But the British Government stepped in, and said that these people were their subjects, and according to the London Convention, all their subjects are to be treated alike. The law thus became impracticable, and the result was that the Indians carried on trade all over the country. They carried on business without a licence, and they were thereby even better off than the white traders. This position, however intolerable, was kept up by the British Government till the war broke out. The result may now be studied in Prinsloo Street, Pretoria, Pietersburg, Potchefstroom and other centres, where trade is largely in the hands of the Indian storekeepers.
Indian trade is one of the causes thereof.
The Indians have tried to get the same hold here as they have done in Natal. They want to have all trade in their hands. The Government has tackled the question. We have passed a law unanimously, making it compulsory for Indians to register. I think it highly desirable that the public should know the exact details of the law, as I expect that there may be trouble over it.