SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS WHO BENEFITS BY THE WAR

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 30, 27 July 1905, Page 3

SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS WHO BENEFITS BY THE WAR

Mr. George Hutchison, who a few years ago was a powerful factor in New Zealand politics (writes the Wellington correspondent of the ' Otago Daily Times ') has returned from Souuh Africa to Wellington. In regard to English politics, he said it was quite clear that the general elections would result in a complete alteration of parties-, Both Conservatives ami Liberals were of that aoini'on. It was expected in Liberal circles that not only would the present Government majority be swejprb away, vbut that the Liberals would return to power with a majority over Conservatives and Home Rulers comMaied. Mr. Chamberlain's programme was impossible for some time to come. It was making no ground:; on the contrary, it was losing ground. Had

there been a dissolution two years ago he would probably have Carried tihe country with his scheme ; but that was an opportunity that the Government did not take advantage of, and now their case was homeless. Mr. Hutchison holds strong views on the Chinese-labor-in-South-Africa question. He said it was a step calculated to-rxiin altogether British prospects of colonising the place. He 'believed the Chinese did their work all right. The risk was that they would break out and gelt beyond control. The mine were at last getting afraid of the problem they had raised ; but the importation went on, and as the numbers increased the risk increased. The early batches contained the most turbulent meraibers. He believed there was stricter supervision exctrcised now. There was small prospect* of remedy. Even if a Liberal Government got into ppwer in Great Britain, It did not follow that there would be a revocation of the ordinance ; and, in any case, the importations were going on, and the mine owners woHild soon have as many as they needed. It had been alleged that more work for white men would result from the employment of Chinese, but that was a misrepresentation of £aJc)fe. A few more skilled workers were employed, but for the white < artisans and laborers the Outlook was bad. The sacrifices that England and the Empire made for South Afu'ca had resulted In the Transvaal being given over to alien financiers and the Chinese. For himself, personally, he had no reasion to regret having gone fo Johannesburg. There were still fortunes to be made there by those who had capital and some knowledge of mines, *but as a residence for British artisans the prospect wasj anything bait favorable. There were hundreds, of Australians and New Zealamders unemployed there in the richest city of the world. In this district which was now turning out nearly £2,000,000 in gold every roonrb, there were htinjdredtf literally destitute. The benefit of the whole of this enornwus wealth, was 1 confined to a few. The Boers were aa hostile as ever to the Chinese being kept in the country. The reason why they made no great outcry when the preliminaries were in progress was because their far-seeinig leaders saw that the introduction of Chinese would discredit the Administration. Mr. Hutchison saw small prospect of representative Government bein£ granted in the near future. The present nominee system suited ' the houses ' admirably, and what they (the mining magnates of the six or seven large companies) were satisfied with had* perforce, to be satisfactory to other people. The new Constltutjon was a hollow affair altogether, and heads of departments w<ould continue to rule as now.