New-York tribune., 1901-09-01
4 NEW AFRICAN EMPIRE.

A few years ago all we heard about the vast
region now known Rhodesia was news or
fighting with Lobengula and his Mataheles and
tales of the alleged rediscovery of King Solo
mons mines For the last year two little
has been heard at all, the interests Of RhOdesia
having been concealed behind the more sensa-
tiOnal doings i'm the Transvaal and other South
African regions. True, considerable force
was recruited in Rhodesia and sent down 70 as
sist the British at the Cape But of the actual
progress of the great realm founded by Cecil
Rhodes the world had heard little. Perhaps it
has cared little. If so it has made a mistake.
For Rhodesia is a factor 10 be reckoned with
seriously. From being an outlying wilderness
tributary to Cape Colony it has already risen
into an independent State, and the time may
be not far off when in a South African Fedora
tion-United States Commonwealth or Do
minion--it will be the principal and dominant
partner At any rate. 1t contains within itself,
as Mr.. Spencer would say, the promise and
potency of such an estate.
Rhodesa is not only vast in extent and in re-
sources; il is making steady and even rapid
progress toward development Of those resources
into full civilization. For some time It has had
a civilized. organized and constitutional gov
ernment. with all the appurtenances thereof.
1t has courts of justice and public schools. 1t
is member Of the International Postal Union
and has a fine system of daily mails It has
railroads and telegraphs, and the gospel of
good roads" is being preached there with graft
flying results. At BuluwayO, which a few
years back LObengulas kraal and human
slaughter pen, there are now public library
and six large schools. of which one is non-sec-
tartan, one Eplscopalian, one Dutch Reformed
one Jesuit. one Dominican and one Jewish. The
obi a1 in fpa
to the old rule in the Transvaal. In one dis
trict there are 475 white and 1895 colored
pupils, and fOrty-four white and seventeen
colored teachers. AS the greater part Of the
country is from three thousand to FIVE thousand
feet above the sea, the climate is agreeable and
salubriOus, and in winter it is positively bracing
There is good water supply. and campaign
against mosquitoes is being scientifically
waged, with the result that malarial feyers are
being abolished.
The chief industries of Rhodesia at present
are gold and other mining and the gathering of
india rubber. There is reason to believe that
in the former parts OF II will soon rival the Wit
watersrand Of the Transvaal. and that in the
latter it will rank with Brazil and the Congo.
There is, however, at present more need of
agricultural development than of anything else
Once the country was densey populated and
was generally under high state of cultivation
But now agriculture is sadly neglected, despite
its wondrous possibilities In most occupations
good wages are paid. Thus, at Buluwayo, arti-
sans, such as carpenters, brick and stone ma
sons, painters, tinsmiths and plumbers and
miners get from 50 TO 81 a day, in addition to
lodgings. AT Salisbury bookkeepers. clerks,
hotel cooks shoemakers and taiors get from
Sl25 TO $50 month. The hours Of labor are
dap Epa,, ut.f,, Hn,.a
get $40 a month, with board and lodging But
when the cost Of living is considered these
wages do not seem so large Milk costs % cents
a quart and butter from 80 TO rs cents pound
Salt and sugar cost from 10 to IL cents a pound
potatoes 10 IS cents pound, bread II to 1S
cents, and fowls 81 30 to 81 each. A milch cow
is worth 500 or S125, and a horse at least twice
as much.
Such conditions are common to new countries
which have been opened up by miners. But as
we have sad, there is in Rhodesia an easy posi-
bility of developing great agricultural resources,
so as to make proper balance between the
production of food and other industries With
Its area, resources and climate Rhodesia is
capable OF maintaining population of scores
OF millions OF the white race and OF ranking
among the great nations OF the world Thus
far its beginning has been more auspicous than
that OF the Cape of Australia. of Canada or OF
any British colony. Its further progress will be
watched with deep interest by all who care to