188 BANTU INDUSTRIES. 



were taught and encouraged to plant timber trees, the beautiful, 

 but treeless Transkei, to mention only one part of the country, 

 might be greatly enriched and transformed, droughts would 

 almost certainly be modified, shelter for stock would be provided, 

 and the often "difficult problem of fuel would be overcome. Let 

 me state, in passing, that if natives were trained along the lines 

 indicated they would become much more efficient as farm assistants 

 and would be well worth a higher wage. The native who could 

 graft and bud and set out an orchard, prune and harvest fruit, 

 keep the vegetable garden in good order, look after poultry and 

 bees and help with the stock, all in an intelligent and up-to-date 

 method, would be a treasure any farmer would be glad to get and 

 keep. 



In native village life agricultural and pastoral work do not 

 give occupation to all the members of a family, nor do they as 

 a rule give whole-time occupation to any of them, unless it be 

 the herd boys whom it is proposed to release for more productive 

 work by the introduction of fencing. The problem, then, is to 

 find other work which will keep the natives usefully employed, and 

 this introduces the subject of village industries. Such primitive 

 industries as the Natives had before the advent of the white man 

 — smelting, weaving, pottery — have almost, if not altogether, dis- 

 appeared before the articles imported from overseas. This has 

 been a great loss in native life and it needs to be replaced. How 

 can this be done to the best advantage? In India, Ceylon, China, 

 and Japan a very large proportion of the population lives in vil- 

 lages. In these numberless villages industries have been carried 

 on for countless generations and have been brought by long 

 experience to considerable perfection with a minimum in the way 

 of outlay on plant and tools. If South Africa wishes to save an 

 immense amount of time and much money in experimenting, by 

 taking advantage of the experence ripened through many genera- . 

 tions in eastern village life, let her send a commissioner to the 

 East to see what is being done there, and to arrange to graft on 

 to native village life in South Africa what seems suitable and 

 possible. 



The Commissioner would require to know our natives and be 

 familiar with the raw products of this land. He would also require 

 to be a man with some experience in, and aptitude and enthusiasm 

 for, industrial work, so that he might bring a discriminating judg- 

 ment to aid his observations. 



It would seem wise and reasonable to give the Natives as far 

 as is practicable industries which will be peculiarly their own, such 

 industries as can be carried on in their villages without bringing 

 them into direct economic competition with white people. Wicker 

 furniture and basket-making do not require the accurate measure- 

 ments and angles of carpentry, and many Natives already possess 

 some aptitude for this work. Some years ago, from enquiry made 

 in Grahamstown, I came to the conclusion that the stores in that! 

 one town alone were carrying about £1,000 worth of wickerwork 

 stock, practically all of which was imported from Madeira. Osiers 



