Science and Colonial Development 



successful consolidation into one vast undertaking 

 of a number of unprofitable enterprises, and be- 

 cause, owing to the limited nature of the demand 

 for diamonds, the industry has to be worked upon 

 the nicest computation of the supply that the market 

 will absorb at a remunerative price. 



The most important problem before the Govern- 

 ment of South Africa is that of the best policy to 

 be adopted towards the natives. According to the 

 census of 1^04, the whole of British South Africa 

 to the south of the Zambesi contained a population 

 of 1,135,016 Europeans, 4,652,662 natives, 434,629 

 coloured persons, and 110,884 Asiatics. Of the 

 natives, 467,142, along with a European population 

 of no more than 1899, wei ~e in the Bechuanaland 

 and Basutoland Protectorates, which, under the 

 direct authority of the Imperial Government, are 

 administered mainly through the agency of the 

 local chiefs. In the colonies proper the dispro- 

 portion between the natives and Europeans ranged 

 from about nine to one in Natal to five to three in 

 the Orange River Colony. All of them, therefore, 

 together with Southern Rhodesia, which had 591,197 

 natives to 12,623 Europeans, are vitally interested 

 in this question, which is most likely to find a satis- 

 factory solution if concerted action is taken in 

 regard to it. With this object the High Com- 

 missioner appointed in 1903 a representative Com- 

 mission, with a comprehensive reference for the 

 study of all matters affecting the welfare of the 

 natives. The Report, 1 which well repays perusal, 

 1 Cd. 2399. 



