The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Three Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1906. NATAL AND THE EMPIRE.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 7004, 8 May 1906, Page 2

The Waikato Times, THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE, AND KAWHIA ADVOCATE. Established Thirty-Three Years. THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN THE WAIKATO. THE LARGEST CIRCULATION OF ANY DAILY PAPER SOUTH OF AUCKLAND. TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1906. NATAL AND THE EMPIRE.

The Government of Natal has had to withdraw its premature attempt at a self-reliant policy. Ic was not many days ago that Mr Smyth, the Premier, and his colleagues were talking of the desirability of doiug without Imperial forces to deal with the native rising. Imperial help naturally involved the Home authorities having a voice in the policy pursued towards the natives, whereas Natal, like South Africa generally, wants a free hand with the blacks. If the colony had not had such a free hand in the past, the trouble of to-day might have taken a different aud possibly a milder form. Downing-street has not first-hand knowledge of the South African embroglio, but it has the compensating advantage of such a degree of detachment as makes it easier to determine and do justice. Now justice does not appear to enter largely into the ideals of the white man in South Africa in his dealings with the natives. The poll-tax can be defended on no ground except that of expediency, and that argument is badly damaged by present happenings in Natal. We do not like—no colonial can like—to say it, but it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the Natal Government is not fitted for its task of maintaining peace between black and white. It does not seem to appreciate the fact that all men, whatever the colour of their skins, have a sense of justice, and that their ioyalty cannot be gained and kept if that sense is ignored. Lord Elgin was entirely within his rights and was giving the colony a very wholesome reminder when he delayed the recent executions. When the Natal Government showed its resentment at this " interference " in tall talk about relying upon colonial forces to quell the native rising, observers marvelled at the rashness of the rulers of a country which counts but one white man to sixty blacks. It looked as if the Ministry had indeed thrown discretion to the winds. The further spread of disaffection has doubtless been largely due to the natives forming the opinion that Imperial assistance would never again be oii'ered—an opinion whose genesis is not dillicult to trace. Now that Mr Smyth has been compelled by the logic of events to retrace the false step he took, we hope that the Imperial and colouial authorities will yet be seen working harmoniously together for peace and justice in the most troublous portiou of all King Edward's oversea dominions.