The Position in South Africa.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 51, 18 December 1902, Page 2

The Position in South Africa.

In an article in the 'Zambesi Mission Record.' Father R. Sykes, S.J., of Matabeleland, gives some interesting particulars regarding the present position of things, both temporal and religious, in South Africa. With regard to material progress Father Sykes is quite satisfied that there will be an enormous expansion of the mining and farming industries, but he is of opinion that the rate of progress will for some time at least be much slower than is generally anticipated, and he uses much the same words of warning to intending immigrants as have been already uttered by most thoughtful persons who are well acquainted with the country. It is stated that within a few months after peace had been declared more than a million applications were received for permits to settle in Johannesburg and Rhodesia. If all these applications had been granted the white population in South Africa below the Zambesi would have been doubled at one bound — a result the possibility of which fully justifies, in Father Sykes' view, the establishment of a strict permit system in London in the case of applicants who wish to come out to South Africa. 'To allow unrestricted immigration just now/ he says, ' would be on the part of the British Government equally unkind to the intending colonists and to the colonies in which they wish to settle. The people who are wanted as settlers in South Africa are those with either a fair amount of capital, or who have learned some skilled trade like that of a mason or a carpenter, or who have a profession. Now it is quite safe to say that probably fully three-fourths of those who have applied at the London permit office to come out to South Africa are people who do not satisfy these conditions. What would be the result if all these would-be immigrants could have their way ? Many or most of them would land in ports of South Africa without a shilling, and would there be stranded. If they managed to get as far as Johannesburg or Bulawayo, the same fate would be in store for them there, for the market for such people is always overcrowded, and want of work and destitution are almost sure to be the result/

With regard to religious progress, Father Sykes dispels the delusion which many people are under that on the declaration of peace a change as if by magic will come over South Africa, and that in some unknown way the path of its missionaries is going to be smoother and conversions are going to be more numerous. Father Sykes deals specially with Rhodesia, but the conditions elsewhere are so similar that his remarks apply, with scarcely any modification, to practically the whole of South Africa. 'If the expected prosperity,' he writes, ' does really visit Rhodesia at last, after its many long and sore trials, of course the white population will increase, and the number of Catholics with it. If these settle down in the older towns, like Salisbury, Bulawayo, or Gwelo, their spiritual needs can be more easily attended to ; but if, as seems likely, the population will be scattered at the widely distant mining centres, and will in great measure be shifting and restless as it always is in a young country like Rhodesia, the difficulties will be much greater ; for, even if we had priests enough to look after our Catholic flock, this is likely to be so scattered that there will be no means of concentrating our efforts in any one place, but one Father or more will be kept constantly travelling to sparsely populated districts. Where there is no Church and no resident priests, the usual machinery of organisation is lacking, and the results can never be entirely satisfactory. Still, we have reasonable grounds for hoping that the population in the centres before mentioned will increase considerably, which will give stability and actuality to our work in such places ; while in the more thinly populated townships we must be content to do our best under the difficult conditions of a youthful and developing colony.' The difficult conditions referred to are accentuated by the unfavorable economic conditions, in other words, by the high price of everythii g including material for the erection of buildings — a circumstance which greatly hampers the material progress of the church in those parts. In such a case advance is necessarily slow, but in view of the exceptionally heavy difficulties to be overcome everyone will agree with Father Sykes' concluding sentiment that ' as long as there is progress and advance there is much to be thankful for.'