Evening star., 1907-08-11
FATE OF JOHANNESBURG
BAD PLACE NOW FOR SOLDIERS
OF FORTUNE.
Financial Outlook Very Bad-The
Beers Blame It on the British
Occupation.


JOHANNESBURG. August 1O.-Ameri-
cans-gold-seekers. laborers soldiers Of for
tune-are being warned away from the
Transvaal And. in fact. the Transvaal
Of today is a pretty good country to keep
away from.
Never during the darkest hours Of the
Boer government did things appear as
gloomy. To be sure. the Boer government
was largely a government OF farmers.
There were few large cities. and the reign
ing ruling forces could always be sure of
making a living. Indeed, the disposition
of President Kruger and his associates was
to till the land and let the British hunt the
gold.
With the ending OF the Boer war and
with the construction of large sections Of
the Cape to Cairo railroad it was every
where supposed that South Africa would
enjoy boon unprecedented in the history
Of that section of the world. The pro-
Beers with religious bent Of mind do not
hesitate to assert that God is furnishing the
British for depriving the Beers Of their
liberty. The British. at least that section
with materialstic turn of mind, say that
the hard times which are now all but
running Johannesburg and which have af-
fected the other sections might have been
avoided II the liberal government of Great
britain had only kept hands off-not the
Boer question, but rather the Chinese situ-
atlon
For nearly three years now has depres-
sion reigned IN Johannesburg. Only one
more stage is left-a great financial crash.
The people have become familiar with the
words "stagnation" and ruin" They have
grown callous to insolvencies and immense
iytdpr 70 IN, Ia
DEBTS are too common to worry about
Book debts are unstable at any figure.
Never before has the financial sky of the
Rand been so dark as 1t is today A cloud
or the deepest pessimism has settled over
all: The gloom Is unrelieved. 1t is diff
cult to find single man who looks for
ward with confidence or even hope. Every
week retrenchment becomes more drastic
Every day swells the ranks Of the unem-
ployed. Only the very wealthiest can OBJ
tain credit. and then only for small
amounts
The disappearance of 50 many sound.
well established firms Is significant In
the main streets dozens Of shops are empty
The jewelers. shops-once the pride of the
datOrs.
1t is claimed that the recent vote in the
legislative assembly which. as Sir George
Farrar admits means the end Of Chinese
dition Of affairs. But that would be equiv
alent to admitting that 81. 900 Chinese alone
stand between the Rand and ruin. And
probably there Is not a Boer or Briton on
the Hand who would go 30 far as to admit
that In the final analysis.
Undoubtedly the decision OF the govern
nent has had great deal to do with maxi
ing bad worse. 1t has removed a last hone
to which so many clung with such pathetic
confidence People have undoubtedly been
buoyed up with the assertion of the mining
houses that Chinese labor spelled pros
perfty. London capitalists have undoubt-
edly continued their support with the men
tai reservation that the final vote for or
against the Chinese would decide their ac-
ton. II favorable they would persevere;
If unfavorable they would cut their losses
and get out Of the whole business. Repa-
trfatfon was to mark the end of persever-
ance 1t was the signal for giving up. 1t
tinuation of depression. Alone 1t would
have worAed mischief. for in a shaky COM
munity the withdrawal OF any prop Is dan
gerous. Combined with the great strike it
has undoubtedly been fatal. Nevertheless
the output has been and still is s1OOOO.OOO
month. There are 1000 natives ready to
take the places Of the 1900 served with
ejectment notices On the face of 1t 1t
would appear as though the decision to
send back the Chinese ought not to have
deepened the depression terribly.
But But repatriation t is only one of the
are who blame the strike. and undoubtedly
the strike has had a great deal to do with
1T. just as the Chinese question has had a
Sitdl uedi 10 uO WITH II. But now that
things settling down 1t Is recognized
that Johannesburg has been over-built and
over-peopled Capitalists and spectators
have builded city for a quarter Of mill
lion people where they should have planned
only mining camp and a good old-fash-
ioned county or borough seat. for Jahan-
nesburg Is not and never can be much
more than a mining camp and a center for
the rural districts Of the Transvaal to shop
IN. And. OF course, mere mining without
manufacturing and shipping can hardly
build a great city. 1t was the madness Of
the boom which gave employment to thou
sands. Today the boom has CEASED and
thousands are out Of work. while other
thousands have left the town. Just as an
indication OF the fall of values 1t is worth
mentioning that In a year the municipal
valuation Of johannesburg has been re-
duced by $5O.OOO.OOO And 1t Is still sinking
johannesburg Is undoubtedly suffering
the fate which has Overtaken all of the
boom towns OF the new countries of North
and South America. Whether 1t will ulti-
mately recover its relative position in the
world Is for the future to decide.