THE BLACK MAN'S PERIL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12593, 6 September 1905, Page 4

THE BLACK MAN'S PERIL

Those who claim that civilisation has a degenerating effect upon the black man will find, much to confirm them in their opinion in the Natal Blue Book on Native Affairs, recently issued. Thrown in the towns into the "cauldron of conflict, the never-ending intercourse between Europeans and natives," as one of fche magistrates describes it, the native develops independence without bein,.* educated to the responsibilities which the transaction demands. The result is lawlessness and degeneracy. The First Assistant Magistrate of Dur-l-an, where there are nineteen thousand natives, goes very fuily into the question in a report to the Department of Native Affairs. During their residence in towns they acquire, he points out, all sorts of experience, most of it of questionable value, because perpetually misunderstood, and they assume airs which would be grotesque were they not so ■ grave in character. The consequence ' is that when they go back to the kraals their influence has a deteriorating moral effect. Formerly, -in visiting the chief of a tribe, the right course was to seek admission at the gate of the kraal, leaving sticks and weapons there. ~ "Nowadays," says the magistrate^ ''youths and others march straight to the upper or principal huts, and personally press for immediate admission. Formerly elderly men were treated " tho utmost respect by their', junimis £■ now, owing to the influence of European civilisation, one will bear a .-son,, ' " who has just arrived from a spell of service in tKe town, exclaim, when his J father - attempts to correct him:? *I " won't submit to" any nonsense "from a' ' '- Kaffir; whd are you' to speak to me in!}'" this -way ?** At home they swe^ar 'at re- v ~ • iatives, male' arid'female, in^th^filthiv- '- iest English. Native habits *i&;cuskl. Toms are being'undermined* to".a- sur^ ' prising degree,/and asltferesuit^f^our civilisation the people-are being rapidly disintegrated far and wide:''1 features more degrading than mentioned are "quoted by the magistrai^^.^:ea.ter restraint And, firmer. t measures Claire' .advocated. The United nS^tes, trate -considers, offers no parafllejl Tho conditions are essentially"different. The v negro of the States,*'iiaijing -from many v countries, h entirely cut, of^'trom. his tiaditions; his language, 'habits, and . customs, whereas in'Natal'the natives occupy'the land their ancestors possessed, and are not in t any sapprcieable degree cut off from the papt. It is be • cause of this fundamentals difference that "though universally admitted to bo entitled to .enjoy the-material advantages of Western civilisation, the natives of Natal should not be accorded liberties, which, as many of their European friends can see, are slowly but surely bringing about their annihilation: Some, possibly, will be surpiised to learn that under the native system of life the principle of taboo was .made the greatest use of in govern--1 ing the people. Under Tshaka, for instance, no young man or woman durst many without the King's consent. Recruited as boys, regiments were not accorded the right to marry until after the members had reached forty years of age, while girls also collected1 into classes were obliged to remain single far beyond the ages at which they are accustomed to marry nowadays." The Acting Magistrate in the Lower Tugela district, in his reference to the illicit supply of liquor, says-regular "isitsb.imiy.ana" (drink) parties are got up amongst the natives. The invitation is : by means of a white flag suspended to : a bamboo or other long pole placed in the most commanding position near the' festive kraal. The idea is that a "mtimba," or bride's party has arrived, and the young people enter the hut, drink is handed round, and revelry reigns supreme, the older people being denied admission. Superstition has still *' a great hold upon the natives. A census, the first that has ever been taken, " was recently carried out. The natives were exceedingly nervous about the whole matter, considering that the counting of» the. .-people would be followed by disaster. In most districts the . work was completed without any untoward incident, but in Ndwedwe it was accompanied by an epidemic of whooping coiigh, from whichia large number of children died. For the visitation th* taking of the census, was held to ba directly responsible by the natives," and greatWja^ the lamentation, as it was firmly: believed that the epidemic would result in the extinction of the race. The census shewed that, including Zululand, there are 904,041 natives in Natal. Offerings of goats and sheep

are ttill made to propitiate the spirits of the departed, and daring last year over a thousand licenses were issued to native medicine men and herbalists.