South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 8 (of 8): South Africa and Its Future
History
South Africa and the Transvaal War, Vol. 8 (of 8): South Africa and Its Future
South African War, 1899-1902; Transvaal (South Africa) -- History
best quality of settler, though regulations must be sufficiently elastic
to meet the wants of the settler with capital, and also those of the
settler with little more than practical experience. They must vary, too,
with the varying character of the farms. The reason for this necessity
has concisely been explained by Lord Milner: "Take only the broad
distinction between dry and irrigated farms, familiar to every South
African. Evidently a much larger area is required in the former than in
the latter, while the experience needed by the farmer would vary greatly
in the two cases. In the former he would be mainly employed in
stock-raising, while in the latter in the cultivation of cereals; and in
favourable neighbourhoods market gardening would be the most profitable
industry. Australian ranchers seem peculiarly suited to the high veldt,
while the corn lands of the 'Conquered Territory' could have no better
occupants than young progressive farmers from the Scottish lowlands. And
there are intermediate types of farms suited to settlers of the most
varied experience and resources."
A rough draft of the terms on which the Orange River Colony Government
proposed to offer Government land to British settlers affords an insight
into the big projects that are afoot. The draft was submitted to the
British Government about the middle of 1902 in order that sanction might be
given to the principle of the conditions set forth. Here--abbreviated--are
the conditions of lease:--
"The settler shall pay the annual rent due by him to the
Government in half-yearly instalments, the first of which shall
be due six months after his taking possession. The settler
holding under a lease shall have the right, with the approval
of the Government, at any time after the completion of his
first year's tenancy, to enter upon the system of purchase by
instalments, by giving three months' notice to the Government
of his intention to do so before the date when his next
half-yearly instalment falls due. In that case his leasehold
tenure shall be held to cease from the date of the payment of
such instalment, and he shall be entitled to acquire the land
on the same terms as a settler taking it on the purchase
system, save and except that he shall not have a year's grace
before beginning to purchase by instalments, but that the first
of his sixty half-yearly instalments shall become due six
months after the date of his last payment under the lease.
Every lease shall be for five years, but shall be renewable at
the option of the settler for a further period of five or ten
years."
The grounds on which the Government may cancel the lease shall be the
following:--
"Failure to pay in full any half-yearly instalment of rent, or
any sum due in respect of advances within three months of its
becoming due.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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