BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-10-17
SOI|1 AhiDlD Problems.
The Question Of Dutch Or British
Supremacy-Hopeless Minority
Of The English In Country Dis
tricts-Natural Objection Of The
Spriggs Ministry To Suicidal
Measures.

Not since any British colony was
granted responsible government has the
assembling Of a colonial legislature
been the occasion of such deep interest
as attaches TO the reassembling of the
Cape Parliament here tomorrow. 1t is
to be wished that the Afrikander Bond
may go inlo the new session in a con
cilatory spirit, and show some gratitude
for the generous terms which We're
given to the Beers in the Transvaal and
Orange River Colonies at the peace
But I do not find among the British
element in Cape Colony any sanguine
feeling that the results from the pre-
sent Parliament will be generally salts
factory. 1t need not be reiterated that
the Bond is in Majority, both in the
House of Assembly and in the Legis-
lative Council; for it is a matter of
worldwide no.oriety that Sir Gordon
Sprigg is Premier by grace of the Bond
and that he could be deposed if the
Bond disapproved of his actions or
policy.
The British interests in the Co.
lony have long suffered from the fact
that most of the. colonists of British
birth or descent are established in the
few coast cities and in three or four
fairly large towns in the interior. In
the country districts, the Dutch are
overwhelmingly in a majority. I have
been told by an official Of the Board of
Agriculture that not more than per
cent of the Cape Colony farmers or
fruit growers are of British origin.
One reason why the Cape Colony
British desire the suspensian OF the
Constitution is to obcain measure of
redistribution which would give the
British colonists in the town and cities
a fairer. representation in the House of
Assembly. Under the present system,
except in a few isolated instances, the
British electors are swamped by the
agricultural vote which SO far as the
white population is concerned, is almost
exclusively. Dutch. The Progressive
party is nov demanding that the Cape
Parliament shall pass redistribution
act. It is, however, next to useless to
appeal to the Sprigg Ministry for bill
of this kind. Even if the Premier were
anxious to readjust existing electoral
conditions, there is little likelihood that
the Bond members would consent to the
enactment of measure which would |
curtail their numbers in Parliament.
Another Of the demands of the Pro-
gressive party is that Parliament shall
dass an Aided Immigration Act, to en-
coura o the settlement of British sub
jects upon lands in this colony, by a |
scheme of settlement similar 10 those
now IN operation in the Transvaal and
Orange River Colonies and to provide
means TO enable British subiecls who
ire now in Cape Colony on account Of
he war, and who are desirous of
settling ii South Africa, to obtain suit
sble employment; and, il possible, to-
provide that such schemes shall be
,arried out in conjunction with the I'M
,erial Government. From all that / I
an learn, there is as little chance that
he Bond will pass such a bill as that
will consent to a redistribution act.
n this colony the Dutch have never|
'een favorable to immigration. II the
ouutry districts they have not desired