THE SLEEPING INDUSTRIAL VOLCANO ALONG THE REEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17712, 25 August 1919, Page 8

THE SLEEPING INDUSTRIAL VOLCANO ALONG THE REEF.

A SERIOUS WARNING FROM SOUTH AFRICA. Mr J. £f. Harris, in an outspoken article in the Contemporary Review, draws a dark picture of the menace which hangs over iSouth Africa. He fears that such a. fire may be lit along the Reef that none can quench it. " Those twin means of oppression—land and labour—are nowhere more acute than throughout South Africa. "Th« land question is becoming as great a menace South African peace as the sleeping industrial volcano along the Rand." — The Real Menace.— "The real menace to South African peace is the native position," says Mr Harris. "The only way of salvation is along the road,, of justice to tho 5,000,000 natives. This ia far more than a question of Black versus White, for the prevailing injustice is poisoning the spring of all relationship, as between white and white, and as between white and African or Indian. It is because thoro can be no real peace in South Africa until the broad lines of justice between the races are firmly laid that true statecraft must begin with the people and with the land of South Africa. The situation is the more tragic because the golden moment is now, and because there is as yet no sign that British statecraft is alive- to the splendour of the vision! The African south of the Zambesi is the victim to-day of three capital forms of injustice—industrial helotry, insecurity of land tenure, and political ostracism. — A Terrible Hatred.—

" Ten years ago the fiercest criticism was directed against the mine-owners of tho Rand. Statistics and reports were produced which placed the owners of the gold mines in a very unenviable light. Today the native appears to have few grievances against the mine-owners, but a terrible hatred against organised white labour, is seizing upon the native mind. Tho reason , for this growing antipathy is that the trade unions of South Africa deny to the native the right'to rise in the industrial scale, and insist upon keeping all natives to the position of hewers of wood and drawers of water.

" The year 1918 has witnessed developments -which must bring a flush of shame to every Britisher—developments so extreme that they have come as a shock to the best opinion in South Africa. In July last the Federation of Trades presented to the Chamber of Mines an ultimatum- from the miners demanding the dismissal within 30 days of all coloured drill sharpeners. This action by organised white labour has made a profound impression in South Africa, for it is a declaration of -war upon the coloured people. " By this outrageous action, democratic, labour organisations have driven into the arms of the natives hundreds of thousands of men in whose ranks are to be found potential leaders of the type of Booker Washington, or even military commanders of the v type of Toossaint Louverture. This attitude on the part of organised labour is the more deplorable when it is remembered that the coloured or halfcaste people of South Africa are the sons of the very fathers who now deny industrial freedom to their offspring, who, after all, are only in this world through the debauchery of African womanhood. — The Natives' Grievances.— *

"The grievances which'the natives suffer in the industrial world owing to the colour bar are (1) the bar to advancement, (2) inadequacy of wages, (6) Pass Laws. There are no fewer than seven whole groups of industrial positions forbidden to the natives by the Mine-workers' Union because, and only because, of the colour of the men's skin! To this fundamental disability in the industrial world there is all the irritation of the racial Pass Laws, the inequality of compensation for n.,nins diseases, accidents, and death. Thus a situation is created which it is generally recognised may at any moment lead to a catastrophe. [' A moment's reflection will demonstrate this great potential danger in the Transvaal. Along that 28 miles of gold reef there is crowded a mass of nearly 250,000 workers, black of skin, but moved -with the same sentiments, desires, and passions as the operatives of any other industrial area in the world. These sons of Africa have for years been kept loyal by their intense affection for and confidence in British administrative justice. That bond of loyalty is breaking asunder, and these men of Zululand, Beehuanaland, and Basutoland are being driven by social octracism, industrial and political'injustice into a solid but seething mass of discontent. " Missionaries' and Commissioners' reports have told but one story, which may be summed up in'the words—Let no time be lost, for at any moment a lighted match may fall and set uj> such a flame all along the Reef that none will be able to quench it! — The Land Menace.— "Those twin means of oppression— labour and land—are nowhere more acute than throughout South Africa. There was a moment in 1913 when a permanent settlement of the land question seemed possible. General Botha introduced and carried in the South African Parliament, and secured Royal consent to his great scheme of land separation between the white and coloured people "of South Africa. The natives who were most concerned formally stated that if the measure were fairly carried out they made no'protest against the principle, thus small blame attaches to them for the fact that the situation hasl grown steadily worse. "The principle of the "Act of 1913 was not racial segregation, but a separation of land into white and Mack holdings, coupled with the priceless boon of absolute security to the native races of all lands allotted to them. Bnt the fatal blot in the whole measure was that 260 million acres were to be placed at the disposal of the million whites, whilst only 40 million acres, and that not of the best, were to be allocated to the natives. "It is true that Commission followed Commission for the purpose of examining the proposed native areas, but this and the delay due to the war gave opportunity for both criticism and misrepresentation to flourish and propaganda by the whites to spread throughout the territory, with the result that tne_ operations of the 1913 Act and its successive and dependent measures are all held up, and it seems to be generally that these measures cannot now be applied. Meantime the land question is becoming as great a menace to South African peace as the sleeping industrial volcano along, the Reef. — Commonwealth or Slave Empire?— " Thus to the British people there comes to-day the call for a great decision. South Africa once again puts the test, and once again there comes the summons to choose between Liberty and Slavery. Is South Africa to be consolidated through tne bonds of a Commonwealth which knows no colour bar injustice, industry, and religion, or will South African peace be wrecked upon the pernicious doctrine of the Transvaal Grondwet which declares that there can be no equality in Church or State between White and Black?

"Wo mnst either progress along the path of a real Commonwealth of nations or drift along the downward path of a slave Empire to cortain dissolution, , '