156 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION E. 



four South African Colonies made it inadvisable for any one- 

 of the Colonies concerned to introduce legislation of the kind. 



In 1910 the Union was consummated, and that necessarily 

 involved the settlement of ^reat questions, which demanded 

 immediate attention to the virtual exclusion of native affairs; 

 the single attempt at legislation, the Natives Land Act of 1912, 

 hurried through Parliament, has been a bone of contention ever 

 since. It did not, however, aft"ect the Transkei so much, as 

 that is a Native Reserve, and therefore does not affect the 

 argument. Finally, the outbreak of the European War brought 

 to an end for the time all thoughts of passing the highly 

 contentious Native Affairs Bill, then in prospect. Thus for 

 nearly a quarter of a century the Glen Grey Act has been 

 operating continuously and without interference, and to this 

 circumstance, which is of such importance in a conservative 

 community, not a little of the success is due. 



But when we have said all this there yet remains to be 

 discovered the great dynamic of all this new life and new 

 national expression. The facts of the case show that the under- 

 lying, inspiring, enabling cause has been, without doubt, the 

 education of the Native: and the consequent transition from 

 Communism to Individualism, profound in character as it is, and 

 affecting all departments of the national life, stands revealed 

 as the direct result of that education. 



8. Conclusions. 



Formulating our conclusions briefly, it becomes absolutely 

 plain that education cannot but proceed, a thesis which we set 

 out to demonstrate and prove, not because it needs proving, but 

 because it is well that the available evidence should be collected 

 and co-ordinated at this stage of world history, when so many 

 backward races are demanding attention and help. 



In the first place, as it has already been shown, we dare not 

 allow the power of -witchcraft to remain unbroken, and to 

 exercise sway within the bounds of a Christian State. Secondly, 

 even though every native school were closed, that were of no 

 avail to stem the tide, for the natives are being educated, in 

 any case, by mere race-contact. Thirdly, it is the duty of 

 the State to satisfy the aspirations, not merely of one section, 

 but of all sections of the community. Fourthly, there is the 

 moral peril, which makes it imperative for us to educate the 

 native out of the animal rut, which makes vile sexual customs 

 the well-nigh universal rule of heathen life. Fifthly, the native 

 is an asset to be developed. Good government is an essential to 

 such development. From the point of view of taxation and 

 revenue it is sheer folly to leave so large a section of the 

 community ignorant and indigent, for in direct ratio as ignorance 

 gives place to knowledge we find commerce developing steadily, 

 making possible increased taxation and larger returiis of revenue. 



