NATAL’S NATIVE TROUBLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6315, 16 September 1907, Page 6

NATAL’S NATIVE TROUBLE

Last year witnessed the ri?e and fail of a rebellion in Natal which recalled many of the incidents of the Zulu war of a quarter of a century ago. In point of the numbers engaged and the quality of the fighters, as well as the results in blood, Bambaata’s campaign sinks into insignificance by the side of Cotewayo’s, but the reason for this difference is not that usually applied to the historical cases in which the dark-skinned races have blocked the path of white civilisation. In America, Australasia, Oceania, and even in some parts of Africa, the original disparity between the opposing elements has disappeared, often to be succeeded by a white ascendency of numbers. In South Africa, however, despite the steady growth of the population of European descent, the disparity between black and white is rapidly increasing in favour of the former. Unless, therefore, some scheme is evolved for the promotion of European settlement, or means are discovered whereby the native races may be drafted into the paths of-peaceful industry, the colony must remain in constant expectation of trouble. The last census, that of 1904, gives the population of Natal at 1,108,754, including 97,109 whites, 100,918 Indians and Asiatics, 6686 mixed races, 79,978 natives in service, and 824,063 natives in locations and areas. In the three years that have intervened, it would be perfectly safe to say that the white population has diminished. In 1904 the colony still retained hundreds, if not thousands, of people who had been attracted thither owing to the artificial prosperity created by the war, and these, together with many of the settler class, who have been discouraged by the unsuitableness of the natural conditions of soil and climate, as well as by the native troubles and unrest, have gone. Whatever the exact causes may be, the South African colonies do not offer inducements to small farmers imbued with British ideas of cultivation. But if the European population shows a falling off, the Eaflirs have increased, and the danger to be apprehended from their discontent has not been materially lessened by /the events of -last year, which only nipped the trouble^.

leaving the root untouched. That it is growing again is evident from a cable message in this morning’s issue from Capetown, which states that officers commanding the Natal Militia have been privately warned to hold themselves in readiness to take the field at a moment’s notice. It will ho remembered that the casus belli last year was the poll-tax, a most ingenious impost, apparently impartial in its incidence, but really designed to catch those natives who could not be got at by means of the tax on huts. ' The Natal Government was warned by friendly critics on all sides that the expedient was a dangerous one, and that the natives, discerning its actual purpose, would be keen to resent it. To impose the worst kind of tax upon people who are not represented in the Government, and who virtually utilise none of the institutions for the creation and maintenance of which Government exists, was held to be indefensible. The Boers in the neighbouring States suggested that Natal should adopt the plan usually resorted to in Basutoland when funds are needed for national purposes, which is, to convene a representative assembly of the natives and make a requisition. The authorities at Pietermaritzburg were not in the humour to accept advice, and, without making adequate provision for eventualities which it was worse than criminal to ignore, sent out the tax-collectors. What followed is a matter of recent history. The rebellion was smothered, but its suppression cost far more than the colony would have reaped by the poll-tax, even supposing that every native legally liable had paid. The -cessation of hostilities brought a sense of unfeigned relief, but it did not secure a return of common-sense. The obnoxious tax remains in force, and, if there is anything behind our cable message, the tax-collectors are once more in for a bad time.