members are Mr. Theo. Schreiner, Mr. Alexander, M. L. A., the Rev. Saul Solomon, Miss Schreiner, Rev. G. Robson, and Mr. Arnold Wynne, M.A., the Honorary Secretary. (We understand that Col. Stanford, as being a member of the Land Commission, felt himself precluded from taking part in the interview with the native deputation.) This appeal from the South African Society is addressed to our Committee after hearing statements from the deputation, which are confirmed by resolutions of various European Church Congresses petitioning the Union Government against the terms of the Act. The Secretary of the South African Society, in introducing to our Society the members of the native deputation, which consists of the Rev. J. L. Dube, Dr. Rubusana, Mr. Saul Msane, Mr. Sol Plaatje and others, states that they are fully informed on good evidence that this deputation represents the large majority of the natives.. The Committee suggests to our Society that they should ask the Colonial Office to urge the Union Government to secure for the natives a fair quid pro quo for the loss of their former rights of land purchase, and that this quid pro quo should include an extension of the native areas scheduled in the Act, sufficient for the needs of a rapidly increasing native population. They further submit that the need for some action is imperative and urgent; that the present state of affairs has already caused much hardship, and must, if allowed to continue, give rise to serious consequences, both to natives and Europeans in South Africa. In addition our Society would draw your attention to the reply of the Prime Minister of the Union to a petition from Mr. Dube, stating that "it is the intention of Government to make full legislative provision for such gradual expropriation of lands owned by Europeans within defined Native areas as may from time to time be necessary, for the settlement of Natives on such lands under a regularized system, for the acquisition of land by Natives within such areas, for the gradual extension of the system of individual tenure wherever the Natives are sufficiently advanced to appreciate its advantages and for the good government of and the local administration of affairs in Native areas by means of Native Councils and otherwise." Since legislation to give effect to these promises cannot be introduced until the Land Commission has reported, we urge that measures should be taken to secure the presentation of that report at as early a date as possible. I am, etc., TRAVERS BUXTON, Secretary. In the meantime, a letter had been received from the Colonial Office stating that Mr. Harcourt would reserve his decision as to receiving them and asking for a memorandum of the points they wished to discuss. We understand that this has been duly forwarded to him. Mr. Harcourt made it clear that the Union Government had already been informed that the King would not be advised to exercise his power of disallowance in respect of the Act. The members of the deputation have handed to us a copy of a letter addressed by them to Mr. Harcourt, which is in the following terms : 13, GUILDFORD STREET, TO THE RT. HON. LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P. LONDON, W.C. Your signatories represent a deputation of British subjects, appointed by the Native National Congress of South Africa to proceed to England to lay before you, for presentation to His Majesty the King, an appeal that he would be graciously pleased to withhold Royal assent from the Native Land Act of 1913—an appeal which, we were informed, must be lodged before the 16th of this month. We beg to point out that this step was only taken by the Congress after every other constitutional means at our disposal in South Africa had been exhausted. We understand from a communication made to the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, that His Majesty's Government has already notified the Union Government of South Africa that His Majesty will not be advised to exercise his power of disallowance. This decision, which had already been intimated to us in South Africa, has caused deep and widespread regret amongst the natives of South Africa. Seeing that the operation of this Act has already rendered landless and homeless a large number of His Majesty's native subjects, we submit that this decision in effect debars four millions of natives from exercising their right of appeal under section 65 of the South Africa Act, whereby His Majesty can disallow such Act within twelve months of its passing, if, in his opinion, it prejudices the right of any considerable section of his loyal subjects. Under these circumstances, we beg to appeal for the assistance of the Imperial Government in three directions. The effects of Clauses 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 upon native rights are causing grave concern throughout the Union territories, and must continue to do so until the report of the Land Commission is before Parliament, and its provisions and recommendations given legal sanction. We beg to ask, therefore, whether the Imperial Government would use its good offices to secure from General Botha the suspension of the operation of these clauses pending the report of the Land Commission. The working of this Act, like any comprehensive measure affecting wide and complex interests, has, unfortunately, led both indirectly and directly, to many hardships; in some cases involving large financial loss, and in others destitution and suffering. It is difficult to estimate the number of natives suffering now from the incidence of the Act, but we have in our possession some Affidavits, giving statements of these hardships, and these are at the disposal of the authorities. It would, we are convinced, greatly relieve the tension of native feeling in South Africa, and, at the same time, prove an incalculable blessing to the people if some effective machinery could be set up for enquiring into and remedying these grievances. We greatly hope it may be possible for His Majesty's Government to intercede for us and to secure from the South African Government a promise to take some such action as that suggested by your signatories. On January 29 last, Mr. Edward Dower, upon the instruction of General Botha, Minister for Native Affairs, in a communication to one of the signatories (the Rev. J. L. Dube) said : When the time arrives for introducing such legislation, it is the intention of the Government to make full legislative provision for such gradual expropriation of lands owned by Europeans within defined native areas as may from time to time be necessary; for the settlement of natives on such lands under a regularised system; for the acquisition of land by natives within such areas; for the gradual extension of the system of individual tenure wherever the natives are sufficiently advanced to appreciate its advantages, and for the good government and the local administration