The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-04-16

CNDlOLhING the Eacf that
W RhOdesia is merely a baby
among the nations-it has
only just passed the thirtieth
anniversary of its charter-it can Ger
tainly be described as a remarkably
healthy infant, and the curious anoma-
~ OF rule by a chartered company
seems to have justified itself as fully
In this case as in The historic instance
OF the East India company. 1t is. in
deed, remarkable feat to have taken
vast tract of country-larger than
France, Germany, Belgium and HoI-
land together-the home of continual
warfare between savage tribes. and
In less than thirty years to have intro
duced there law, order and security for
natives and settlers, and many of the
refnements of high civilization, says
the Sketch of London.
Till the pioneer column entered the
country in 1890, TO take over the con-
cessions which had been granted to
the chartered company, there was not
so much as practicable road into the
interior. Today there are 1000
miles of good roads, while the railway
stretches north and south and east,
connecting Rhodesia with the outer
world through both Capetown and the
Portuguese port of Beira. From Bula-
way0 it runs northwards-a link In the
great Cape to Cairo railway, which
Rhodes visualized-till it reaches Bel
gian territory, taking the Zambesi in
its stride. and crossing 1t by a bridge
which is one OF the engineering won
ders of the world. A network of tele-
graph and telephone wires links up the
scattered communities and brings them
into touch with the rest of the British
empire.
Communications were rightly seen
by Rhodes and his associates to be the
key to the development of the country,
and millions of pounds have been
spent by the British South Africa COM
pany during these 80 years in improv-
ing them, in order to render accessible
to British settlers the natural wealth
and the wonderful climate of this IA
vored colony. The climate is such as
to make it particularly suitable for
European habitation, the fact that the
country is within the tropics being
counteracted by the height above sea-
level, the plateau which constitutes the
bulk of southern RhodeSia being at an
average altitude of 1900 feet. The
winter mOnthS-June to August-are
dry, most of the rain failing between
January and March. Even in the hot
season the nights are cool The tenn
perature in the shade rarely reaches
100 degrees and In winter there is just
sufficient frost to be of service to the
farmers.
Fine Country to Live In.
The proof Of the pudding is I'm the
eating-the low death rate and the
not merely of the settlers,
but of their Rhodesian-born and bred
children. There is no need to send the
latter home-the separation which
makes India, for example, so painful
place for parents-either for health or
for education. There are between
thirty and forty good schools I'm Rho
desia, wholly or partly maintained by
the government, and several of these
educate their pupils up to the standard
of entrance to the University OF Cape
town, while three carry on education
to the Oxford and Cambridge matrlcu-
lation examinations.
There are plenty Of opportunities for
sport in Rhodesia, there being some
varieties of antelope alone.
Large game, In the shape Of lions, ele-
plants, rhinoceros, etc, is also plenti-
full. Sport of other kinds is catered
to by the provision of clubs for polo,
golf, cricket and other games.
In addition to mining-for gold, coal,
iron and other ores-the chief
Industries of Rhodesia are agriculture
In its various forms and cattle-raising.
There are huge areas of country emf
nently suited for grazing, and many of
the leading authorities are of the opin-
ION that Rhodesia will in the near fu-
lure be one of the greatest meat-pro-
iucing countries of the empire and the
world. The native cattle are small,
cut hardy and fieshy, and satisfac-
.ory breed is now being graded up
which preserves the good qualities of
he native stock, while adding the
greater size of the imported lulls.
Great efforts are being made by the
sritish South Africa company to de
'elop the industry, and extensive ar