The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 3, 1911. SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1169, 3 July 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 3, 1911. SOUTH AFRICAN SITUATION.

} The latest-received South African newspapers contain matter which may prove to be of historic interest. They devote considerable space to reviewing the work of the first session of the first Union Parliament, and thus provide, in concise form, a connected narrative of particular value to readers outside South Africa who closely follow pre-sent-day movements within the Empire. Tho legislation passed, but more especially the legislation proposed, deserves patient scrutiny, revealing as it does, and in a manner not to be misunderstood, the remarkable ideas of government held by the majority of the Botha Ministry. Wc have already dealt in these columns with tho almost incredible disregard of Constitutional principles displayed by certain Ministers, not-

■ably by Mi). Hertzog, Minister for Justice, and Mn. Hull, Treasurer in the Union.Government, and formerly Treasurer in the Transvaal Administration. The former, early in his public career, demonstrated - strong reactionary, anti-British tendencies and these he continues to display with a, vigour scarcely to be distinguished from virulence. He, however, discharges useful functions within the Union. His sources of and energy lie in the rural constituencies—the back-vcld— and wherever are found Boers of the old type. A large proportion of the Dutch population retain, apparently undiminished, their long-establish-ed animosities, and Mb. Hertzog is their defender and mouthpiece in the Union Parliament. Me. Hertzog's principal service to the British community consists in keeping it alive to the fact that a solid reactionary Dutch party exists, in the supplying of enlightenment as to the opinions held by that party, and in constantly reminding the British cf what the said party would accomplish had it the power. The signing of the contracts for the colossal Government Buildings at Pretoria affords an excellent example of the old, and -evidently of the modern, methods of Dutch politicians. Mr. Hull admits that, after the Transvaal Government had ceased to exist and before the Union Ministry had been constituted, he signed contracts which in themselves represented an expenditure of over a million sterling and which will de mand probably another million to conclude. This he did without the authority of Parliament or of Governor's warrant, simply "off his own bat" as he flippantly phrased his explanation in the Union Parliament. An explanation of the dubious transaction is easily reached. The National Convention had agreed that the Union should have two capitals: the legislative in Cape Town, the administrative in Pretoria. By the Constitution, however, Parliament possessed power to depart from the dual capital scheme .and, instead of two cities, to select one as the capital. To prevent Parliament making Cape Town the one capital the then nominally defunct but' in reality very much, alive Transvaal Government decided upon this expedient of raising an immense, costly, and palatial structure which would be a powerful and permanent argument m favour of Pretoria. the cnt ,y?. Proceedings, while suggestive of slnnness," are reminiscent of the days of Kiiuger when "the pious and pastoral Boers" so frequently outmanoeuvred the less ingenious and more scrupulous Uitlanders. rhis, it is well to remember, is the kind of Government now in power in South Africa. General Botha, prior to leaving for London, issued "an address to the people of South Africa. The people, he considered, should, be congratulated upon the manner Parliament had carried out its work, and he departed "with a light heart, knowing that he represented all sections of the community in South Africa."

Geseiul Botha's declaration that he left with a light heart drew from the Aatal Mercury expressions of regret, seeing it feared that many people to whom the semi-royal communication was addressed would find difficulty in sharing the Premier's gratification regarding the Parliamentary retrospect. The fact is that the legislative work achieved was meagre in. amount and of no great permanent national importance. £ losfc of the measures placed on the statute Book were necessary for the transference of colonial Departments to the Union. Bills meant to secure legislative reforms, whereof many_ are urgently required, were lew in number and.so badly prepared that several had to be withdrawn. The Post Office Act is a characteristically Dutch measure seeing that its principal provisions aim at the control of shipping and at the abolition of shipping rebates. Its utility, as well as its success, is disputed. The Opposition predict early and abundant trouble for the Union Government, should the Act be fully administered. Discussing this rather remarkable Post Office Act the Mercury observes: "There is too ' m 'cji of a tendency on the part of the Government to interfere with private enterprise and to establish a huge bureaucracy under which the people would eventually find themselves mere pawns in the hands of an army of officials, acting under the direction of more or less despotic Ministers." Neither the Public Service Commission nor the Financial Relations Commission has been able to perform, to any great extent, the duties set aside for each by the Constitution. The Government, as far as possible, has retained the work of uoth. Ihere has been from the first an immense volume of talk by Ministers touching their future' activities. But those activities arc still in the future. JS'or is there likely to by any dazzling legislation from the Botha Ministry.. What the Opposition has chiefly before it is the curbing of Ministerial rapacity and holding the balance of justice even between Dutch and British