Omaha daily bee., 1905-05-21
Compares Transvaal with Conditions il
Cape Colony Fifty Years Ago.
SITUATION is ACUTE IN EAST AFRICA
British Treasury Fails to Supply Money to
Save Earlier Expenditures.
GRoGAN TALKS Or NEEDED LEGISLATION
Nnys that Land Laws of New Possess
1iOnA Are work of Anna
teur and should BE
Amended.

PRETORIA, May 2O.-(Special Cable
gram to The Bee)-The Beers are bitter in
their denunciation of the new constitution.
They declare that the colony is worse Off
than Cape Colony was fifty years ago.
Much of the criticism is directed against
the clause retaining the intercoloniaf coun-
GU On the present basis it is inevitable
that this body should come in for much
abuse at the first elections. The council
is not popular in the Colony because it
has never made a point of consulting the
members of the Transvaal Legislature on
matters concerning the colony only Last
session a case in point occurred where it
was felt that the Intercolonial Council,
with regard to certain matters of railway
construction arrived at decision
tagonistic to the voice of public opinion in
the colony Everywhere it is felt that the
council would make more progress If it
i showed a more ready difference to the
legislative bodies.
East African Conditions bad.
CAPE TOWN, May 2-(Special Cable
gram to The Bee)-The situation in East
Africa is attracting wide attention through
out all the British possessions in Africa
owing to the fact that the treasury has
failed to supply the comparatively trifling
sums which are necessary to render the
past expenditure of about e7OOO,0OO sterl-
ing effective. East Africa and Uganda
have Just emerged from their tutelage
p period with the Foreign office and passed
under the Colonial office control This
change is regarded as marking milestone
in the history of the British empire in
Africa.
The situation is really serious. owing to
a lack of funds. Huge sums have been eX-
pended upon the railway but with view
to the strategic needs of the moment and
without consideration of the commercial
development of the country through which
the railway passes At the period or Its
inception this commercial development was
not foreseen. and the urgency of securing
Immediate contact with the then storm
center of the Upper Nile was the dominant
factor In the selection of route.
Now that these strategic needs have beer
met It remains to fructify the dormant
s5oO0.OOO which the task involved. The
conception is regard I'd as another example
of the British instinct for the trails thai
become highways of the world. 1t is nc
longer a case OF pitching money into q
morass The Nile has been saved fol
Great Britain and the railway is already
wearing deep the channel Of Central Asri
can trade. It's success is assured and i
Will SterlllNe all iIeTHldH bllOIlS W zap tlh
commerce Of the interior.
Regarding the land settlement problem
f. s. Grogan is quoted as saying
The main theory that permeates the ex
isting East African land policy is tn tn
speculation" means no business, sine
speculation is In an ever aoeentusting de
No man leaves England in search OF pc
cent, nor does the farmer who is SUN
GENTLY equipped with cash TO TO buy; st9eI SS,I
ing, seek pastures new. The new land
are the happy hunting grounds of thos
their balance at the bank, Men is wha
East Africa needs. for where men com
4 ala money ever precede men. And the ne,
country which waits for prosperous fol
= waits long.
:, Work of Amateur.
The East Indian land ordinances are ey
ss SueS Las tbe fSt eSTa S
lures from various colonial ordinances, !
sublime Sd 0d fS h3T 1ney nay M
regard OF the peculiar conditions of I'll
particular case. Under them the land
- Immediate action be taken the country wi
be so tied that further railway constru'
tiUn tiSUsn last last Os1e great chance Of divertins Il
- stream OF emigration into imperial char
nels, and OF finally substantiating Brttis
dominance in the African continent, wi
have passed away,
The existing pOllCy, Whlle IL lnduceS u
great majority of settlers to acquire fl
larger area of land than they will be alb
to develop, aims at limiting the amount
land which any one man may acquire
respective of his power to use it. Th
must fail, as it Is subyersive OF the who
existing social and commercial scheme.
the same time there Is a tendency to in
pose minor restrictions on the land tenur
which, without benefting the state, seI
ously hampers the holders chance
financing his operations When the sta
parts with land, It should part at on
and for all, and leave land transfer as fr
as air, but TO secure itself from the pI
viege OF tenure should attach condition
10 the title of the land, which condition
pass with the title. The states share
growing values can always be malntan
by a tax on land. and any other form
lien vitiates land a base of finance un
such time as Iand values become clear
ascertainable. This time can never
reached without the base OF finance. whi
transferable title gives.
Land for Settlers.
The last rush OF immigrants has carri
East Africa beyond the stage when IL