BLACK v. WHITE.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18232, 17 November 1924, Page 11

BLACK v. WHITE.

PROBLExM IN SOUTH AFRICA

AS SEEN BY EX-NEW ZEALANDER. ' The problem of Black versus White in South Africa, beforo v.-hick, all other 'social questions in the Union fade into insignificance; is discussed in an interesting letter received in Wellington from an ex-New Zealander who has taken up his residence at Verccniging, tba v.-v,-n in the Transvaal where peace was signed after tho Boer War.

Tho great question, the writer states, is whether. South Africa is to be black or white. At present a tniall white population of a million and a bait is ruling a country with something like live coloured men to every white, ino question of unemployment is inextricably mixed up with the- colour question. The difficulty is the sanio as that which confronted America in the days before the Civil War, when tho lower part oi tho white population was degraded by negro slavery and a false aristocracy of poor whites aroso in the Southern States who would not do "slave or "nigger" work. Though slavery has been • abolished, there ' exists in South Africa the same false aristocracy.

.'"lt is so easy to have a native servant, male or f'cmalo, at 30s or 40s per month, to do all the dirty jobs," the writer states, "but it means the ruination of; the white. One has to contend with it:in one's own-homo. The youngsters are eo accustomed to calling on 'Jim' to do this and to do that, that they .will shirk all tho menial wort they can. So long as reliance is placed on the ■coloured faces to do the unskilled and manual labour of the country, the position will never bo improved; it is go pleasant to have the hard work done by others, and at so cheap a figure, that it is only the few earnest souls who look to posterity who-want to alter the state of things. •But tho whito population is standing still; onlyi the very lowly or the v irresponsibTes' amongst the whites'! have largo families to-day, and unfortunately. those are just ,the type ono. does not' want increased: . Tho. native, ..however, is virile,'has no thought.fop the morrow, and . increases , prodigiously.. As for the. 'off-cb loured, 'who in this question stand with tho blacks fhey -arc tho result of the white man's sin, and having; • inherited all tho irresponsibilities of'their forbears j they) too, place no on their increase. So that with tho diminishing, and the standing-still of the white race we have tho alarming increase of the black, •a.nd unless something is done to in-crease-the white population within'a very few years .we" shall b'e swamped. The, only way 'is to populate the country so thickly with whites that the blacks wild, be at least counter-bal-anced,'and unless-this is done quickly it will, .never bo done at all. "

Eiso of the Blacks. ; • "Natural evolution will in the course of-a comparatively short time s<> raise theblaek th'atthe poor white'•will sink below his Jevel. Even now tho blackis'; keen on getting educatiqn,! in' booklearning, hnd in learning trcidos. Tho result .is that hois pushing his'way into' all sorts of avenues; wo. have "black ' • ' bricklayers, messengers in offices, cha'uf,feurs, grboms, etc., while, the whito lads "are looking for work. In Natal tho position .is • dreadfill. In .that;pro;rinoe...therearo 150,000 •'lndians,''tho result.. qf indentured labour ■to tho sugar ; ' estates. A. ' fow years ago' there were. 200,/ivhit© men engaged in;tho-tailoring trade in Durban,; tc-4ay. there, are 40, all ;badly paid, because of the competition:of the Indian tailor.' Truly, the. Government is : faced with a dreadful problem." Discussing _ the visit of the 'Empire Parliamentarians to South Africa, tho writer • of' the letter states ■ that .they see .only one side- of the "picture in South, Africa.-. "Johannesburg; for instarjee,.. he says; .''hides a vas,-fc amount of misery." The Parliamentary yisitqrs and' ; ' other- distinguished .■ visitors are generally only : shown, the beauty spots, -and 'under, tho stimuli of • Mayoral banquets and champagne, .'fizzes all looks roseate. But. let them go down, into the ■slums of Vrededorp,. 'where the .white outcasts of the race live cheek by jowl with natives, Chinese, Indians, Malays, and 'off-colonials' pf ell shades, and the Mayoral dinner would 1 not lie inoperative for long." .