Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-26

and made use of Dr. Jameson's CO.
operation in the negotiations which led
up to union. 1t certainly has done no
harm to DR.. Jameson's prospects Of
leading the Progressive party.
Paper Protests
Following this, however, came fresh
discussions on the subject Of the lead
ership of the other side of the premier
ship, which is supposed to be attached
TO it. The Cape Times, the principal
Progressive organ in the Cape Colony,
not wishing apparently to be left be-
hind by the Volksstem in managing the
affairs of the other side, began to ad-
yocate the claims of Mr.. Merriman to
be the first prime minister. The scorn
with which the Dutch newspapers
were at first inclined to treat this
politicians claims has died away into
silence. At the present moment, II he
is not the favorite for the position, he
is at any rate, very much in the run
ming. 1t looks as if Mr.. Hofmeyr has
received him back into favor and is
inclined TO support him in preference
to Gen. Botha. II that is the case his
chances would be very good indeed.
The decision is likely to depend on the
attitude of the Orange Free State, and
this is difficult to f0retel.
Proportional representation, which
was thrown overheard at the final
session of the national convention in
order TO appease Mr.. Hofmayr and the
bond, is to be given a trial in the next
municipal elections of johannesburg.
This is due to Mr. Smuts, the colonial
secretary, who is a professed adherent
of the system Last session ne
brought in a bill for applying propor-
tional representation TO the election
-
and Pretoria, and the measure was
passed practically without opposition.
MANY of the members of parliament
who voted for 1t were known TO nave
been by no means eager for the appll-
cation of the same principle at the
elections for the union parliament, and
some had positively welcomed It's
abandonment by the convention. Their
willingness to apply it in the case OF
the municipalities may be explained
perhaps by supposing them TO desire
that the experiment should be mace
on a vile body. or possibly they held
that any change in the present posi-
ton of better. The last seems harsh
saving. and perhaps it eNagGerates'
Pf1t there Is no doubt that, in Jo-
bannesburg at any rate, the progress
of municipal self government has not
been altogether satisfactory, judged py
the popularity of the town couIcll or
hv the esteem in which it is held. Ihe
new system will not be introduced a'
once, but by installments'
Locust Report Published
The third annual report of the COM
rnittee Of control of the South African
locust bureau has peen published. The
duty of preparing and editing the re-
mort fell to Mr. Lounsbury, the cape
government entomologist, who in a pre-
Of nllTea
iabors In 19OS-9 British South Africa
was little troubled by this persistent
nest and this comparative immunity
Mr. Tounsbury has no hesitation In at
tributing to the vigorous campaign
conducted during the previous season
against both brown and red iocusts'
aided bv the abundance of locust BIRDS
Tn Cane colony. however, this freedom
from visitation was short lived. IN
March everything seemed to indicate
that South Africa was practically lld
Of the brown locust at last, when sud
denly vast sWarms swept across the
Orange river and oVerrran haf the
Cape colony.
escaped saw in this invasion punish
ment for the Cape's stingy provision
for locust determination in the estl-
mates for the year 19089. At all events
the lesson was not lost on the Cape
government, and in the estimates for
19O9-1O the small amount of $4,000 allo-
Gated for the purpose last year was in
creased to $4,000, The swarms which
have infested the Cape this year ap-
pear to have been bred in an unin-
habited desert in northern Gordonia
and the southwest corner of Bechuana-
land Portoctorate. In Mr. Lounsbury's s
opinion it is doubtful if reliable infor- |
nation as to the extent and intensity
of the infestation could have been Sc
cured even if the bureau had suspected
that trouble was brewing, and, adds
the government entomologist it is in
conceivable that the invasion could
have been prevented by human effort
The swarms says Mr. Lounsbury's S
summary gradually spread over 1885,
coo square miles of territory in the !