THE BOER ARMAMENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 22207, 1 March 1900, Page 3

THE BOER ARMAMENT.

Ih a recent issue it was stated that prior to the commencement of the war the Boers had two hundred and thirty guns, exclusive of those procured via Delagoa Bay since Presinent Kruger despatched his ultimatum to Great Britain. How the Transvaal President managed to obtain possession of such a large equipment of artillery without the fact becoming known to the British residents at Pretoria is not clear. A story comes from France that the wily President took upon himself the reproach of appropriating public funds, rather than let his secret operations for the good of the State be exposed. This is probably a fiction Everyone knows now that, the Transvaal has, been making preparations for war for many years, and that since the Jameson raid the Government has Ween laying in a vast stock of ammunition and guns. The revenue of the Transvaal rose from £380,000 in 1886 to £4,480,218 in 1897. Of this re 'spectable sum £535,502 were said to have been spent yearly since 1895 on public works, exclusive of railways ; further, £357,225 for warlike purposes and £11,910 for special expenses. This expenditure added together for the last three years (1896-97-98), ' amounts to many /Aiillions. In this! sum the revenues from the loans of j •1895-’9Q of £.1,700 .000 are not included. Still r4oTe suv-scious is the item covering’ tr»«_ga.lanes of officials, for which £1,080,882 is put down, .. while in 1895 they still amounted to only £570,047. It is very doubtful whether this considerable increase benefitted the officials. For the current year the estimates contain no less a total than £1,216,399 for such salaries, £698,030 for public buildings, and £171,940 for so-called “ special expenses.” These 1 sums speak foi : themselves, and show that the. Transvaal Government has been armto the teeth since 1896.