But though, continued Mr. Churchill, the final word must be
spoken by the Transvaal, the Government are not prepared to tolerate any and every form of indentured labour. The Assembly, though free to adopt a reasonable form of inden- tured labour, will not be free to adopt one which embodies the objectionable provisions of the present Ordinance,—pro- visions which introduced semi-servile conditions. Moreover, the Government will in the interval refuse to enforce the objectionable provisions, and will at their own expense repatriate any Chinaman who expresses a bond-fide desire to free him- self from the conditions tinder which he was bound by the Ordinance. The Government have, we believe, arrived at a sound decision on a very difficult problem. We are specially glad to find that they have not abandoned their intention to leave the matter in the hands of the people of the Transvaal,
subject to the limitations just mentioned. We would rather nOt see Chinese labour used on the Rand; but Chinese labour under an Ordinance on the lines of the Guiana Ordinance would be entirely different from Chinese labour under the conditions that have been enforced during the past two years.
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