The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-25
LIFE IN NATAL.

A Society Without Poverty - The
Healthy Prosperity Of the Five Thou
sand Colonists--Durban as Model
Municipality-A Delightful Climate.
Among South Africans you hear all
sorts Of views about Natal. Cecil
Rhodes described it as "a forwarding
agency in the midst OF location of
Kaffirs, abiding to the fact that there
are only $4,000 white men In the pres
ence OF ten times asamany blacks.
doubt whether in the Whole British en-
pire there is a happier community, not
excepting our light hearted friends of
the Channel Islands, than those Natal
ians. Three months ago I breakfasted
with Harry Escombe then the premier
of Natal, Describing it's society, he
said I'VE have nobody very rich, and
we have no poverty" The words es-
capped him as commonplace; and
they struck me as a revelation. mo
poverty!" What would one not give to
have only $4,000 people, though thinly
scattered in towns and villages, like
these, in this smiling land, and no poor
among them? Yes; give us no poor,
and we will jog along without a soli-
tary Millionaire From that moment |
have inquired from every man likely to
know about this social fact. The pres
ent prime minister, Mr.. Binns; the min
lister of native affairs, Mr.. Hulett, him
self a large employer in connection with
his tea and sugar plantation; the gen.
ial attorney general, Mr.. Bale, all gave
substantially the same answer to the
query, is Ii really true that you have
no poor?" ''Well, said the mayor of
Durham, 1--WE have, of course, some
drunken folk, -do-weels, and a few
that won't or can't work; but for all
practical purposes 1t is about true.
Nobody need be badly off.
And now I have come to understand
the remark of an old colonist, which
grated on the ear harshly at the time.
He had just returned from your jubi-
lee festivities, and remarked: II could
never go back to England to live. to
face again that fearful poverty of the
East End and your manufacturing
towns My God it is too awful" How
many South Africans have in substance
said the same thing? In bidding good
bye to Mr. Escombe at Durham 1 OBJ
served: "There is only one fault to
find with the country-it ought to have
ten times as many white inhabitants"
"All very well, but then we would be-
gin to have the struggle for existence
Oh, that we at home were only begin
ming to have it, L have seen something
of the homes of the rich and the not
rich, but have met no signs of the care
and striving of our homelife.
| The wife of a merchant assured me
that all was not gold that glittered.
| English ladies don't know what it is
to have their housework done by Kaffir
boys" No" chimed in the husband,
| NOR to be obliged to pay lazy niggers
| four shillings day, and not be able at
! that to get your work done, while thou
sands of them hang about their kraals
and do nothing. L would make them
| work" Quite unsympathetically l an
swered, 81 am pleased to hear the Kaffir
| is so we'll off; and as you say, madam,
1 would that a few hundred thousand
| of my fellow-country women might
| share your Indebtedness in these sur
| roundings."
AMBITION IN NATAL.
Which reminds me of a young Eng
| lishman in business in Pretoria who
| was bewailing his non-suceess. How
| long have you been here he was asked
about eight or nine years" And you
are worth?" Perhaps seven or eight