posed to pay for
Nobel's dynamite receive no less than 38s. per case as duty, and that
if the contract proposed by the Chamber had been made the Government
would have profited during the previous four years to the extent of
L1,200,000 instead of L150,000. Upon another occasion light was
thrown on dark places in a rather disconcerting fashion. Mr.
Christiaan Joubert, Minister of Mines, took one of the witnesses in
hand with the object of showing that the people of Johannesburg had
only themselves to thank for the loss of confidence in this business.
The following questions and answers are from the official report:--

Should not the Chamber of Mines co-operate with the Department of
Mines to get a law protecting European shareholders from being
defrauded by swindlers?--I don't know if such a law could be framed
without interfering with what, in other countries, is considered to
be personal liberty. You have to come to the point whether the man
intended to swindle, and that can only be settled by the Court, as a
matter of personal judgment. If a good law could be devised it would
be beneficial.

Is there no possibility for the Chamber of Mines to work with the
Department for the passing of such a law?--I don't know if laws exist
in France, Germany, England, or America, to that specific effect; but
if so, I would be guided by the wisdom and immense experience of the
law makers of those countries, otherwise we might be rushing in where
angels fear to tread.

Is it then possible? Are you willing to discuss the matter with
us?--Oh, yes; but I do not think that that is exactly what is wanted
in order to restore confidence. Lots of things combine to shake the
confidence of investors. For instance, to deal with some small and
homely matters, I was told by a member of the Sanitary Board
yesterday that an application for the underground rights of the
Market Square, had been made by Mr. Jan Meyer, a leading member of
the Volksraad. That does not help to restore confidence. The Sanitary
Board applied for a portion of the Telephone Tower Park in order to
erect a Town Hall. They were refused. Now, some one has made an
application for the right to erect swimming baths. That does not
restore confidence. I hope the mere publication of these things will
prevent them from succeeding. The Sanitary Board applied for the
Union Ground, also for public purposes, but it was granted to private
applicants on the quiet. They have hawked it about