The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-09-07
Problem to Face
FOCR-CORNERED COIORED
LINE QUESTION HAS ARISEN IN
SOUTH AFRICA

| The question OF immigration is ran.
iuiy becoming one of the most import
ant IN the South African union, i.
assumes this Importance because if in
! wolves the controversies over educa-
ZION and language; the relations of tho
white and ,colOred populations tive
demand for unskilled labor. in fac
most of the problems before the new
government. While the Introduction
or settlers from Europe would go far
toward disposing of some of the COO
| troVersles, the readjustment it is held
would be more favorable to Births,
! than Boer interests. For this reason
the recent statement of Prime Min
lister Botha in London that South A.
rlca needed immigrants of the tyDa
that laid the foundations of Canadian
development was controverted by an
other member of the cabinet, General
Hertzog strongly conservative Roor
leader, who declared that he could
not see what good immigration would
do the country
Inc shortage of unskilled labor
which was met in the urgent crisis of
the reconstruction period by the i'm
portation of indentured Asiatic labor
is already recurring and will become
more acute as development proceeds.
70 nave remained dependent upon this
TABOR would have been to help build
up colored nation instead of white
nation. The realization of this was
what animated most of the opponents
or Asiatic labor. They declared that
they objected as much to Kafir as to
Chinese; they wanted to get rid of
boss regulations and special measures
winch made control of the natives
easy, in fact their purpose was TO
force employment Of whites by max
Ing colored labor hard to get and diff
Hcult TO manage. To have left the
door open would have brought an
Asiatlc immigration that would have
oeen a greater menace than the
hordeS of blacks, because the Asiatics
are. In many respects a superior race,
and the nearness of South Africa
| makes IT natural outlet for the super
| fuous population.
The colored labor OF the country
user IS becoming an uncertain guam
| tlty. The colored men, of whom there
Is a considerable number, especially
In the Cape province, are. unlike the
black natives, not contented with I'M
Skilled labor. They aspire to be ar
tisans, and the threat of their COM
w u,I
cred with seriousness, for they are in
dustrious and sometimes extremely
! capable. Wfrilc the colored man is
mus slowly b"t surely entering the
tcld Of skilled labor, the white man.
the poor white, owing to his con
tempt Of unskiiled labor is becoming
UNIT for any labor.
The poor white" is the product Of
the condition Of South Africa. The
preDonderance Of the native 1aborcr
has led the white man to refuse 10 do
| work which In other countries Is the
natural province Of the white 1aborcr.
This does not, however, preclude tlu
Presence in South Africa Of q large
class only 1T for uhskilled labor. The
climate Is friendly, and the poor
white lives without any Visible
Jncans Of support. "Efe becomes in
capable Of excrtion," says recent
writer; he descCrldB rapidly to con-
| dition Of almost animal degradation;
| hiS numerous children run wild in
| the woods; the cvjIs Of his existence
multiply with his own appalling fer
tjljty.' Instead Of being any value in
solving the problem Of labor he Is q
burden to the country. Stress has
| brcn laid upon this fact by the opp1n-
"ris Of immigration. They say that