ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1903. SOUTH AFRICA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 142, 20 June 1903, Page 2

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1903. SOUTH AFRICA.

Fob the past few weeks there has been a distinct shortage of cablegram items concerning South Africa. This is probably due to the fact that Mr Chamberlain's tariff proposals and other Imperial political questions have taken up so much space. At the same time there is a good old adage which says, " No news is good news," and we may presume that the real reason for the paucity of cable intelligence from Capetown is that South Africa is gradually settling down after the war, and that there Is generally a better feeling growing up between the Dutch and English. One or two items of news, however, came to hand during the week, and merit comment. The Orange River Colony is to contribute five millions to the cost of the war, but the British Government, with its constant generosity towards our late foes, has agreed to the sum being derived, not, as might well have been expected, from special taxation on the lands of the burghers, but from "future mineral resources.'' So far the Orange River Colony has not been remarkable, as is the Transvaal, for its mineral wealth, but recent correspondence from Bloemfontein, which has appeared in the London papers, states that there is a strong probability of rich reefs being discovered in the northern and western parts of the country, and if such discoveries are made, Crown royalties on the minerals raised would, in a very few years, clear off the war contribution, which Is reported to have been authorised by the Legislalative Council. Another important, but much less pleasant piece of news, this time from the Transvaal, refers to the awkward labor problem. We had been under the impression that Mr Chamberlain had made it clear that the immigration of Chinese labourers would not be allowed by the Imperial Government, but it appears from the cablegram to which we refer, that the Transvaal Chamber of Mines has made up its mind that sooner of later the restriction will be withdrawn, for it has sent special commissioners to the Straits Settlement to investigate the work of the Chinese who are there very largely employed in the tin and gold mines of the Malay Peninsula and adjoining islands. The Commissioner.}, we are told, have been most favourably impressed with this class of labour, and, no doubt, we shall soon hear of the Rand magnates making a fresh and determined attempt to introduce the " yellow agony " in the Johannesburg

and the Transvaal mines generally. The proposal, when it comes, is bound to be met by most strenuous opposition from the whits workers; and the " Kobber Barons of the Rand," as the millionaire mine owners were recently and very happily nicknamed by a Wellington paper, may yet find that their endeavour to crush out white labor may be resisted by force of arms. Ib would, indeed, be a most monstrous thing were these selfish capitalists to reap a personal benefit from the millions of British gold spent on the war and practically bring the whole of the white population under their grasping despotism. We do not think, however, that the British Government dare, in face of its ever increasing weakness and unpopularity, to so affront public opinion as to allow Chinese labor to ruin the white workers of South Afrioa. The third of the three items of South African news, upon which we are basing these general comments, refers to the new attitude adopted by the Dutch predikants or pastors, towards the members of tbat much discussed and much abused body the National Scouts. The body consisted, as our readers may remember, of Boers who, being convinced of the hopelessness of the struggle against the British, formally notiaed the Boer leaders that they would no longer continue in the field. Their determination was received with great wrath by De Wet, Botha and others, who were in favor of a policy of resistance to the bitter end, and the anger of the irreooncilibles was increased to blood heat when these burghers, who had retired from the struggle, formed themselves into a body known as the National Scouts and joined hands with the British against their old comrades. When the war ended the National Scouts were " excommunicated," as it were, by their national church, and all efforts up to the present made by Mr Chamberlain and Lord Milner to indnce the Dutch pastors to readmit the "Scouts " to their old communion have been accompanied by failure. Now, however, it appears from the cablegrams of Wednesday last that the predikant3 have decided to show mercy and adopt a polioy of forgiveness, the Scouts being now, we are told, re admitted to communion. There is a good deal to be said in excuse of the ! former attitude of the pastors, for, from the Boer point of view, the action taken by the Scouts in fighting against their own countrymen was decidedly unpatriotic. The more charitable view now taken by the Dutch clergymen does them credit, and it is to be hoped that time will heal the old wounds, and that all sections of the Boers will unite in a cheerful acceptance of the now conditions and vio with each other in the work of progress. The labor problem in the Transvaal excepted, affairs in South Afrioa, are now in a much better and more promising condition than has been the case for some months past.