo vote a grant of L 15,000 in order, lotlf for "political and economic leasons," to restore the balance

by promoting German immigration. Bub objection has been takes to the . Boers in consequence of their poverty.. Beers with money are welcome. But most of the Boers being very poor the Government considered them undeair* able immigrants. They would nofc work as labourers or citizens and kept wander* ing about the country aad, as is alleged, killing the game and doing incalculable damage to the "wells, pasture aud timber." Another unpleasantness arises through the German officials being unable to tolerate the pretensions of the Dutch Reformed Church on the subject of education. The North* German Gazette'had to announce that their claims were quite inadmissible, and could not be granted "even to subjects of the Empire." The census 1 of the South Sea protectorates is disappointing. An accurate return shows that there are only 347 whites in Samoa, and 862 in these protectorates altogether. Efforts are being made to promote* German settlement in SouthWestlf Africa by direct financial aid, and by facilities for performing the -compulsory military service in the Colony instead of at home ; but the initial capital required from emigrants is so high that it may be doubted whether many German citizens who possess it will care te expatriate themoelves in so remote a region. Imperial subsidiec are paid to almost all the German colonies; in order to. enable them to carry on. The total estimated cost of these subsidies and of certain incidental expenses comes to no less than L 1,572,681, 572, 681 this year. The subsidy varies greatly with the celony but Togoland appears to be the ouly one which is expected to be able to dispense with it in the current y»ar, though both tbe Cameroons and SouthWest Africa show large reductions under thin head. Toioland actuary hopes to balance her budget for the first time, bu< this result, it is explained, is partly due to an .-ccdent. The construction of a local railway has been deferred, and payment his naturally been deferred alao. Still, the financial condition of Togo and is more hopeful than that of most of her eisters^ — most of whom will be bankrupt "without the help of the German taxpayer. Samoa Beems"E6 have h»d a particularly bad year in 1900-1901; the last for which ihe figures are given, exports having declined by L 13,000 and imports by m<w than doable that amount. The Boer immigration has given a spurt to the^ imports in South-West Africa, mainly causpd by a large numbe r of cattle . the immigrants brought with them. German East Africa ia naturally feeling the effeccsp^the diversion of trade to the Uganda ri|il way, and the .Cameronnß have been 'suffering from internal disturbances. In Kiao-ch«u the excess of expenditure over revenue is very heavy, and the Imperial; subsidy comes to oyer 1)621,0X10^ or nearly' L 19.000 mere than for 1902. In many of the other colonies the increase under n curring expenditure-is :yery considerable. It is hai d to 8»y iwhat may be the ultimate outcome of German Colonial administration. The Government are inclined to lay the blame for the inadequate results hitherto achieved upon the reluctance of the Reichstag to provide the 1 sums necessary to develop tbe^e neglected estates, particularly by opening up communications; but, though- very likely the Government are „righi», neither the Legislature nor private capitalists seem greatly disposed- to incr ase their investments in the German colonies.