The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 21. UNITING SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 305, 21 December 1908, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, DECEMBER 21. UNITING SOUTH AFRICA.

The National Convention which assembled tirst ill Durban and afterwards in Capetown agreed at tho outset that its deliberations should not be published, until, at least, the termination of the proceedings. For that reason the news cabled some few days ago from South Africa that the delegates had decided on proposing a form of union similar to tho Canadian system cannot as yet be considered as autliorita'tive. The South African newspapers have been vicing with each other as to which of them should produce the most interesting items touching the business transacted by the Convention. One, for example, states that it has information from the highest authority that a modified franchise is to be extended to the native'. This may be true, for, like the news

with respect to the form of union, it seems to be not greatly in conflict with the general opinion of South Africa. I With the framing of a constitution llie closer union movement* is not within sight of the end. We have an impression that the accomplish,ineiit of unification or of federation, or of a modification of either system, will not be achieved for some time to come. Mr. Abe Bailey, the noted Cape and Hand magnate, has guaranteed .C2OIIO per annuni for three years, so that a monthly magazine may be published. It will provide information bearing on union, and at the same time be a medium for

the interchange of suggestions and <f ideas. The fact that this literary venture has been guaranteed for three years scarcely indicates an early, and a, "final, decision on the great and, what will doubtless prove to be, historic subject of the union of South Africa. Before the meeting of the Convention it was feared that the form of union

was a question not altogether free from disruptive elements. The statement credited to the President of the Convention —Sir Henry de Villiers —that this initial difficulty promised to be successfully overcome is satisfactory and assuring. The Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony made no secret of their predilections. They were unanimously in favor of complete unification. Natal, on the contrary, seems to have favored federation. But opinions were divided. Tile newspapers de-

manded the preservation of their historic boundary lines and the maintenance of their rights as a sovereign state! Nor did the results of an incomplete plebiscite taken among the readers of a I'ictenmiritzburg journal show that the community was altogether agreeable to the form so strenuously advocated by the press of the colony. General Botha appears to have made his selection that of unification largely by reason of the heavy costs of federation. He would, he said, abolish all geographical boundaries and dismiss every one of the colonial Parliaments. There would then Ife established one Government, one Parliament, one set of laws, and "one capital. General Smuts, his Colonial Secretary, was more discursive than the Prime Minister. Speaking in the Transvaal Legislative Assembly when the closer uiriori resolutions were under con-

sideration, he placed first among the reasons for giving them his support that the time had come when South Africa must be a nation. "What we want," lie added, "is a supreme national authority to give expression to the national will which there is in South Africa. The rest is really subordinate." His objects, we imagine, could be qually well secured by federation such as exists in Australia as by unification on the model of Italy. In looking somewhat closely into the conditions prevailing in South Africa, and considering the .state of public opinion, we must express grave doubts touching tiie possibilities of carrying out in that country any scheme of complete voluntary unification. We are therefore inclined to believe that there is truth in the statement that the Convention has chosen Canadian federa--3: tion as the type of the union that is to I be.

After the constitution has been drafted it will be published and in due time referred to the judgment of the electors. Unless: the delegates to the Convention excel all expectations and produce a i scheme that will immediately satisfy everybody, there are prospects, as we have-already suggested, of lengthy and of. perhaps, not too amicable discussions. The presence in the country of millions of natives broken up into tribes and tribal fraternities, almost every section and combination with different customs and different laws, must enormously complicate the task of the constitutionbuilders. Cape Colony, Natal, the Orange Kree State, and the Transvaal, in past years, each fashioned their legal enactments to meet local needs and local conditions. Under unilication homogeneity of treatment of the natives appears to be almost ibeyond the possibility of attainment. -There are still weightier problems awaiting solution connected with public debts, ra'l- : ways, and harbors. Ratal's finances are wofuliy topsy-turvy. People w-ho grumble at the New Zealand finances and financial statements should, for a season, apply their intellects to the revenue and expenditure of Natal. They will lind something there to exercise their ingenuity. Cape Colony has of late years -had a succession of deficits, and their end is not yet. Air. Merriman,..the Cape Premier, remarked the otlier day that the Cape would not enter any ! imioii as a bankrupt. The Cape is by | 110 means Insolvent, but its finances are weak indeed compared with the flourishing figures which are issued month by month from the Treasuries in Biocmfontein and Pretoria. Many years ago the Cape extended the franchise to natives. Natal afterwards passed a similar measure, but to the present time it is understood that the names of only two natives have been placed upon the electoral rolls of the colony. In the" Transvaal and in the Orange. Kivev Colony 110 native under existing laws can obtain the right to vote. With unification, therefore, one portion of South Africa would have representatives of natives sitting in Parliament, while elsewhere throughuot the sub-continent the colored races would be denied the franchise. It lias been hinted that the situation would be rendered less complicated were the Cape to withdraw the 'native vote: but tin's advice .both members of j the. Government and members of Pal- ' Jiament resolutelv refuse to entertain, i

