THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2612, 6 April 1904, Page 30

THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FEDERATION.

The ex-Commisioner of Mines is one of the shining lights in the National -Democratic Federation, and the address just alluded to was given under the> auspices of the recently-formed organisation. The platform of the federation advocates for South Africa: (1) The union of the white races; (2) .government of the people by the people Jor the people; (3) a firm and just native policy, encouraging the development of -the .native on industrial lines; (4) federation on a democratic basis. Advocates fo->- the Transvaal: (1) Responsible Government, based on white adult -suffrage, and direct reference of -constitutional changes to the electorate; (2) the welcome of all white immigrants 'capable of -becoming citizens; (3) prohibition of -f he introduction of labour under 'contract, except African labour and ■white labour possessing special still required m the country; (4) prohibition of Asiatic immigration; (5) .direct taxation of the unimproved -valus of land and minerals ; (6) remission of indirect taxation; (7) assisting -the Home public to gain a better knowledge of South iAfrica. The federation is .not looked upon with favour by the mining houses', one of whose organs made an envenomed attack on its more prominent members, alleging they (the federation) were guilty of disloyalty in joining hands with the Cape Bond and Transit , -°, ers m Petitioning -th© King to .veto the bill sanctioning the importation of Oninese. How such an appeal to the Sovereign could -be -construed into an act of disloyalty -the paper does not enlighten its •readers. It is surely "saddling -the wrong horso when -those who seek to make South -Africa a white man's country are accused of, and set dowrn as traitors, while those— for i;he most part foreign Jews— who are moving "heaven and earth to swamp the new colonies with ' Celestials are deemed the true lieges of the Crown. However that may be, the -story of the federation's connection with any petition -to the King turns out -to be a baseless .fabrication, and the capitalist journal appears very -small over the matter.

-AUDACIOUS BURGLARY.

According to police authority there are Jnore thieves in Johannesbur-y than any other -city of like size in the Empire. .And -it would-appear that the burgling -section of •the rogues on the liand scorn petty methods and go for big hauls, and proceed about the business, too, in mendacious fashion. Safe robbery is .becoming ~very common, the latest case being the abstraction of the strong-box containing £800 from the office of the Brick and Potteries Company, at Turffontein, about a couple of 'miles irom the centre of the city. The safe -was taken to a sluit close to one of the mines, the door blown off, and -cash to -the value above stated got clean away with. The fact that co many of the perpetrators of these robberies go undiscovered makes for the continuance of the daring deeds. It. if. a lamentable fact that -the detective force -seems quite unable to trace the criminals. Another blot on our police service is the seeming scant security with which criminals once convicted are held. Escapes "from gaol are quite common, and numbers of those that have got away are now at large.

The death is announced from. London of Major -A. E. JKckford, who, as. chief staff officer for oversea colonials, repeatedly came in contact with New Zealand soldiers, and who by the obliging way in which he carried out his duties 'was a general favourite. Major Eckf or d came -to South Africa »t the .beginning of the war with one of Lag Australian contingents.