The Portland daily press., 1899-07-06

In spite OF his stubbornness, hs viii new
er. In my opinion, let the situation come
~ clash OF arms / don't think Dom
| pinch.
|" The English in the Transvaa1 do
10 governed as a British colony, but they
do want voice with the other inhabi-
tants In the matter Of taxation. II Eng
land desired. she could overrun the coun-
try with her troops In O few days. There
are thousands Of English soldiers In Cape
colony. Rhodesia and Bechuannland,
who could be carried quickly to meet the
forces Of the Beers. A railroad, 1000 miles
IN length almost TO q yard. runs straight
from Cape Town to Johannesburg In
1881, when the startling news of war In
the Transvaal reached England. the in
surgent Beers could not be suppressed by
the English military forces at hand, and
In the several battles that took place they
came Off victorious. But the British
government fastened 10 grapple with
the situation by pouring overwhelming
endorsements into south Africa. When
hostiIities ceased, terms were offered By
the English and accepted BY the Beers by
which the latter had complete self-govern-
ment under the British suzerainty. The
assertion OF the English was that while
1t may have been wrong to subject coD1-
imunity Of 30, 900 farmers to an alien gov
eminent, II was not right to desert the
10. COO loyal knglish subjects living in the
Iransvanl and to leave them exposed to
the degradation and contempt which they
endured at the hands Of their Dutcn
neignbors.
"But the English in the Transvaal, as
have heard them express themselves, do
not desire display of force for the pur-
pose of turning the republic into o Brit
ish colony. The ill-starred Jameson
raid was mainly protest against the ex-
tortion OF the taxation system. The In
tention of tho plotters then was not to
destroy tne freedom of the country. but
to have Uitlanders share alike with the
would be content to live In amity with
their Boer neighbors If they could have
protection by the right of suffrage.
This dynamite monopoly, which Is
controlled by o syndicate OF DutchInen,
Is sample Of the way mining enterprise
Is choked. For years the syndicate has
had from the Boer government conces-
sion which gives it monopoly Of the sale
OF dynamite in the Transvaal. Dynamite
brought into this country by any other
agency than the syndicate Is subjected TO
tariff so high as to be prohibitive, max
ing the price of Dynamite to the consum-
or dwarf even that Of the syndicate. Most
of the tariff goes to the syndicate, too,
the government getting a small percent
age only. The practical effect Of this aud
other monopolies In mining supplies has
been to drive out capital Mine owners
find it impossible to work the mines at a
profit becauss of the exorbitant charges
for dynamite, giant powder, and other
things that are absolutely needful for tax
ing out gold In that country. One of the
passengers ON the steamer by which left
Cape, Town had beeu manager Of
mine for an English company In
the Transvaal. He told me that on &C
count of the dynamite monopoly and
similar obstacles the company had Teen
Obliged to stop work In the mine. He was
then on his way to Bendigo, Aus tralis
to take charge OF another of the COM
panys' mines there That Is only one
instance OF the way the Roer system of
taxation has operated. Many other
mines have been closed for the same rea-
san
1.-THE Englishmen in the Transvaal
want a chance to do business free from
any such burden as the dynamite monop-
oily. II they could acquire the right by
reasonably long residence in the country
| TO have share in legislation, they would
be satisfied. l believe they will get what
they want from Dom Paul, and that
soon."