A.—s

6

I.-GRIEVANCES— continued.

:is lory. :erence. lemari ;s. Liquor Traffic.—Illicit Liquor The administration of liquor-laws has Parliamentary Paper been found corrupt, and the Industrial C.-9345, p. 5. Committee—1897—acknowledged that in this the mining industry has a real grievance. The law of 1896 is not carried out. Under this law Johannesburg is entitled to eighty-eight licenses only, but has 438. Is the cause of the greatest immorality ; debauches and ruins thousands of natives; causes nearly all the crime. Most striking proof of the unfitness of the Government, either through unwillingness or inability to enforce the law. Is said to be controlled by men who are making enormous fortunes and corrupting public There is more illicit liquor trading Same p. 27. now than ever, and 30 to 40 per cent, of the native labourers are constantly incapacitated by it. men. The liquor trade is, in its lowest phases, in the hands of the Eussian and Polish Jews, the worst class on the Band. It is the great curse and hindrance to the native labourer, while the Government overlooks the daily breaches of the liquor-law of 1896. In the course of a Eaad debate on the liquor-law, a member said white men ought not to be prevented from selling liquor to Kafirs, for the Kafirs could always be flogged. » Mrs. Applebe was murdered, 28th Same, pp. 176-179. April, 1899. Her husband, a Wesleyan minister, had been particularly zealous in denouncing the illicit drink traffic. i Gold.—Amalgam Thefts.—Illicit Gold-i-BUYING. This crime has been on the increase Parliamentary Paper from the early days of the Eaad, and it C.-9345, p. 11. is estimated that now 10 per cent, of the total production is stolen by organized system of robbery. A Government officer proved, in former years, to have been concerned in this was dismissed the Force in 1894. The Industrial Commission recommended the revision of the special law for prevention of these thefts, on the ground that the present administration was faulty. Press Law.—Press gagged. Enacted, June, 1896. Under this Parliamentary Papers law every comment and article in the C.-9345, pp. 53, et seq., Press must be signed, and the President 58, 61; C.-8423, pp. has power to suppress at will. Eevised 56, 117. and made more stringent, June, 1898. The Star was suppressed, but on appeal the high Court held suppression to have been illegal. N.B.—This took place prior to the passing of the Act which makes the high Court subject to the resolutions of the Volksraad. The Critic was suppressed for six months. N.B.—For succinct official state'm 1-reene's despatch to Lord Eosmead, 3 lhamberlain's despatch to Lord Eosmeac ent of principal grieva: :lst December, 1896 (Ol (C.-7933, p. 81). . ices, consult Mr. Conningham ■8423, pp. 93, et seq.), and Mr.