The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-04-07
where THE BLACK RULE
PROSPEROUS NEGRO KINGDOM
IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.
7,o,es Are Low, the Country Has No
Debt, and Large Surplus Is
i'm the Treasury.

i'm the Treasury.
The rising among the Basuto mine
1oborers of the Transvaal at the time
- the recent trouble with the white
,,,rl,ers draws attention to one of
+bo most remarkable of the native
races in South Africa. Basutoland
* self governing native territory
,,naer the aegis of the British crown.
Tho spirit of the British policy to-
,rsrd il was strikingly revealed re-
cantly by Lord Gladstone when be-
fore thousands Of Basutos he first
,rocIaimed Griffiths the future king,
,rd then, as the servant of King
George saluted the new ruler of the
Basutos.
Thirty years ago Great Britain
started upon the experiment Of help
ing the Basuto nation to govern it
self Today no matter what test of
nrogress is applied to that country,
half as large again as Wales, the re-
snonse is conclusive. There is loyal
fy TO the crown, racial peace, nation
al vitality, religious amity and eco
nOmic stability.
The critics of 80 years ago pre-
dicted disaster, and not without some
roaeon. The Beers had tried to con-
nupr the Basutos and failed, British
ayDeditions ended in disaster, British
sovereignty was proclaimed and
abandoned. The Orange Free State
declared war against the Basutos and
received such a hot reception that
thpy had to give up. The Cape par
lament, too tried to govern this dis
tant territory, but failed and aban-
doned it. Then a new era dawned,
the administration of Basutoland by
tbe Basutos and for the Basutos
alone, under the guidance of Brit
ish adviser
The chancellor of the exchequef
of Basutoland must be happy man,
for he has never faced deficit. The
taxation in Basutoland is about 81
Der capita per annum upon popula-
lion of 100000 and every year the
budget shows a surplus. The coun-
try has no debt, but lends the real
lied surplus to other native terrific
ries or places large sums on fixed
deposits in the South African Bank.
Before home rule BasutOland was
seldom free from wars, rumors of
wars and tribal fights. The national
parliament has brought together ev-
cry element in the nation and welded
it into a solid force, which now
makes for peace and progress
While many tropical and sub-trop-
zeal territories are feeling acutely
their decreasing population this lit
tie country, secure from the Euro
pean exploiter and prOspector, is
multiplying with extraordinary ra-
Didity. In 1891 the population was
21S,324 and in 1901 it had increas-
ed to 347,731, and in the next de-
cade, 1911, to something over AGO.
600.
This rapid increase. is going a long
way toward solving the labor prob
lem, for during last year over 10000
BasutOs crossed their own borders to
assist the white man in his task OF
reaDing the wealth of South Africa.
Though for it's size and popula-
ton Basutoland produces compare
lively enormous quantity OF gram
it has an industry of great economic
value to South Africa, the output OF
native labor. 1t supplies the sineWs
of agriculture in the Orange Free
State; to a large extent it keeps go
ing railway works, coal mining, the
diamond mines, the gold mines of
the Transvaal and furnishes in adj
dition a large proportion of domestic
servants in the surrounding terrific
ries.