but
many might easily in effect do so and all are infringements upon the
rights of the public. Here are some from the official list of
1899;--Dynamite, Railways, Spirits, Iron, Sugar, Wool, Bricks,
Earthenware, Paper, Candles, Soap, Calcium Carbide, Oil, Matches,
Cocoa, Bottles, Jam, &c.

A large loan had been constantly talked of throughout the year, but
no one knew for what purpose it could be required. The Government
vouchsafed no information at all but negotiations were carried on
both in Pretoria and in Europe. Month after month went by, but the
millions were not forthcoming, and the Government believed or
affected to believe that their failure was due to a conspiracy among
the capitalists, and in retaliation they directed and subsidised a
fierce anti-capitalist campaign in their press. The explanation of
failure, which did not occur to them, may have been that investors
believed that the course pursued by the Transvaal Government must
inevitably lead to conflict with the paramount power, and they had no
faith and no assurance that in the event of such a conflict taking
place the British Government would take over loans which must have
been contracted only for the purposes of war against England.

The juggling with the dynamite question continued throughout the
year. The President had successfully defeated the aim of the
Volksraad, and the investigation and reports which had been ordered
by that body in 1897 to be made by lawyers and auditors, although
duly handed into the Government, were suppressed by the President and
not permitted to be shown to the Raad. On the contrary, the
astounding proposition was made that in return for a very
inconsiderable reduction in the cost of dynamite (half of which was
to be made up by the Government sacrificing its share of profits) and
a possible further reduction of 5s. per case under certain
conditions, the monopoly should be renewed for a period of fifteen
years, all breaches in the past to be condoned, and cancellation on
the ground of breach of contract in the future to be impossible. This
proposal, it was publicly notified, would be laid before the Raad
during the first session of 1899. The existence of the dynamite
monopoly was at this time costing the industry L600,000 a year, and
on every possible occasion it was represented to the Government that,
if they really did need further revenue, in no way could it be more
easily or more properly raised than by exercising t