PROSPEROUS COUNTRY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18759, 16 July 1935, Page 2

PROSPEROUS COUNTRY

CONDITIONS IN S. AFRICA ABSENCE OF POVERTY Tim prosperity enjoyed by ,south Africa while most of tho world was still suffering from economic (leprcs sion, and the absence of poverty,aim unemployment in that country were especially noticed by Mr -V. E. Joseph, who--has returned to Christchurch for extended leave of four months after an absence of more than five years Mr Joseph is,in the Civil Service with ais headquarters .in Natal. This prosperity was due, lie said, in the very, high price of gold, and many of tho,mines which had rim worked on. a,.payable..basis a year or two ago had now opened up again and were returning a fair profit. Jalionnesburg in particular was very prosperous, and it was seldom that men wonseen loafing in the streets and squares as they were iii this country. There were 250,000 natives employed on the Rand alone. DAMAGE BY LOCUSTS Farming was, however, as in other countries, a gamble, and recently swarms of locusts had done much damage to the sugar and maize plan tations, which;were found in all part of Natal. Industries in South Africa were still in their infancy, am! the methods of farming were very primitive. There were still few motorhi actors, and' other modern farming implements, and as the country wit.-uot-very 1 suitable--for horses, bullock teams were used for transport and the tilling of the land. The gold industry, however, was well developed ami the latest machinery "as used. The cattle and sheep reared were yf;;a poor quality compared with .those reared in New Zealand, a> ■there were not the natural pastures iri South Africa that there were here, fixoepA in some districts of the Cape Colony. .. '-‘"The cost of'-Ji-vingy-he said, was if anything cheaper than-that of Neu Zealand. The-article- which impressed tfie visitet- most as being very r.hc-a] waditebneeo-iA pound, of good, tobacco could be bought--for-2s Cd, while om could buy .KVeigarettw for-1-,- 6d. ANTAGONISM. TO BRITISH. RULE 'Chorhi washa definite feeling, of an tagonisut t.o th,(; British rule, and t hi• ivas* displn yed. iit• ma ny quarters. Often on-important occasions prominent me:, betrayed this anti-Briiish sentiment Most.-of this friction, however, uncaused bv the farmers on the veld!, who were descended from, the Dutch 'Mr Joseph quoted tho case of ; naval -base at Simonstown which ha ! been established by the British. Tin GoVo-rmrieiit was quite prepared ti. sacrifice this. ..The natives, .however, were not at. tagonistic to the Europeans, although they fought amongst themselves. Na’taLwa-s the most loyal and British tikif-'of the Stares, and- particularly Durban, the’city in which he worked. All civil servants in South Africa had to.speak both English and Afrieaans. which*,was -the. language of the Dutch who-had settled in Africa. Althoug:. thti' Dutch nearly -always spoke in AlTicftails.j7they could usually speak < good English': ” ‘ I