The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-09-06


troll OF all the liquor sold on the Rand
into the hands OF one nrm, which manu-
featured poisonous Qually OF WHISKY
and sold II without restriction 10 the ma
tiVes. upon whom the mines depended for
labor and WHO f1r half the time were
inCapaciiated from attending 10 the work
they were paid 70 DO. Land which had
been sold 10 the liuanders fer mining
purposes was eJt regarded by the Boer
Government as their private property.
This being The case, those who handled
most OF the liquor sold on the Rand, were
able g. place their cantccns where they
pleased. al the very mouth OF smart II
They wished TO DO so, with the result that
the Kanlr boys were constantly drinking,
aud in consequence rs constantly falling
into open shafts. fighting among them
selves. and suffering from the most serious
accidents.
THE WHISKY EVIL.
Edgar i. Ratfbone. late Mining IN
spectOr OF the east and central districts
Of tho Witvatersrand under the 5s-s Gov
crHmcnt. said in = recent interview or
this grievance: livery Monday morning
when ;he natives have 10 go 20 work aiter
their payday orc-third OF the men are
laid or drunk. II they are apparently
sober enough 10 be adj, 10 travel GOWN
the main ladderways and 20 80 INTO the
cages, "a soon as they get under GROUND
the different atmosphere utterly uhhls
them for work. Tho white miner runs
a risk under the mining regulations IN
having a drunken Kaiiir az Work IN the
mine, and he ~ forced 20 send such =
man TO the surface again In my own
experience / have frequently had 10 order
natives ont Of the mines because eheY were
quite UNIT TO he intrustcd with drilling
or any other work. You must also re-
member that J. Is impossible 10 examine,
or even 10 distinguish. every case OF drunk
enuess among some hIndrecs or thousands
OF kafirs. and thus men who are at least
DC. " influence
allowed to 20 about their work in the
mine have no hesitation in saying
that large proportion cf the many rear
ful accidents which happen on the Rani
are due. directly or indirectly 10 TINS
Another monopoly under the protection
OF the Government was the sale II uyna-
mite. which gave one man the exclusive
right 10 manufacture that most esseilial
rart of miners supplies on the cOhdluOn
thaf he would manufacture IL IN the
Transvaal lie ala not manufacture u
in the Transyaal. but bought low quh-
ity q dynamite in Germany changed the
wrappers IN his so-caled mandatory
and sold the stuff AT any price he pleased
II is said that the accidental explosions
which have occurred in the kanQ are
largely due 10 the low quality OF ms
dynamite. which was the only brand the
miners were allowed 10 use.
The Government method OF protecting
the Netherlands railroad is also interest
ing: the coal deposits run parallel with
the gold mines, but at q distance OF some
ten 10 thirty miles. This coal could DC
bought az the mouth Of the smart hy any
one for Is. sd. but the Netherlands ran
read charged from "a. 10 is. Ton per
mile fer carrying 10 over me few mics
intervening between tho coal nclus ana
the gold mines SO That the coal Whlch
originally sold for Is. Cd. cost. when de-
liyeral al the mines from los. 10 SyS.
Tho average charge for freight per mile IN
the United States is Cnc-h alt cent per
mile. i'm England il is thrcc-Cuariers OF
a cent. which throws luild Hbhl on
what the earnings must nave beeh lot ule
Netherlands railroad when ~ charsed
from from 10 - cents per mile. Ihere
was so very little profit In this Tor the
cold mines that the different companies
purchased strips of land, ana, giving
each ether permission 10 use INC Ianu
already owned, they mapped out rail-
road over which they proposed 10 carry
what coal they needed. When the Beers
heard OF this they passed law forbid
ding them 10 build this railroad. and later,
when the miners attempted 10 carry me
coal I'm ox-carts. with traction engines,
they were forbidden 10 do that also.
Freight can be sent from the cape IN
almost direct line by an English rail-
road which stops at the border or the
Transvaal. the rest OF the maui belng
ruada over the system OF the Netherlands
Company This point of tho border -
only forty miles from johannesburg. or
st can be taken in more round-about
way from "a point much further east. III
II comes from this direction, IL travels
900 instead Cf 40 miles
in order to make the Uitlandcrs use the
longer distance. and so bring more money
into the Golfers Of the Government rail-
road. the Netherlands Company allowed
the freight 70 cOngest AT the point forty
miles from Johannesburg, and Kept IL
there for three or four weeks, ana sub
icctod IL TO such delay and TO such treat
mont on the way up as they hoped would
finally drive the Gitlanders into abandon
ing the use OF the mere direct route
from the Cape. Sooner than do this
the Uitlanders organized system or OK
carts and started TO carry their freight
overland in that Tow and cumbrOus fash
ion TO prevent their doing this. the
Government closed the drifts" as the
fords OF the rivers are called. and so pre-
vented their crossing II required an III
timatum from Great Britain TO open them
again.
These are few Instances OF the laws
and customs OF a Government which has
been seeking sympathy as "a free and en-
lightoned republic. and which compares.
and not unfavorahiy. with the free ana
enlightened republics Of Central America.
RESULT OF THE GIIENANcES.
The spirit OF discomfort caused 10y these
grievances grew slowly and showed Itself
when il first found expression I'm the form
OF perfectly constitutional agitaticns. In
Nav. 1894 1900 Ditlandcrs petitioned the
Nolksraad for tho rights OF the iranchlse'
and II IS on record IN the minutes or That
legislative body that this petition was re-
ceived with jeers and laughter Ihat IN
ITSELF was not soothing 10 the petitioners
especially as II came from the Representa-
tiVcs OF those of the inhabitants who were
an the minority, for even AT that time the
Uitlanders greatly outnumbered the org
NAL settlers Of the VransVaM. Two months
later another petition. signed this time by
o. 500 inhabitants. was received by the
NOlksraad in tho same manner one or lis
mcmbers. indeed, going so Tar as 10 rise
and say: "If Won want the franchise why,
don't you fight for it,
His invitation was accepted later. when
tho Inhabitants q johannesburg. nnding
there was no help 20 be obtained through
the Sacred right OF petition organized
the Reform Committee and prepared
themselves 10 take what they wanted by
a revolution and the use OF arms. ! am
not pretending here 10 defend the reyo-
utiOnists. I only wish 20 tell what led
mp 10 the Jameson raid. and 70 show that
no matter what the Reform Committee
have done or wished TO DO rs revolution
lists they were NJ least not faithless 10
Jameson. who became one OF their own
party ana who was ono of their friends.
No one denies that their purpose was
70 change the laws Cr the country, or
that they SmuCl.,ed arms into johannes
burg TO accomplish that purpose II II could
not be accomplished hv any other means
But that they intended 90 upset the re-
public l do not believe any more than /
believe that they intended "a turn the
Transvaal into a British dependency or 10
raise the British flag. as IL was repeatedly
stated az the time they had meant 10 DO
ono difficulty I'm dealing with the history