Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29
Boom in Kafir Stocks Already Brings Them
Many Million Dollars,
'AND MINE SHARES HAVE DOUBLED
DeBeers Syndicate Sends Up Price Of Dia
monds Thirty Three Per Cent,
EClL RHODES The CHIEF MANIPULAToR

Copyright, 1899, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Oct 2S.--(New York World
Cablegram-Specal Telegram )-low much
have the South African millionaires already
benefited in actual money by this Trans
vaal war; which is their handiwork?
That is difficult question to answer
definitely but it is not an oNaggeration to
say that the boom in katir shares probably
has already enabled then to scoop in from
100000 to Sl5,O0O.OOO. The shares of
the Rand mine, one of the biggest Joint
stock companies, which stood at 27la at the
last settlement before the war was declared.
stand today at Al. Every Kaflir share has
increased in value from one to four or five
points
The Statist. rejecting soberly the wild de-
light on the South African market, predicts
this boom has come to stay, giving its roa-
sons thus:
The unrest will disappear, reforms and
modified working conditions will mean much
to the mining districts and will permit a
great number Of properties being developed
which in the past have not been worked
energetiCally for the reason that the beds
of ore have been of such low grade that
under the old conditions it would not have
paid to provide the capital necessary to
work them. But with the disappearance
OF the excessive cost of dynamite and the
organization of a supply OF labor with an
efficient detective force to put a stop to
thefts, the gold amalgam companies that
have worked with profit in the past will
be enabled to make larger profits and COM
panies which have been kept from working
because Of the medieval government will
have an opportunity OF starting under fair
conditions. Were only five shillings ($1.2)
per ton benefit to be secured in the work
ing cost, the saving which would be pure
gain would mean about e2,000,000 (s12, ,5O0,-
OOO) addition to the profits.
"In addition to the appreciation Of its
shares, the DeBeers Diamond Mines COM
pany, OF which Cecil Rhodes is the largest
stockholder, and in which all the so-called
reform leaders at johannesburg are heavily
| interested, has reaped an enormous inn
mediate gain by the increase in the value
Of diamonds.
Corner on Diamonds.
Bernard Cohen, the president of the
Diamond club of London, says on this point:
The DeBeers syndicate recently restricted
the output of diamonds, sending up the price
33 per cent. The war; now coming on the
| heels of this restriction and stopping the
mines altogether, has already increased tho
price IL per cent more, SO that the total in
crement is 45 per cent ;"
The DeBeers syndicate holds stock of
diamonds which was valued before the war
at $15,000.000 and is now worth SIS, ,000, 900
more Already a greedy horde of company
promoters is gathering in Capetown and
Durham ready to swoop down on the Trans
vaal when the union jack floats over Pre-
| toria and secure concessions of land. some
valuable, some valueless, but all to be ex-
| plotted on the European investing public in
the usual way at an enormously inflated
| price. Smart society stands in well with
this financial buccaneerng enterprise, for
which the Dutch republics in South Africa
are being overthrown.
The Chamberlans are making quite a
| family business Of Imperialism. Mrs. Joseph
| Chamberlain is to launch the first class
| battleship Venerable at Chatham next
Thursday. Miss Chamberlain, the colonial
secretary's daughter, and Mrs. Richard
Chamberlain, his sister-in-law, sailed for
the Cape today on Red Cross service; Arthur
| Chamberlain, his brother, manufactures
small arms and ammunition for the war
| office, while Austin Chamberlain, M p, his
son, goes about the country lauding his
| fathers policy from the ministerial platform.