The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-22
TIE RIGHT AND WRONG OF TEE
TR1NSVIIL CohTROTKRSK.
Further Facts and Opinions.

Further Facts and Opinions
To TIE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Your cor
respondent. IL. J. p" In last Fridays Sun uses
some arguments in favor OF tho anti-Boer side
OF the Transvanl dispute that appear open to
discussion. With some OF them. with your per-
mission. | propose dealing.
IL. }. p" speaks fcelingly Of the sufferings
OF the natives under Boer rule whether tho
black or brown man shall work for one white
man rather than another. is probably q choice
Of evils Like the white, In such case, no
usually chooses the least evil OF the two. Tor IL
seems that the natives OF Rhodesia. for In
stance. which lie under the British flag. prefer
to tramp hundreds OF miles to work In the
Transvaal mines to working in those close to
their homes: the reason being. MS given by
Rhodesian paper. that in the Transvaal they
enjoy the right to go to hospital 10 be
treated when Ill or overworked. whereas in
Rhodesia they are laid out on the dump to die
or recover as the case may be.
The result is that labor 10 scarce In Rhodesia
and plentiful In the Transvaal. The grievance
OF the Transvaal mine-owners Is that the
Transvaal government loves q small tax for
the support OF the hospitals. II L. j. p. wishes
for information OF the way the Bechuanas are
being treated by the British authorities In
Bechuanaland and Cape Colony he cannot do
better than address the Secretary OF the Abo-
TlRlneS TTOtectlOH DucleIy III lIoHuou. "hoe
the sentiment OF the Fingoes in Cape Colony
toward the contending influences in South
Africa ia, was shown in the late general cleo
tons in the Colony. when they voted solidly
for the candidates Of the Afrikander Bond
against Mr.. Rhodes's Progressives.
Il. ]. p" speaks OF the generous taxes" laid
by the Beers on the Citlander. What are these
taxesP Two and a half per cent. on tho profits
Of the mines is ono OF them. 1t happens that
in a recently received johannesburg news
paper there appear three advertisements an
nouncng In two cases six-month dividends OF
80 per cent. and one OF 25 per cent. 1t GER
tainly needs that one should be a Rand mine
owner to complain OF THAT. Why, our Canadian
neighbors are imposing tax of 10 per cent.
on the miners output. yet there is no clamor
raised to send troops into Canada to civilize
our reactonary neighbors. Why is that?
Then as to the tariff I take from the Natal
Handbook" issued by the British Colonial
ONCE. and from the Transvaal Stats Alma
max for 1899. the following com parison OF the
duties levied under the Customs Union to
which Natal belongs but the Transyaal does
not and the Transvaal tariff
Customs U.ton. Trdnspddl.
Butter &c. per Free
Coffee Craw) 81 52 per 100 lbs..............Fre Free
GRAIN Foe per 100 lbs. ......... Free
Flour. SLIP per 100 Free
Tea 12c per ID .................S1.2b per 100 lbs
Cattle. for slaughter, 81 80 per head. Free
Sheep. for slaughter. sl25 per head. Free
Maize Soc per 100 lbs. ......................Fr Free
Bacon and Hams, 40. per Id. FREQ
One effect OF the Customs Union. which the
temperance party regard as pernicious. is to
give q much wider market to the inferior class
OF spirits produced in the Cape Colony and
Natal. These will now be privileged to enter
duty free into Rhodesia which has been forced
into the Customs Union by the South African
Chartered Company's officials against the will Of
the elected members OF the Legislative Council
and Of the population OF Rhodesia. The Trans
vaal Government does its best to keep the
liquor traffic down. but is opposed by the Cape
and Natal distiliers and their agents.
Then fresh or frozen meat enters the Trans
vaal free of duty. as do also biscuits. eggs.
vegetables. and fruit. American exporters OF
these and the other articles already enumer-
ated. certainly should not desire to see the
South African Customs Union tariff extended
to the Transvaal.
Lastly quote from letter received from O
correspondent at Capetown. dated July 10:
Like, 1t Ia my intention to quit at tho earliest
possible opportunity probably for Australia. In
my idea South Africa will never be . white man 8
country. In the end it will be the boss and the
Niger. Inc DrbWu anu DlacR pppnlatOn Is IN
creasing by leaps and bounds The difficulty to
make two ends meet to the ordinary white man in
creases instead of dminishes The disadvantage
under which he labors is apparent when tell you
that he has 10 compete with colorcd echanics and
laborers of every grade OF trade and in such small
community out here the colored man can
out-compete him. As education is fast making head
way giving the colored classes greater advau age II
Ia evident that in the future another India will
be added to tho Queens donnions How some white
families exist liz a matter of wonder Tom 1t seems
done by a system of slippery rectitude.'
presume -! Informed you of the cost of liv-
ing and so forth. While the English ana Dutch are
quarrelling over home. the native question is
looming in the distance like spectre"
What 1t seems to me we have most to con-
slider in forming an opinion about the right or
wrong of this Transvaa dispute. is not what
happened fifty or thirty years ago. though that
cannot be overlooked. but what the situation
is at the moment and what the causes are that
are at work. +.
NEW YORK. Aug 81.