e confidently relied upon to
do it.

In the year 1897 some things were exposed which appeared, even to the
Uitlanders, absolutely incredible. What is now known as the 'donkeys
and mealies scandal' was one of them. For the ostensible purpose of
helping burghers who had been ruined by the rinderpest the President
arranged for the purchase of large numbers of donkeys to be used
instead of oxen for draught purposes, and he also arranged for the
importation of quantities of mealies to be distributed among those
who were supposed to be starving. Inquiries instituted by order of
the Volksraad revealed the fact that Volksraad members and Government
officials were interested in these contracts. The notorious Mr.
Barend Vorster, who had bribed Volksraad members with gold watches,
money, and spiders, in order to secure the Selati Railway Concession,
and who although denounced as a thief in the Volksraad itself
declined to take action to clear himself and was defended by the
President, again played a prominent part. This gentleman and his
partners contracted with the Government to supply donkeys at a
certain figure apiece, the Government taking all risk of loss from
the date of purchase. The donkeys were purchased in Ireland and in
South America at one-sixth of the contract price. The contractors
alleged that they had not sufficient means of their own and received
an advance equal to three-quarters of the total amount payable to
them; that is to say for every L100 which they had to expend they
received L450 as an unsecured advance against their profits. It is
believed that not 10 per cent. of the animals were ever delivered to
the farmers for whom they were ostensibly bought. An attempt was made
in the Volksraad to have the matter thoroughly investigated and to
have action taken against the contractors, but the affair was hushed
up and, as far as it is possible to ascertain, every penny payable
under the contract has been paid and lost.

In the matter of the mealies (maize, the ordinary native food),
large quantities were bought in South America. It was alleged in
the Volksraad that the amount was far more than was necessary and
that the quality was inferior, the result being that the Government
were swindled and that the State, being obliged to sell what it
did not require, was entering unfairly into competition with the
merchants and producers in the country. But the real character of
this mealie swindle can only be appreciate