The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-06
WHERE CORRUPTION THRlvgs.
Arahsvaai Ruled by Monopoiists, Who
Contribute Freely TO Dom Paul.

Arahsvaai Ruled by Monopohsts, VINO
Contribute Freely to Dom Paul.
From the Leeds Mercury.
The Transyaal government has once
more set the new press laws in motion
against two local journals. and demand
the names of the writers of articles
charging members of the Legislature
with being the recipients of brides from
the monopoly companies. DR.. Leyds
was himself accused the other day in
the volksraad of having been in the pay
of those companies, but does not seem
TO have taken any very energetic meas
ures to rebut the allegations. The at
mosphere of Pretoria and Johannes
burg is heavily laden with reports or
corruption and bribery in high quar-
tiers, and 1t must be confessed that the
victories so far scored by the railway
and dynamite companies are not calcu-
lated to allay suspicion.
Notwithstanding the great mass of
evidence accumulated by the industrial
commission in proof of the heavy ex-
actions of those corporations, the sub
committee of the yolkSraad treats the
AFFAIR as gross exaggeration, and ac-
cordingly proposes ridiculously made
quate attachments of the rates In each
case. The proposed reduction of 10
shillings on dynamite would still leave
the price some 80 to 35 shillings per case
in excess of the price at which Euro
pean makers offer to supply it in the
proposed reduction of 100000 in the
railway charges on mining necessities,
that will not weigh heavily on a COM
pany whose gross earnings last year
amounted to over 60, 900, 900, in contrast
with G197, 900 two years ago, and whose
net profits reached G1,705,000 as against
e409, 900 in 1894. While the gross traf-
fic expanded by leaps and bounds the
ratio of expenses dropped from 4SSs
per cent to AK per cent. Yet the COM
pany is said by the subcommittee OF
the volksraad not to have been unduly
cXacting and is to be asked to make
an abatement in it's charges of about
one-third of what. after considering all
the evidence the industrial commits
sion considered equitable.
The participation of the government
in last years net profits amounted to
the handsome sum of E737,366. 1t Is
easy to understand that there is no
very burning desire on the part of the
executive to curtail so profitable
source OF revenue even temporarily,
though there can be little doubt that
greatly reduced rates would stimulate
general enterprise and lead to a more
generous yield by the other sources of
revenue. The best and wisest course
to adopt in this matter would be for
the state to take over the railway, pay
ing for 1t on the basis of the average
profits of the last three years. For this
purpose G1G,G000 900 would be ample,
and the money is easily raised at per
cent. AS to the profit of such an OPP
Grafton to the government. there can
&c no sort of question. Even if such
concessions were made to the mining
industry as involved, a reduction for
a time of round 9500000 in the net
income the latter would still amount
to upward of G1.200000 while the in
terest on the loan would only require
G400,0 SO that there would remain to
the government a clear gain of $780,
600, which is aoout G63,0O0 more than
its share of last years profits. This. of
course, is quite apart from a consider
alton of the immense benefits which
would be conferred on the mining in
dustry. on the property of which the
welfare of the national finances wholly
turns.