Rhodesia

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 229, 12 September 1923, Page 5

Rhodesia

Responsible Government FIRST STEP TO DAY. ANNEXATION TO KING’S DOMINIONS. (By Cable.—Press Association. —Copyright.) Capetown, Sept. 10. 1 Wednesday being the 33rd anniversary of the hoisting of the British flag at {Salisbury, Rhodesia will be formally annexed to the King’s dominions as a preliminary to the proclamation of the new constitution as a self-govern-ing colony, which takes effect on October 1. Sir Charles Coglilan, leader of the Responsible Government party, will be the first Premier. It is believed Sir Francis Newton will become Minister of Finance. Sir Drummond Chaplin, the present administrator, intends to settle in Cape Town.—(A. and N.Z.) When it was decided that the British South Africa Company’s regime in Rhodesia should be superseded by. a more representative system'of government, two alternatives were before the country, responsible government, and inclusion in the Union of South Africa on the basis of an offer made by the Union Government, as a fifth province of the Union. A referendum taken in South Rhodesia in November last, resulted as follows: —

For responsible government .. 8774 For joining the Union 5989

The result was in accordance with the general expectation, but surprise was expressed at the strength of the vote for responsible government. The total electorate is 18,000. The form of responsible government which Southern Rhodesia has chosen in preference to incorporation in the Union was published in January, 1922. The draft Constitution provides for a Ministry of six responsible to a singlechamber Legislature, with the possible addition of an Upper House Liter on. The. list of measures reserved for the expression of the King’s pleasure includes certain special reservations necessary from “tne peculiar history of the country.” All laws relating to the collection and allocation of mining revenue, or the imposition of special taxes on members, are reserved to safe* guard the British South. Africa Company which owns the minerals. Astouching the Native administration the existing satisfactory system is to oe maintained. The extensive powers held by the High Commissioner are to' be retained, though how far they can be exercised in a self-governing colony remains to be seen. Provision is made for the future establishment of Native Councils on the South African models. The initial debt which Southern Rhodesia must assume is £1,100,000, including £831,000 for public works and buildings, and two Imperial loans of £150,00 each.

Some indication of the factors that decided Rhodesia’s choice was given in a recent statement by a member of the staff of General Smuts, who recently toured Rhodesia on behalf of incorporation. “The choice is no easy matter for the people,” he said. “They love Rhodesia. It is a big- country —more than twice the size of England anl Wales —with a population half that of Durban. It is a beautiful country. We saw it at its worst, dry and dusty. The incomparable scenery, however, does not suffer greatly because the carpet of green is temporarily browned. The first rains w'ill remedy that. There was no need for the assurances of our kindly hosts that what we saw and admired was nothing compared with the country of Rhodes in its summer dress. The beauty of the country has got into the blood of the Rhodesians. They have had a tough time in the wilderness, and hardships and joys experienced have made of these pioneers a distinctive people in the South African family, and back of their minds is the fear that closer relationship with the other members of the family may result in the loss or impairment of this distinctiveness.

“What are the Rhodesians going to do'? The Prime Minister emphasised the advantages of consolidating the white races in the southern continent of Africa. He pointed to the lesson of Zimababwe—the disappearance of an earlier civilisation. He stressed the ideal of Rhodes—a great united South Africa under the British Crown. On these Matoppan heights he had the Rheode-, sians with him. But what of the fears in the plains below? What are they? Bilingualism, poor whites, more taxation, loss of prestige, and so on.”