THE TRANSVAAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13846, 8 March 1907, Page 5

THE TRANSVAAL

«>. CHINESE LABOUR QUESTION. MR BOTHA AND THF, BRITISH GOVERNMENT. Press • Aasociation—By Telejiaph—Copyright. LONDON, March 7. (Received March 7, at 10.55 p.m.) The Standard's Johannesburg correspondent reports that Mr. Botha, the i Transvaal Premier, has accepted the invitation to visit London. The Imperial Government is credited, with the desire to persuade Mr Botha to 'execute its policy regarding Chinese labour in order to save the.) Radicals' face. Such • a course, it is stated, was arranged with Sir Richard Solomon when it was anticipated i that he would become Premier. Mr Botha 1 is less stpieezcable, and his Miiiisluy has I already decided to allow the renewal of , the contracts, 'so as to prevent the i country's ruin. ! Tho Mutrniiig Post's Pretoria enrrespou- ; dent says tho invitation embarrassed Mr ■ Botha, w.ho is anxious to avoid the sus-. ' picion of ignoring the union of the Trans- [ vaal with the Empire. Public opinion is . disturbed. Tho Poet adds that tho ■ Liberal Government ruined Sir E. Solo- ; mon's political career, and it may injure 1 Mr Botha, if the impression is given that ; his position is to be used for party pur- , poses in I'fngland instead nf allowing the . Transvaal to settle its affairs in its own > way. I After thejscvero denunciations of Chinese ' Jabour by iuz Liberals at tlio recent general ' election it "will ho rather embarrassing if ■ the new Transvaal Government decides lo > conl inuo tlio existing state of affairs. The '■ question is: How is the labour for the '. mines to bc( obtained? Natives, it is said, i cannot he fcul in sufficient numbers; the ■ white ma.n will not work in the mines by . tho sido of tho natives; and the Ohine.se ■ are regarded! bv many as objectionable. i A recent. English paper states:—"Mr > Smuts'e ani'iouncoment that the Labour i Ordinance \\6ll be re-enacted until a eufii- > cient number of natives can bo found to ' replace- tho Chinese ]iot only means much . financially, Jwt is a. political confession of . some interest._ It. is on all fours with Ihe ( action of E-wlical Ministers at 'Home, who . discovered fhat what was slavery when , they were in opposition was somotnins s different, wlion they got into otficc. (if course, Mr Smuts is in favour of siibsljlntinir native labour for Chinese; so are (lie majority of |»oplo with interests in South 5 Africa—if Ihe natives can bo found,—and • Het Yolk now realises that it cannot introf duce legislation compelling natives to work, J because the -Imperial Government, has re- - tained control of native affairs. Ilcnco Mr f Sniufs's forhcararce." Advocato Boyors, tho Het Volk candii date for Turflontein, stated during tho dec- - lion campaign that Hot Volk was not r opposed to the mines, but desired a f change, so t.liat_ less gold should leave the r country. Agriculture was at present \f neglected for (ho sa-ke of the mines, and 1 Hof Volk desired equal treatment for both J industries. There wero only two j«rtie.s in t Hie Transvaal—the Mining party and Het if Volk,—for the Notionalists were practically ■ ( tho samo as tho latter. s •