of affairs in native areas by means of Native Councils and otherwise." We appreciate to the full the generosity of these proposals made by General Botha, but the life of Governments and men is uncertain, and, whilst these promises are not only generous but doubtless prompted by the best intentions, they are, after all, only promises at present. If, however, these proposals could receive the formal and public approval of the Imperial Government, or, still better, form the basis of an undertaking as a native policy by the Imperial and South African Governments, we believe that native feeling in South Africa would be considerably reassured as to their future welfare. It is these three points the deputation beg to be allowed to lay before you in person at as early a date as may be convenient to yourself. We have, etc. WALTER B. RUBUSANA. SOL PLAATJE. T. M. MAPIKELA. The deputation were received by Mr. Harcourt last month, but although the Minister gave them a courteous hearing we regret to learn that he showed no disposition to accede to any of their requests, or give them any satisfaction. East Africa Protectorate. REPORT ON NATIVE LABOUR. WE referred in our last issue to this remarkable report, and gave some account of the recommendations of the Native Labour Commission. The report discloses to the public an extraordinary conception of native rights on the part of some of the settlers, and raises highly important issues. If Mr. Harcourt adopted the proposals set forth by these witnesses for forcing labour and curtailing the reserves, it would not be long before slave-owning and slave-trading in its crudest form became rampant throughout the Protectorate. The Society has addressed a letter to the Colonial Secretary on the subject, which has been published in pamphlet form. A number of questions have also been put in Parliament, and an article by the Society's Organizing Secretary in the June number of the Contemporary Review has attracted a good deal of interest. NEW MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE. WE are glad to announce that the following gentlemen have been appointed members of the Committee of the Society :-Admiral SIR GEORGE KING-HALL, K.C.B., C.V.O., whose firsthand knowledge of the New Hebrides situation will be of the highest value to the Society, and Mr. W. B. GIBBINS, of Stratford-on-Avon. Mr. Gibbins has interested himself especially in the question of Portuguese Slavery, and has generously helped the Society's funds. The Zanzibar Bureau. THE reports of the International Maritime Bureau for two years have been published in the annual Brussels volume of Slave Trade papers. They state that during the years 1911-1912 no case of abduction of natives, destined for slavery, has been brought forward, which allows the hope that in a short time it may be said that the negro slave-trade on these coasts of East Africa will have entirely and definitely disappeared. During 1913 the report states that in spite of supervision by the Government, by different consulates and by ships of war, the Bureau has received no information of any case of slave-trading. "It may be said that the odious traffic has at last disappeared, and it is permissible to ask the question whether the Bureau, which has shown so much zeal in the past, has now any further raison d'etre." This brief report is signed by Mr. G. B. Beak, British Vice-Consul, as Secretary. The Egyptian Sudan. 1 In his official report on the Sudan for 1913 1 Lord Kitchener states that "in spite of the abnormally low Nile and unevenly distributed rains, the Sudan has not only paid its way, but has continued to make satisfactory progress on the lines of development already laid down." To the subject of slavery, which in former years was so formidable a difficulty in the Sudan, only one short paragraph is devoted, and that is of a satisfactory character. "The traffic in slaves has been rendered almost impossible by the precautions taken by the Government. Few cases have been reported during the past year, and the number of attempts to smuggle slaves through from Abyssinia and the south-western and other frontiers has been minimized. Cases of kidnapping occur from time to time, but are always followed up, generally with success." 1 Egypt No. 1, 1914. Native Medical Disabilities in West Africa. THE question of qualified native doctors practising in West Africa and the disabilities attaching to them in the Government Medical Service has for some time been before the Society, which has been in communication with its auxiliaries in Sierra Leone and Accra on the subject. The native prefers to be attended and treated by a doctor of his own race, and many natives have received a medical education and become fully qualified for service under Government. Owing to colour prejudice, however, the native medical men are to a large extent excluded from the Government Medical Service. That this is a real evil was shown by an article in the London Medical Times in October last, which stated that the Sierra Leone Government steadily refused to employ native doctors even to treat natives in the hospital, because of their colour, a reason as puerile as it is unjust." The present system is described as being "utterly rotten and absolutely indefensible," and one by which the West African doctor is needlessly degraded and neglected. " As a result of careful consideration and discussion of the matter by native medical men in Sierra Leone, a memorandum containing suggestions for reform was drawn up and forwarded to the Society, which embodied the proposals in a letter to the Colonial Office, the text of which, and of the reply to it, follows: SIR, TO THE RT. HON. LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P., ETC. May 1, 1914. The Committee of this Society has for some time now brought to the notice of His Majesty's Government the disabilities imposed upon qualified native medical men in the West African Colonies. At the same time, every effort has been made by the Society to gather local information upon the subject, both from the standpoint of the doctors themselves, and from those who object to an increased employment of natives in the service of His Majesty's Government On January 29, 1913, you gave in the House of Commons the numbers of native and European medical men in the service as 7 and 214 respectively. This disproportion appears to be criticized by all parties with varying severity; but there is the widest difference of opinion as to the solution of the problem, and in all probability a satisfactory solution could only be reached by the appointment of a commission to inquire into the whole question of education in the West African Colonies. In the meantime, we beg to submit to His Majesty's Government those suggestions for which there appears to be the largest measure of local support 1. That a separate medical body be formed to be called the "Colonial Medical Service." |