RHODESIA OF TO-DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1443, 18 May 1912, Page 15

RHODESIA OF TO-DAY.

FRESH FROM THE VIRGIN VELDT.

INTERVIEW WITH MR. GEOFFREY HORTON.

A COUNTRY WITH GREAT PROSPECTS.

'After a spell of nine years spent in the wilds of that remote nnd little-known country, Rhodesia, Mr. Geoffrey Horton, ' formerly of Blenheim, has como to Now Zealand to seo his friends and .relatives, and to tako a pleasure jaunt round the world before settling down to hard work again, Mr. Horton talked interestingly .of the South Afrjcan back-country to a Domkjiox reporter yesterday. "Ehodesia is a very big country—a big oountry to begin, to talk about," said Mr. Horton. "It is hundreds of miles from anywhere that matters. I away back 130 miles across veldt from'Bulawayo, 60 you seo it iB a.fairly remote spot. It took me over two days to reach Bulawayo, and from there right down tho railway runs through vast wastes of land entirely ■unoccupied as far as ono could seo. As for Ehodesia, it never came into the United South Africa schemed -Tho people wore against it from tlio start. I think they thought that .for the great area of country there .was not a prospect of getting fair representation in Parliament, and there were other reasonsof a political character. So the country is stiu under tho control of the British South Africa Company, known as the ; Chartered Company, which administers its affairs from Salisbury."

Mining Conditions.

Xou are engaged, in .miningP;' "Yes—mining, that is about the only industry of wnich the country can boast at present. It is quartz mining on uj>-to-date lines, but it works out rather differently from mining on the Band. There they havo a defined reef running through tho country, and know pretty exactly what is in sight. In Rhodesia quartz leads are very much broken up, and a 'pinch-ouf often occurs yithout much notice. But though our stone is lower grade than that of tho Rand, •it is usually in bigger leads, so it makes very little difference in cost. .We have no trouble in getting all the black labour we want very cheaply. Indeed, I believe one, of the reasons that Rhodesia did not go into the unity scheme was the fear that the Rand might be strong enough to getpower to recruit labour for tho mines in the country. There is a difference, too, ,in the mining of the two States inasmuch as on the Eand tho mines are controlled by big corporations, whilst in Rhodesia, half a dozen men will go out with a bit of capital, get machinery and work' a. reef. All it costs you is the ss. you pay when you peg out—there is no ground rent or any rent, only a duty on the gold you export." And tho life—does it. compensate for the loss of the comforts of civilisation? "Yes—l think it does. Life is very free and easy, and the white peoplo have little to do but direct. -The black boy is there to do anything in tho way of manual labour." A Great Cattle Farm. Are there other industries? "There is the beginnings of a big agricultural and pastoral industry there, but it will be a long timo befortf it develops. Liebig's, tho big beef and meat extract people, have taken a big wedge of country and are stocking it with cattlo as quickly as they can. They are importing some fine blood stock from England and intend to go in for ranching in a very big way. They had about 4000 head of cattle on the place when I left.

"Of course, you must understand that Rhodesia and the Transvaal wero absolutely devastated as far as live stock was concerned by-the war. It was skinned for every head. Now they have 'to start and build the herds up again. Hitherto they had great troublo with the rinderpest and redwater, but both have been eradicated. There is still tho East Coast fever to contend with, but thsv are getting a hold on that. I really think there is a great future for this big country. -

Two Acres for Six Shillings. "Tho company are trying to induce settlement, and are advertising good agricultural land fairly cheaply. The average, price is about 6s. a morgen (which is slightly over two acres). They say that a man with a capital of £500 oan get a good start, but I doubt it. A man, even one with colAnial . experience wants at least .£IOOO to mako a good start on the land in Rhodesia. ' The main crop is mealies (Indian corn or maize), which is the staple food of the country. - 'It crops fairly well there on country not too good. The land is not anything liko as good as it is in New Zealand, remember. It is open, rolling sorubby * country—no big bush as New Zealand understands it—except away in the north on the Zambesi, where there are said to be somo magnificent teak forests. Its distance from any centre, however, lessens its value considsrably, Now Tobacco Country, "I'll tell you what I believe—that Rhodesia is destined to become one of tho biggest tobacco-growing. countries in the world. The best Virginian and Turkish leaf can be grown—grown easily—and the tobacco from it is equal to any in the world. I saw it mentioned quite recently that some picked Turkish leaf grown in Rhodesia was sold in the country at Salisbury for 3s. 6d. abound. That's a good prico for tobacco to yield on the spot. At present tho output is mostly consumed within South Africa. A little goes to London, but a big tobacco firm in Cape Town buys most of it, and it is in Teady demand. "I suppose," said Mr. Horton, "that the South African is tho heaviest 6moker in the world. He sucks a pipe all day long, and when the day is done ho just keeps on sucking until overcome bv sleep. When he wakes he. reaches for his pipe,

and has a whiff before breakfast, and afterwards life would not seem the same if tho pijfe were not between tho teeth. The light tobacco we smoke is pretty harmless, barring..that, it; blows about and burns holes in .our clothes." North-Western Rhodesia.

"I know very little about North-West-ern Rhodesia away up by tffe Zambesi, though I have been there. There is said to be some'magnificent country up there, but for some reason or othor they are not pushing it into prominence as a place for settlement. It has its own controlling authority at Livingstone, which is conspicuous for the non-encouragement it gives to settlement." Mr. Horton, after a. few weeks in New Zealand, leaves for Vancouver and the United States. Rub.=er|iienfly ho will visit England, tho Continent, and possibly Japan before his ears are once more greeted by roar of Rhodesian stampers.