"WAR OK COMPROMISE ? "

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 17

" WAR OK COMPROMISE ? "

A professional gentleman, writing from Johannesburg tg a Sjdney merchant, refers afc gome length to the effect that the present political complications are having upjn the trade and industries of South Africa. A locil interest attaches to the communication, owing to the large number of Australians who have recently gone to Cape Colony in the hope of bettering their positions. "We are," says the writer, "at present undergoing a dull and bid time, and prospects for two or three months are anything but bright ; but as the inquiry is on at Hcme we all look forward to the British Government doing something to arsist us, either by war or compromise. I fear the former is the only means of obtaining any help for us. Whatever is done, nothing can put us in » worse condition than the present suspense, so we are in a kind of mood that war would be a blessing to us rather than a hindrance, and when once over I have no doubt but that the place will go ahead wirh bigger strides than before. The English capitalists have been complaining of bo tew dividends from the mines, and in many cases of the fact that there are none, which we attribute not to the poorness of the mines, but to the Government, who, by taxes and concessions, rob the dividends from the shareholders. If less taxation and bribery existed, the rightful shareholders would derive their interests. An ultimatum from the British Government is the only thing that will do any good. Requests and appeals from the British Government, or from us, are taken no notice of whatever, bat an ultimatum, backed up with a few war vessels, would soon make them either submit or prepare for war, either of which would at the present juncture be beneficial to the country. It teems an unnatural rash for war, but, as I tay, it is the only thing that will do any good to this country. To combine the two races is utterly impossible, and as the Boers are anxious te become the superior race, I say let them

try, aud in the cud lob the fittest survive. Mr Rhodes, I think, haa given his opinion, backed up by facts sufficiently strong, to show the Hcme Government that British capitalists are filling the coffers of an unjust and unprincipled lot of people, and ge'tit g in return nobbing but oppression and dt-trimenj to the mining industry, and to civilisation itself. As far as South Africa is concerned, I have no doubt tha 1 ; it has a great future before ib. The country will<»ever compete with Australia or its products, but what it does produce it has only half the distance to take to England. Bub there are tco mauy drawbacks, such as rinderpest, locusts, horse sickness, hail, frost?, and many others that prevent farmers from laving out too muca c*pi<al on their tarms Bnt, as regards gold, there is every reason lo believe that there are numerous nefs to bo found in South Africa, mid, as hs.s been the case so far, in clo.«e proximity to water. So, when cur troubles are all over, and we nre settled down, either as United South Africa, or under the British flag, we shall have, I think, as prosperous a cjuntry as exists on the face of the earth."