DARKEST AFRICA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6270, 25 July 1907, Page 7

DARKEST AFRICA.

THE RACIAL QUESTION. A NEW ZEALANDER'S OPINIONS. Mr James Peebles, a native of Hawke’s Bay, who has for the last nine years resided in British South Africa, returned to New Zealand a few days ago, Mr Peebles served through the Boer war with various contingents sent from this country, and subsequently entered the employ of the Transvaal - Public Works Department .where, having much opportunity of studying both white and black natives, '. he has come to the ■conclusion that racial ainity is as distant as ever.

The returned New Zealander, in conversation with a ''Times” representative, informed him that he volunteered as a Transvaaler for service,'against the Natal Zulus during the late troubles brought about by "Ethiopianism" and the hut tax, For meritorious work, he and another . New Zealander ; (Mr J. Gatland, o{ Auckland) have' been recommended, for the D.C.M. The intense racial dislike always , shown by tho Dutch Afrikander fa the Britisher ie, according to Mr Peebles, even more manifest since the advent of a' Boer Government than before, and the political power weilded by the, Dutch element is a menace to the advance of Britons.

. Many .heads , of Government Departments in the Transvaal are, saysi Mr Peebles, Englishmen specially imported to fill the positions, and; it,'seems to,'be. the accepted rule of these high 'officials never to give to a Briton a position which can be filled by a Boer. The animosity, of the Dutch Afrikander is not openly shpwh except under exciting conditions.' During - the first Transvaal elections Mr- Peebles was .at PCtohesftroom, which, is almost wholly a Dutch electoral district. One Canadian unwisely called for “Three cheers for liberty” in a polling booth, and -was immediately roughly, handled 'by ' the Boers. The New Zealander,, who went to the Canadian's assistance, was treated by a demonstration of forcible dislike. Socially Boers and Britons do not mix, and chance meetings cause great restraint. British or oversea colonials regard the Boer as a less honest worker than the average Anglo-Saxon, less punctilious in regard to moral, social, and commercial obligations, and totally unapproachable fraternally; : Mr Peebles does not think there is likely to again be any serious and - combined revolt against Imperial rule, because the element of suspicion in the Boer character is shown by Boer, against; Boer, as well as by Boer , against Briton; Asked by our representative to give his ' views ,on the question of labour for the Band mines, Mr X’eebles spoke strongly of .the moral good the withdrawal of Chinese coolies had already effected- But he is emphatic in declaring that the mines will ‘be worked with the. greatest difficulty without Chinese labour. He points out that Kaffir "boys" who are physically so superior to the Chinese, are to put it mildly, "tired,” and that they dislike organised and constant work. The boys' solo ambition is to earn enough money to buy bullocks with which to purchase wives from the chiefs. The Kaffir who possesses the most wives is the least inclined ito work, seeing that his wives, by the custom of the country, are taught, that their highest honour is to' keep their; husband in idleness. Mr Peebles believes the Zulu trouble in Natal is quite over, but Natalians have an uneasy feeling that a colony which contains a Hindoo population equal to the number of whites has many in teresting complications to meet in the near future.

The small New Zealand colony in Pretoria is gradually breaking up, and its. colonists are. turning their steps" towards this dominion. Of twenty-five members of the New Zealand Club in Pretoria who resided in that city at the beginning'of the year only three or four who occupy high official ■ -positions remain. The oversea colonial - is a discredited person in British South Africa, and Mr Peebles remarks that the first .handshake that was not of the “fishtail” order he has received in nine years happened to;him on his-arrival in. Wellington.