One rumor that has emanated, from the Convention it is to be hoped, is to the effect that the existing boundary lines may undergo certain alterations, so that the areas of the four colonies may present less diversity than at present with respect to their extent and

population. An alteration such as this would probably lie welcomed. Natal and tile Orange River 'Colony might Until be enlarged at the expense of the (.'ape mainly. mul that with, advantage. The trade of Criqualand East, for example. is chiefly with, or through, Natal. Nor would the Garden Colony suffer were its white, population greatly augmented. A population of loss than 100.000 whites placed among about 110.00(1 Hindoos and more than 1.000.0(10 of Zulus is not always pleasant to contemplate. Natal's Legislative Assembly contains 30 representatives who are ve- , turned by 23,0(1(1 white electors. The j 12 members of the Legislative Council are appointed by the Governor. While political divisions are well marked in the other colonies, rarelv is Natal able

to keep alive a distinct opposition. For these and other reasons the admirers of ''plucky Natal"—if it is to remain a geographical and political entity—would lie gratified were beneficial changes possible both as to area and as to its white population. The system to be applied in South Africa which would necessitate the least elurage, which would represent continuous national growth and development national evolution would seem to be that of Canada. A system will ultimately be deviled, and we are not surprised, at the statement made by Sir Lewis Mitchell (appearing in our cables this morning) that the Convention is ncaring an agreement on the many problem* hitherto deemed impossible of solution. South Africa is not lacking in far-seeing and capable men, ra men -\vlio >vill endeavor to iniiid for all time, and that wisely and well.

THE DAIRY REGl T LATIOXS. Now that the beat of tlu? election i*l over a good deal of light is being thrown upon that "groat 'political issue" the Dairy Regulations. Dates and notes are being compared and it is beginning to be realised that tile visits of dairy inspectors of which so much wag heard from New "Plymouth to Wellington were visits covering a period of a year or more and not as most peoplo imagined, crowded into a month or so i and the outcome of the new regulations. As the Piilmmtim Tinrs points out, it is l>egiuni«ig to be realised that the regulations about, which there has been 1 so much misapprehension and prejudice are what thn farmers representatives on the Stock Committee made them and sent them to the (Jovernment " for favorable consideration,' 1 that, there is aj whole year to remedy luiyt'hhig that'

anay require. remedying iu Uieni, audi tluit it will be necessary fur those interested in the dairying industry to see that reforms are eU'ect'od in the directions which these • regulations aimed. Just how this can best be done is being a good deal debated at present. One suggestion made to our Palmerston con- 1 temporary is that the Government instead of incurring the odium that it lias incurred of tryiifg to reform men for their own good against their wills, should bring abouj; the desired result ill quite another way—that where suppliers' places ivere found to be in such condition as would effect the milk it should he •nacted that the butter of the factory where their milk was taken in diould be shut out of the grading. In. this way the factory managers who 'requently try to refuse dirty milk now ivouhl have their hands strengthened ind the other suppliers would see that lie erring one came into line or lost the uarket for his product. Another suggestion made by a man very largely ntercsted in the butter trade was that grading should be only done after buter was some weeks in store or in transit, and then the faults ill the milk vould show themselves, and tlu; lower [lade given more speedily result in the actories and the best suppliers bringing H'esiiure to bear to secure that eleanliless 011 the farm without which the lest results are impossible. A eanvaser who bad used tile dairy regulations logey as a most effective means of turling votes in an adjoining 'electorate, ibile speaking of bis success admitted übsequently to our I'almerslon eonemporary thafal a large proportion f the places he had visited the regulaons were necessary.