ly threaten to resort to violence to prevent their landing. By going to such an extreme, the people of Durban, who have identified themselves with the agitation, can hardly be congratulated on their attitude. It is altogether unfortunate that they have gone so far, because, whatever happens now, they are doomed to disappointment and humiliation. . . After all is said and done, a large number of the people of Natal know that they have derived very considerable benefit from the presence of the Indian in their Colony. It is surely a fair inference that these continued arrivals of fresh batches of Indians in Natal are the result of the knowledge having reached them that their predecessors had fared well in their new conditions. Now, it may be asked, how could the earlier contingents of Indians have prospered in Natal had they not been, one way or another, assisted by the European settlers? And it may be taken for granted that the Europeans could not thus have assisted the Indian immigrants to prosper had they not, at the same time, been thereby helping on their own prosperity as well. The Indians who come to Natal are of two classes, the indentured and the free. Both these classes have found, despite their superficial antagonism, that the Europeans have been ready to employ or “support” them, and have thereby not merely made them satisfied with their own amelioration but have thus encouraged further arrivals. The indentured Indians are, for the most part, utilized by the European agriculturists; the free Indians who desire to engage in trade are supported by the European merchants, while the remainder are, in one way or another, encouraged to come and to remain in the country for domestic purposes. That the indentured Indian has proved to be an absolute necessity in Natal, owing to the indifferent and unreliable labour procurable from the Kaffir population, is evidenced by the fact that they are employed in thousands as farm and domestic servants, and that further indentures for hundreds more go to India by almost every mail.
- “But,” it is often said, “the objection is not to the indentured, but to the free Indian.” In the first place, however, the indentured coolie is destined ultimately to become free. So that, while importing them under indentures, the people of Natal are thus practically ensuring large and continuous contributions to the free Indian population. An attempt has been made, it is true, to compel the return of indentured Indians at the conclusion of their contract, but the law could not be made compulsory. Then, as regards the free Indians, these are engaged either in commerce, agriculture, or domestic service. In none of these directions could they possibly succeed except through the direct help of the Europeans. As regards the Indian trader, he receives his initial “support” from the European merchants. It would probably be difficult to find a single commercial house of any standing in Durban which
