RHODESIA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 236, 10 February 1911, Page 8

RHODESIA

AX UVIiR-BOOMED COUNTRY. Rhodesia, according to Mv. S. O'Neill, a South African who is now on a visit to Wellington, is a country that lias been very much over-boomed. Mr. O'Neill, it may be stated, recently spent a mouth travelling in Rhodesia and has had extended opportunities of communicating with Rhoilesian settlers and other residents of the conntrv.

The Chartered Company, .Mr. O'Xeill remarked, olleral fair facilities to settlors, but they did not compare with facilities oll'eral by Australia to prospective settlers in the Northern Territory and in Queensland. Rhodesia was fertile over a great part of its area, but against this had to be set the fact that malaria existed nearly everywhere. The climate could only be described as extremely unhealthy. The geographical situation of Rhodesia was in itself a big factor opposing rapid development. Bounded by Portuguese and Belgian territory, if lay at a great distance from the few available ports in its own territory, and available ports of neighboring States. In - any event, enormous transport charges would have to be borne in sending goods out of Rhodesia, while if they sent to the nearest ports, Beira and Delagoa Bay, heavy duties would also have to be paid. Both ports lay in Portuguese territory, and the Portuguese Government levied stiff duties on goods passing either to or from the port. The best opening for men of small capital in Rhodesia was mining. Parties of two or three sometimes obtained good returns in working small claims. I "The championship boat race on the I Zambesi," said Mr. O'Xeill, "was in itself | nothing else than an advertising manoe- | uvre. I have no doubt of this. It was j the most outlandish place in the world to row a race in, and it would be hard to assign a man a worse place in which to train. The great rowing event was a world-wide advertisement for Rhodesia, and I am persuaded that the whole thing j was arranged with that end in view."— . Dominion.