INDIANS IN TRANSVAAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 706, 4 January 1910, Page 6

INDIANS IN TRANSVAAL.

i: -'J] : :'- ,: ' 's-V>. :: '-. >:-v:-«;?y;!*/:\:n:;.':'H:;.f.:;-..- -.' )tysi : . i Gandhi r Hajee ■ :Habib;iwereun^England''frqitt: November ; 'as' ; a' 'deputation-:-from > the , . Transvaalvlndians. >Oider pf : v/ ; their '/first: :p'rp'ceeding3: pn-' "cbming.;:to : -England;.; was : to '-'draw.up 'a-.statement'■.of -the /.British 'Indianfcase for' Gerieral:'Sniutsi' v ,th'en)an"Engl,aud:-;in!CPn-. 'nec.ti'on ; ;Tnth' th"e : '.'«Ac't.Vbf iri'Union,/:,-would' ilead 'tei sa- settlement'^of'..th'e'.ibutstandihg. ■differences'' >at..least..:;forVJ.th'e; time- trbeinE,:,' , ; the:'-.'■passiTe :'■}•'.resistance, struggle. ■?• -The h "Negotiations.' ,; were ":;protract6d.;but':a'settlemerit:has;not:rpsnlte.d, 'and-'.the "statement'of "the'case'.'dfaw'n.up last Juiy • was /issued; ii'vlsrQy.ember; - with ail"•:ericlosu're , /giyini;%me.;.account -of • the abortiveinegbjiatibns»s'.Vi:i:i!iii;teP:'H". ; ;i ;' : J- The.i'statem'erit v "'sßte ,l - i fefth that,-.- theBritisH ::Indians;/.inf>the.j-Transy,aal; have ■■Mdfflgßnaiigreat.Vsnffe^ing'"'''^^ 1 ;-: prder ;■ to s'eciire-repalKbf-.Cthe'Msiatiq/i'Eegwtrataoii , .Act J bf i -i9o7i:which':th'ey;regard'as-'wound-; ' ing* their' , Seligibus"- isusceptibilities, i .ind , . as' degradirig/tJibm;iin)vmanyi.*ays: / ;;They' ;way.: l "eridangering> ithe' , cblbmal- , , policy ■;:. ot. ■the i lmm'igratib'n':Act,£ana's;fate;;:that,.p ■'cKangesftboul'd' v be ?m adeVwithbut;'in'any. •M.i'!degra^^ , tiem ,, preyentirig'.-atf infliis'.' of -British) ■ Iridiaris; the fatial-.insult pf..tPtal-,.exclus)pn,:.irres-peetive' ofi''Culture/ arid .".enlightenment, :w.puia'.^t;'ffia: ; nips| .inyplVo':'tte. the..'fewirlridiari-;newcbmers\ necessary for of 1 the', ■•resident" cbmmijiiity.. .;:• It'-," ,'■ is; :• stated ■'tHaii ,tf i : the: 13,000: leg'ally-domiciledaslndians; '■ have;:?, -been drivenv-away-frbm' , : the.,colony, and,.that. oyer,;^oo:, i passiye ;i Tesis;ters , / have :• passed: :t!irbughVthe, v Transvaalrgaolsi;^the^ : seii-days'//.to";;-'six. -mbnths'. hard - labpuS ;■'.-. Hundreds of. :.In--dians'•'have ;been/ruined'-iri;/the struggle. ; '"■ Details-are' given in reference' the ! disputed assertion , Smuts 'made: statements >af)y.last:year.held,by: |.repeal- ;: 'tho' :Eegistratibri,:Act.c; The dele-; gatipn cept ;; the - view', of /General;_, Smuts. that their.', demands''are: iri-.'effeot';.; satisfied,- in■ 'that■ he :wishes-to'treat the.Begistration; lot' as a'dead; letter, and' is prepared ; to : admit educated Indians .'on' sufferance' and on -teraporary; permits,; which' may be; ex : ■tended'! from-time: to: time.;;/The struggle, ■they,', declare,; is ;not- much'to se- '■ cure'; the.:;admissK)ri:-of ": a; ; few:;individuals :as/'.tbi:conserve.:natibnal-.honbur.v -It; is, they observe,- the'iimneoessary/legarracial, disability which' niakes\ ; the::_situation : ;so • degrading, .such legislation", being the first pf; its'kind "in the:history. of.'.the/ colonies. .■■•'■vFrbm'''a-Voabl«CTaih'. i r.ecently..''sent' : hy i ! .'Mr;. GandKi -to' Mr.' .H.' S;' :L. v;:PolaK,/the;delc■gate's -to'- Iridiaxfroin'.the :Transvaal".lndians, iit "appears .that ; .the,:Trarisyaal',Gey,-, erhment:/ offered",' to •■ make ' one;-- important / ccnc(ission'r:to;?Dring"about..'a;; 6attleinent; : The'/cablegramYwae as. ; foUpws/.—'/:;■/ ' ... '-Tho Transvaal Government agree to repeal '.the'■ Asiatic Act of; 1907,\but they.; der sire < : tb insert' a '.clause', ini: the, : ImmigrationvLaw, limiting 'the annual: nuriiber of :Asiatio' immigrants"/':- The Indian , - deputa.'declined to agree to legal differentiation uppn racial lines, and; have prqpcsed:'that a clause may/ bo inserted ■'in'the;immigration-;Law,empowering the 'Governor , of 'the'.-Transyaal to Iram6 regulations fixing tho: number- ofr immigrants of -any -nationality,' thereby maintaining the principle : of legal;:'equality ■■-without' interfering with of:-:ad-ministrative "/differentiation. , ;-.'■: /;!■;.::■'.;. :-