22 THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN QUESTION
London Municipality in that Colony, the power to frame Bye- Laws prohibiting Indians from walking on the foot- paths and making them live in locations. It has issued instructions to the authorities of East Gripuinland not to issue any trading licences to the Indians. The Gape Government are in communication with the Home Government with a view to induce them to sanction legislation restricting the influx of the Asiatics. The people in the Chartered territories are endeavouring to close the country against the Asiatic trader. In Zulu- land, a Crown Colony, we cannot own or acquire landed property in the townships of Eshowe and Nondweni. This question is now before Mr. Chamberlain for consi- deration. As in the Transvaal there also it is criminal for an Indian to buy native gold,
Thus we are hemmed in on all sides by restrictions. And if nothing further were to be done here and in Eng- land on our behalf, it is merely a question of time when the respectable Indian in South Africa will be absolutely extinct.
Nor is this merely a local question. It is aa the London Times puts it, "that of the status of the British Indian outside India/' "If," says the Thunderer, "they fail to secure that position, (that is of equal status) in South Africa, it will be difficult for them to attain it else- where." I have no doubt you have read in the papers that Australian Colonies have passed legislation to pre- vent Indians from settling in that part of the World. It will be interesting to know how the Home Government deal with that question.
The real cause of all this prejudice may be expressed in the words of the leading organ in South Africa,.
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