FUTURE OF RHODESIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17780, 13 May 1921, Page 5

FUTURE OF RHODESIA.

AUTONOMY RECOMMENDETJ.

ANNEXATION BY THE CROWN. A. and N.Z. CAPETOWN. May 11.

The report of Viscount Buxton's committee appointed by the Imperial Government to report on the future of Rhodesia, has been issued. It regards the principle of responsible government as settled by the last election, and recommends that a scheme be drafted and submitted to a referendum. If accepted, Southern Rhodesia should be formally annexed to the King's dominions. "

The form of constitution suggested is that granted Natal in 1893, with reservations regarding the natives and Crown lands. In view of the small white population the report proposes in the first instance only one chamber of 26 to 30 members, and a Cabinet consisting of a Premier and five colleagues. As regards unalienated land, which by a recent decision of the Privy Council belongs to the Chartered Company, the committee recommends administration by a Land Board of three members.

CONTROL BY CHARTERED COMPANY.

On October 29, 1889, a Royal Charter was granted to the British South Africa Company, conferring upon it large administrative powers m the region north of the Transvaal, now known as Rhodesia, authorising it to promote trade and commerce, and to work minerals and other concessions in these parts. Rhodesia is divided into two portions by the Zambesi. Southern Rhodesia, with an area of 149,000 square miles, carries a population of 777,882. Northern Rhodesia i s 291,000 square miles in extent, and its population numbers 291,000. Of these only 2100 are Europeans. Southern Rhodesia includes two provinces, Matabeleland and Mashonaland. The Europeans number approximately 38,000. It lies between the northern boundary of the Transvaal on the south and the Zambesi on the north, with ifche Portuguese provinces of Manica and Sofala as the eastern boundary. The Government is conducted by the Executive Council of Southern Rhodesia, consisting of the Administrator, and not less than three members appointed by the company with the approval of the Secretary of State, and by a Legislative Council consisting_ of the Administrator, the Resident Commissioner, and 18 other members, of whom six are appointed by the Company and 12 elected by the registered voters o"f Mashonaland and Matabeleland. Its ordinances are subject to confirmation by the High Commissioner and to disallowance by the Secretary of State. In November, 1913, the board of the company issued a memorandum containing proposals for the encouragement of land settlement and immigration in Southern Rhodesia, proposals which were subsequently embodied in a draft ordinance and read a first time in the Legislative Council. The proposals caused considerable discussion on the ground that the scheme involved the admission that the unalienated land of Southern Rhodesia was the private property of the British South' Africa Comand that it involved the principle of a public debt on the future government of the country. It was agreed that the measure should not be further dealt with in the Legislative Council, until the question had been submitted for decision to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which in July, 1918, found in favour of the Crown on the question of ownership, but reported that the British South Africa Company, so long as it continued to administer Southern Rhodesia was entitled to dispose of unalienated lands, and to apply the proceeds to the reimbursement of the expenses of administration. It was also entitled to b e reimbursed of any outstanding balances of advances should the Crown put an end to its administration.