AFTER 36 YEARS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 278, 24 November 1936, Page 6

AFTER 36 YEARS

RETURN TO NEW ZEALAND OFFICER IN BOER WAR NOW RESIDENT OF RHODESIA. I Per Tro.. Assoctntlol. 1 WELLINGTON, Nov. 23. When the fourth contingent left New Zealand in 1900, D Squadron was commanded by Captain G. H. Walker, who remained in South Africa when lhe Boer War ended. He returned to the country of his birth to-day as Major Walker. D. 5.0., M.P. for Salisbury South, in Rhodesia, accompanied by his wife, who is a native ot Australia, to spend about two months visiting relatives and seeing the beauty spots of both islands. Both Major and Mrs. Walker said I hey liked living in Rhodesia, where conditions had been good right Ihroughout the slump period. They had the colour problem there, but it was not so great as the problem m lhe Union. There were only 55,000 Europeans in Rhodesia and 1,250,000 natives. There were a fair number of Dutch settlers, but they were not opposed to British rule in any way. They were mostly those who remained loyal to the British Crown during the South African War and entered Rhodesia after the war to escape persecution. The Rhodesians were as loyal to the Crown as New Zealanders. The Rhodesian Assembly, said Major Walker, consisted of a representative House only, and although they had full powers in most matters any legislation that did not affect both the whites and the natives had to be referred to the Crown tor assent. There were thirty scats in the Parliament, and at present the Government, which was composed of the United Party, held 23. The Labour Party, which was the official Opposition, had five, and the Reform Party had two. All the natives who could pass the educational test had the same franchise as the whites, and theoretically a native could stand for Parliament, but such action would never be thought of. Women also had the franchise and the Rhodesian Parliament had the first woman member elected in lhe British Empire.