The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-30
FACTS ABOUT THE BOERS
THE FEELINGS or THE MINERS IN
REGARD TO THE VAR.
An EngIisbman's Personal Experience
in the TransvaOl.

about the franchise in the TransVaal
and the representation on the NolKs-
Rad, every one seems to have over
looked the fact that we have witnesses
In the shape of Englshmen who have
sat on the Volksraad and are familiar
with the workings Of the Pretoria gov
eminent. One of these Is Frank Wat
kins, who sat on the second Nolksraad
from 1890 to 1896 as the member for
Barberton. He has resided in the
Transvaal for twenty-six years, and
was one of the first diggers ON the Ly-
denburg gold fields. He was the only
English member in the second Nolks-
raad, and held the same position there
as MI. Loveday in the first-as member
for the gold fields. AS he is at present
in London we have taken the first OPP
portunity to ascertain his views and
learn his experiences.
Our representative found Mr.. Wat
kins only too anxious to tell all he knew
about the Trannsvaal. He regards with
horror the possibility of a war.
II fully believe" he said, that If
there were a poll in the Transvaal at
the present moment, the majority of the
outlanders would vote for President
Krugers proposals"
"Then you believe the account of the
Daily Teegraph-that many English
men are going to fight on the Boer
6ide?"
'I can quite believe it. The miners
cannot speak out. They are entirely
under the thumb of the big companies.
Candor means loss of work. But when
the mines shut down there is nothing to
prevent them from fighting with the
Beers; for they do not love the capital
lists, and one of the certainties of the
future in the Transvaal Is conflict be-
tween capital and labor. The capital
lists expect It, and fear that the meth
DDS they have adopted in working up
the miners against the Transvaal may
recoil on themselves"
Does your experience on the Volks-
raad lead you to suppose that Beers
and Englishmen cannot work together?
Do you regard the present race hostii-
ty as inevitable?"
mot at all. I was always treated ex-
cellently on the Volksraad, though l
was a strong progressive member and
had on my programme nearly all the
proposals since adopted by Mr.. Cham
berlain and taken up with so much zeal
the five-years franchise, increased
power to the second Volksraad, i'm
proved administration for the gold
fields Indeed, I carried d resolution In
the second Volksraad by eighteen votes
to one, giving that body increased pow
ers; but of course the first Volksraad
would not hear of 1t any more than the
House of Lords will reform itself in
England The two cases are very sim
ilar."
but what of the franchise?'
1--WE progressives brought forward
resolution every year, and the Beers
were growing more and more friendly
to the idea up to the time of the Jane
con raid, when they became frightened
of the use that might be made of the
new suffrage, and stiffened their backs.
So, though do not sympathize with
the resistance that they have carried on
since, / quite understand It's cause"
"And what Of your position inside the
volksraad? Were you treated well?"
II was treated precisely on a level
with every other member. 7 was
placed on the gold fields committee, and
was largely responsible for the gold
laws, which are great deal better in
the Transvaal than in any other mining
country There is no income tax on
gold and the taxes are levied only on
profits. The direct taxation is limited
to tax Of 1Ss Cd per head, which is
by no means strictly levied. The con-
cessions are bad. but otherwise the
burdens are slight"
"What Of the language difficulty? Is |
Mr.. Chamberlain right in pushing that |
forward?"
Ills demand for the bilingual system |
all at once IS excessive The majority |
of the members In the Volksraads do
not understand English, and it would |
have to be translated through an inter
preter-a very wearisome business
But this would remedy itself; gradually !
the members would learn to understand |
English, and would then allow it as
matter of course. The early English
members of the Raand in the 70's--the
late Herbert Rhodes and his friends
were allowed to talk English. / spoke
the Taal in the Volksraad; but my con-
stituents Beers and English. allowed
me to speak in English when address,
ing them. There is absolutely no feel
nS ABOUT Ill IS IL lHdll6I ol CUfNPll- |
ence."
ibid you like the PRESIDENT"
'He once flung out Of the Volksraad
n q rage at me, but he soon made it
10; and when I was i'll at the club he
visited me twice. He is great old
nan, and the chief restraining inf1u-
snce on the Beers. If they do not be-
gin the war, 1t will be due to his infiu-
,nce and that of General Joubert."
"And what of his government? Is it
10 corrupt as they say? Is it corrupt
1t all?'
mo government is absolutely pure.
There are parliamentary directors apd \
at home who are not EN-
irely above reproach. There may be
omething of the same thing in Preto-
ia. Some few members of the govern
nent may have prodited, among many
by the immense enrichment
# the eountry-through shares and
Concessions. But there is no proof of
lirect corruption, Mr.. Kruger is called {
orrupt; but what are the facts? He ,
eceives a salary of seven thousand {
a year, and saves most of it;
lie sold his farm, with gold on it, for $
me hundred thousand pounds. and it E