The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-24
1900 NILES FOR CHRISTMAS
SOtTH AFRICAN JUDGE rOuES
NORTH TO GREET ms son.

\ tie Reparts That th~ New ert -. g. Hns a
negro Probiem nj Its Ow N aRai = P~ea-
| liar Court stem-Thr American
1 Population There u Not Increasing.
After travelling about ic,oHo miles for
that purpose. A. Weir Mason. one OF the
Justices of the Supr-m. Court of the new
| Union OF South Africa. arrived yesterday
on the Lusitanii TO spend Christmas with
his son. who is a student at the Massschu-
J sets Institute of Technology. The Union
| Of South Africa has been getting into
the papers Of late because its initials
confuse the clerks in the British post
Offices. who have been taught that u. \.
A meant United States OF America.
| Justice Mason left Pretoria on Novem-
her 10 for Capetown. "A I .OOO mile journey
by train. From that port he sailed on
November u. landing IN England on
December 10. thus getting time 90 put
| in a whole week in the country Of his
ancestors before the Lusitania sailed.
| The Justice was born IN "A British colony
| in South Africa. Il. made his first trip
to this country about three years ago
The Union Of South Africa ~ a new
country. SO far as the form of Gov
eminent il concerned said Justice
Mlson. at the Manhattan Hotel yester-
day. for it came into being only on
MAY 81 last. all at once. a. IL were.
and we are just beginning to get the
machinery working. We have Superior
courts and one supreme Court for South
Africa. the system being considerably
different from the courts Of Canada and
very different from those Of the United
States. We have what We call an APP
pellats Division Of the Supreme Court.
which To some extent corresponds with
the Supreme Court OF this country. ex-
cept that its jurisdiction and appeal are
practically not limited. though in criminal
cases these powers are exercised only
when special leave IL given.
Then there are Judges Of tho Supreme
Court assigned Ia the provincial divisions
OF the court. All these Justices are APP
pointed by the Union Government and
hold Office during life or good behavior
Removal must be by vote of both houses
81 the Union Parliament The Govern
ments OF the different provinces are much
more subsidiary TO the central Govern
ment than is the case in Canada.
As 49, business. we have had bad
time. though our depression was not in
the same class with the 1907 trouble.
lnlnkS are on Inc ulrnu, however. anu
the railway returns show a substantial
increase Some extension OF railways ~
being made bu, they are not of much
importance. The main centres have been
connected with the coast, which IL the
thing most desired in that country ! do
not think that for the present any in
Cidental prosperity would bring about
further extensive railway development
unless II were the discovery Of new mineral
centres. iiur tine country il being grad
ually covered with RAILWAYS.
i doubt very much whether the AMER
can population Of South Africa il in
creasing.- said Justice Mason IN answer
TO a question One reason ~ that We
are now growing our own men he big
lines Of development hav" been laid down
The American engineers who were re
sponsible have done the big work and
many have left the country Naturally
there are fewer coming IN. A good MANY !
of the young men OF the country ar" doing
as my son IL doing studying engineering. /
South Africa II an intensely interesting I
Wrs are more especially CON !
cerned over "a problem with which you |
have had to deal in this country. that -. /
what ara the proper relations between I
whites and blacks. for IN our country the |
latter are nearly five to one. They repre- [
sent all stages from men az IN" Booker !
" ashington type all tn" way down 10
pure barbarian- "" are ALWAYS looking
To America to See how you arr Progressing
toward the solution OF tniS tltllCult pFpD-
lem. In many parts Of south Africa
polygamy between the blacks u recog-
nized by statute
Our natives by the way. belong 10
different branch Of the Hamitic race
from the negroes Of th., United State.
being Bantus. Until recently they CON
Sidered il necessary that when man
married a girl he should Civ. her father
q consideration. and this was supposed to
make the marriage valid This - still a
custom. though II il no longer essential
TO a valid marriage. In most tribes no
nativ. woman may inherit She REMAINS
under tbs. power Of her husbands or her
fathers family. a. among tn" ancient
Romans.
-On tho other hand there are many
natives and vast numbers anx-
lous 20 learn Marked changes have
taken place among them in the last few
years in tn. direction of civilization.
We have no single capital IN South
Africa for Will" Pretoria II the seat Of the
IN" Legislative" -aat - !
Capetown In the government Of the
four provinces new plan - being put
into operation Tn. Union Government
ITSELF is OF course party Government
put for each 81 the provinces AN adj
mini strator ~ appointed for term Of
years by IN. mon Government He
~ assist sd by an execuctive council of four
elected nv proportionate representation
n the provincial Legislature In m.
provinces there l. one legi-lativ. house