A CALUMNY REFUTED

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 26

A CALUMNY REFUTED

The Eastern Province Herald publishes the following: — T. J. Ferreira, of Nooispoort, Jansenville, a deacon of the D R rTiiirch, has visited Port Elizabeth to investigate the conditions of the exited women, a.s he states the main unrest in his district has been created through the reports of the terrible hardships women are undergoing. His first surprise was when he found he had no difficulty in procuring a permit, as he had been told the Dutchmen need not apply. When the pass-book of last month was shown him, showing that, there had been 600 Dutch Afrikander visitors to the camp as against about a dozen English people, and these mostly local dealers, his surprise can be better imagined than described He spent the whole day al the camp, and of his own accord returned to the Intelligence Office asking that the following letter be given the widest possible publicity in both languages : — " I came down here on the reports current at Steytlerville of the bad treatment women exiles are receiving from the military. I was determined to find out the truth, and publish same in the Dutch and English papers. I slayed in ramp all day and dined with the exiles. The food was excellent. I had roast lambi soap, potatoes, bread, eggee, and bis-

cuitt. a 1 \h 1 cooked, and poiFcctij tau-Jac tory. Tie .soup and men* \icre e^pecully well cooked. The women and children pre happy, and ha\ c no complain* . and are quite content to r-tav where they are until they can return to their homes. I shall return to Stcytlerwllo, and let everybody know hou humane the treatment is. As for Vze statement that women go ragged and bare-footed, and had to bathe within sight of military, it is a shameful falsehood. — (Signed) T. J Feireira '' Mr Ferreira also states tat he inquired from the women about their treatment on the way dow n from Jagersfontein, as he had heard that the women were forced to walk part of the road, and that the tired ones had been progged on at the point of the bayonet. The women laugh at these absurd fairy tales, and fcay they requested to be permitted to walk along the road, as they got rramped in the waggons. Their wishes were at once acceded to.