AFRICA FROM WITHIN.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7956, 12 April 1904, Page 4

AFRICA FROM WITHIN.

In the course of a letter to Mr James Davidson, Major Bartlett, writing from Klippfontein, says among other things :—« Things are looking very well here just now, though financially they are as bad as it is possible to be with a certain lot. It is expected with the coming of the Chinese and the working of the mines things will move again. There is no doubt that sufficient labour is not available just now for the proper development of the mining industry to say nothing.of the scarcity of black labour for farms. One has to pay twice as much as formerly for such hands as be can get, and think himself lucky. If proper, regulations are imposed on the Chinamen ill will be all right, but then I am afraid they will not come on what we call proper conditions, and consequently the influential men are now determined to have them, and the result will be detrimental to any others outside the mining centres. I think this will be a good year for prices, although just now they are very low owing to the Boer farmers rushing their produce to market to get a few shillings to keep going. 1 have been offered a considerable advance on present prices for my crops, but have declined." Major Bartlett adds that though one or two members of his family have been down with enteric, they were generally all well at the time of writing.