The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-07
CHEAP CHINESE LABOR
THREATENS TRANSVAAL.

able, bodied man, is high compared with
similar taxation in other South African
states, but 1t Is not high considering
the ample amount of excellent land in the
possession Of the natives the unlimited
demand for their labor at high wages
and the perfect protection from any
KIND OF injustice or oppression which
they now enjoy. 1t Is not so high as the
tax imposed by the late government, and
though that tax was very loosely COL
lected, and yielded very inadequate
tnat on the average the native under the
o!o regime was made to pay more than
ms legal due, besides being liable to ev-
cry KIND OF petty and sometimes cruel
tyranny, from which he is now free.
There Is not, as far as I am aware, the
snghtest reason to doubt that the tax
hand, there is not, as far as am aware.
any serious demand for it's increase Thai
the existence Of the tax to some extent
increases the supply of labor, not only
to the mines, but to the farmers and ev-
cry kind Of industry is very probable
But l greatly doubt whether its total
anolltlon would cause any serious dimin- ,
ution IN the labor supply, while do not
believe that if it was doubled land no
one has dreamed of doubling IT'D the great
problem OF insufficient labor supply would
be far advanced to its solution. There !
are, In my opinion, many other devices i
likely to be more potent in increasing and
maintaining that supply. This, however,
is not the place to enter into their con-
sIderation, nor am convinced that even
if the attractions held out to the native
IaDorer We're the most perfect that could
be devised, 1t would not still be found
that able-bodied natives did not exist in t
SUFFICIENT numbers south of the Zambesi /
to meet all the demands which the i'm |
likely to create"
This being the ables opinion procurable
from governmental sources it looks as II
me Iransvaal was destined to have FUR
tner troubleS-troubles Of peace instead
of war.
RepatrIatIng the 5urehers.
So far as the work of repatriatfng the
IB.urghers Is concerned, recently pub.
nsned blue book gives the following
In the, eight and half months that
we nave been at work we have restored
ton in two colonies to their homes in
Guiding all the inhabitants in the corcen- /
trat1on camps in the Transvaal, the Or !
ange River colony. the Cape colony and
Natal, and the prisoners Of war, At the /
date (Jan. 81, of the inclosed report on !
repatriation in the Transvaal enclosure /
z AZ, mere Were still several thousand /
persons In the Transvaal camps. Today
there is not one left, and the camps have
all ceased to exist. In the Orange River /
colony there are less than 100 souls ali !
of them widows and children without sun
port or helpless infirn people in Brand /
fort camp, which is the only camp remain i
Tor In few weeks. OF this great num- /!
Der of people the vast majority had to
be supplied with food by the government,
practically all of them for one month and
the bulk OF them for three or four months.
AT present there are only a small pro-
portion Of them still requiring to be sup /
ported.
Very Few Are Idle. .,
And Of the able bodied people. very few
are idle at the time of writing PRACTICAL
~ all, who We're unable to supply them
selves, have been supplied by us with
the means of working on their own farms
OF the farms of others or have found or
peen provided with, other occupations.
the face of exceptionally adverse circrm-
stances. need not repeat that we began
working with the country absolutely de-
nuded of everything. Moreover, we began
OF animals mainly required. in the first
instance, for transport, which we took
over from the military, were, for the most
part, in the most wretched Condition.
Hundreds of them died before thew had
done any work at all; many thousa nds
were useless for several months and
were only gradually resuscitated by the
greatest care and at considerable expense. !;
1t being winter, there was no grass. and
Tor some time forage had been provided
Tor the whole number In bringing IN
supplies from the coast We were hampered .
by the tremendous strain on the RAILWAYS .
que to the necessity of taking down an
army Of between 100, 900 and 200 600 men !;
and bringing up thousands of returning
in bad condition at the close of the
war, and with all of their employees desc 4
perate!y oyerworked, were at times hope !
cessi ih ol9eRe0; ana the attempt to recon-
alton department and the general public /
upon railways. which Were quite unable
spontaneously to satisfy the requirements /
OF them all was, for at least two months. I
one or the most pressing and most hara So
sing Of the duties Of the adrninistration y
C. w. Jones.