A COUNTRY FOR YOUNG MEN.

North Otago Times, 29 January 1906, Page 3

A COUNTRY FOR YOUNG MEN.

1 INTERVIEW WITH CHAPLAIN-CAP-TAIN ANDERSON. Tho Rev. J. -R. Flynn-Anrtcrson,, who v has l«en touring Nlw Zealand,for.health and information.'and lecturing on South 'African affairs by.thcway, is at present on a visit to Oaiuaru. : This evening he will give i humorous chtcrtiinmcnt env ::'titled " Camp. Fire Yams," the proceeds :•; going to his • African' railway mission. The Right Hon; fi. J. Seddon presided dt his meeting in Jthe Welfiiigtoii, Town Halli and throughout the principal towns of this country-he has been favored with crowded audiences, Our visitor is a warm admirer of South Africa and an ardent advocate of that country,, claiming that its future is' assured, The wonderful mineral and agricultural possibilities under British rule au so great that every . yoar its fresh developments will allord homes and work for an teasing population. Replying to the repeated storios of depression that * we hear, Mr Anderson acknowledges that ,there is sonic foundation for them, but <ays there i 3 more exaggeration than real truth in many of these reports, It Is • ■ only natural to expect that after a great war there will he ;somc poverty and temporary distress, • and the condition of ■■■• things \ is not improved by the mineral wealth of the country being in the hands ' of men who cafe nothing for South Africa beyond the dividends their mines will yield. - The reverend gentleman, however, is finn in his belief that the time is coming when the mine magnates will find their power limited by the people in the ..country, There is springing up in Africa a race of colonials who are as proud of Africa as ■ New Zealanders. are . of their- two islands, and these people, of mingled Dutch and British blood, "are growing in influence and numbers. So ■ many .come out to South Africa to make money, and then to leave, it matters not to them what happens to the country after they have made enough to take away, but African colonials have the ■future of their country to consider, and their best interests arc bound up in the land. The time is not ripe for respon-' ■ shle governnnmt, and if the • Liberal at Home grant it to those who aro now" agitating for it, it will mean trouble. A system of rcpresentat vc goTcmment is wanted to-day. Self-control , Will come ,in.the course of time. On itic subject, of Chinese labor Mr Anderson holds decided opinions. He saw the first batch of Chinese come, and until he left' some months back, and lias .v watched closely their work and its effect, He has brothers on the mines, and is acquainted with both managers ami men on the Witwatersrand. The Chinamen he holds to be a menace to the industrial peace of the country, and usurpers of the ' position the African natives should hold, ~ 'As he points out, Africa has many mil- . lion natives, and for climatic, social, and other reasons, the rough laboring work will always have to be done by the ...great native races. In this respect the position is entirely different to that cx- - isting in New Zealand and certain of the Australasian States; The people of Afri- .. ca object to Chinese labor on-the ground that there is ample native labor avail able in" the country, and that the Kaffir .is being unjustly, treated. The white man will always be the artizan, and never the . laborer out there, and it is not true that the Chinese are doing white men out' of their work. -Mr Anderson docs not bc- ; licvo that the mines on the wholo could * be profitably worked with while labor, and holds that the Kaffirs will always be -: required to do a certain part of the work • on the gold mines.--, On the whole lie thinks" Africa a fine country for young ' men, and believes that there is golden opportunities for auy who arc willing to --work and .work hard, who have sufficient - moral : stamina to control themselves in the face of the many temptations out : : there, and to keep their eye opcu for the good things as they come along.