WILL "C.B." PURGE THE RAND?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8006, 18 December 1905, Page 2

WILL "C.8." PURGE THE RAND?

! Is 188!) Sir Henry Campbell-Ban- [ Merman was execrated by " all true Britons "as a " pro-Bjer." He was 1 looked upon as a combination of ' rogue and traitor. To-day lie is Prime "Minister of (ire.it Britain; That public opinion veers with marvellous suddenness we in New Zealand know full well. By the. expression of sentiments pi-actically identical with those of ('ampbcll-llaimcr-man. Mr Barclay, of Diiiicdin, was ostracised. To-day he is in the New Zealand Parliament! Fioklo people ! If the present, Premier of (Jieat Britain had been Premier previous to the Boer ultimatum lie would have striven to prevent a war bctvi>en the races, so disastrous to the pres'-ige of Britain, so frighful in its (jiuilty to both sides, and resulting only iu an advantage to capitalists— j

mostly not of the British race. * * * * Tiut extraordinary political dilettante, Balfour, still clinging to the old fetish of Chinese labour, has, while laying down his great charge, warned the Liberal Government, to " abstain from the criminal blunder of destroying the South African industries by interfering with the Chinese labour there." In other woiils, Balfour advises the new Government to allow the Chinese of the Band to keep on performing villainous acts. They have murdered defenceless women, have killed malingers, have turned the R*nd into an armed camp, and have made ceaseless work for the military police. They have gained the enmity of the native races, so much so that a Kaffir will kill a Chinaman on sight if he comes within assegai throw of the kraal. They hive displaced the heavy, cheerful Zulu, the stalwart Basuto, the gigantic Matabele, who have the best right to the country, and any one of whom is equal to three Chinamen.

Balfouk calls the gold-winning on I the Rand " industries." If the Rand | were earthquaked out of sight tomorrow, South Africa would thrive ] as well as it is thriving now—and would thrive even better. If the convict-won diamonds of Kimberley were lost to the world for ever, many people would have reason to feel glad. The lhst Boer war was caused by the lust of gold, the Jameson Raid was the outcome of the same Just, and the second Doer war was engineered by greedy ruffians who are now reaping the crop from a country f rtilised by the best blood of Britain and Greater Britain. * * * * Paul Kkikjer had his faults, but -he had sense enough to know that where there was gold or diamonds there was corruption. His power was great enough to forbid the opening up of the great, gold reef at Pretoria. He would only hear of a pastoral community-the real' l industry " of the country. The British naturally looked aghast at the stories of the illtieatment of tlio Dutch by the natives. The stories, it lias been prove!, were only partially true. The Dutcli- | man looks upon the Kaffir as his inI ferior and treats him as a child. If the child errs he is beaten. That is why the Kaffir loves the old Boer " Baas." We don't seem to be vji-y angry with this Chinese queslim, the " compounding " of alie.is, tl e use of sjamboks, the us-i of revolvers, which, seeing that the Chinese have been introduced, ,• re, of course, necessary. The Kriutli Government egged on by Hebrew and other capitalist, have made a veritable hell of Africa, and the new Premier is asked for goodness' take not to extinguish the hell! * * * # New Zsalad, which protested against this alien business, was told by that cold Tory, Lord -Milner, 'not to poke her long, inqusitive now into things she did lrit understand." New Zealand understands the Chinese question in Africa. New Zealand knows that there are hundreds of her own men in Africa unable to get a job, while murdering Mongols the criminal pick of China—are welcomed by Milner, Chamberlain, Lyttelton. and, not the least, Balfour, late Piemier of England ! Balfour has said that a strict system of "compounding" (that is imprisonment and starvation), will do away with desertions and other small matters. The system is far worse than the slavery of Amerioa, which Britain insisted should cease. It is on a par with the present day Kanaka slavery in Queensland, and the infamous traffic of " black-birding " among the Pacific Islands. While all the wits in Africa are concentrated on getting gold, and while the population centres round tlio Rand and Kimberley, the great veldb country is practically stagnant. * * * #

The B ioi'.s have, ofcour.su, gone bisk to their farms, and dropped into their old habits. Nothing is being done to wipe out horse-sickness, re 1 water, the tet.se fly, and other plagues, ("live us Chinamen! Give lupoid! Give us diamonds! It is to bo hoped that if only for the sake of our brothers and .sisters in Africa, " G. 8." will attack the ipiostion of Chinese slavery and root, out tlio crying evil. It is also to ba hoped that Balfour will soe the error of his ways, and give uo calling the Hand robbery" tli) industries of Africa " G dd-wiuning on the Rind is as much " the industries of Africa" as sinking )iost holes is the ''industries of New Zealand." The Boers tried to wreck the Johannesburg mines befoie we won the said mines back for the capitalists. It is a pity they didn't succeed.