§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)asked the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Whether it is an approximately correct estimate to place the Native population of Natal at about 400,000, of which about 150,000 are on Native locations, 50,000 on Crown lands, and 200,000 on private farms; whether the owners of private farms are now, to a large extent, fencing in their farms, and turning away the great bulk of the Native squatters; whether these squatters possess about 250,000 head of stock; 258 whether troubles have already occurred in consequence of the Natives being turned away and the farms fenced in; and, whether the Government will place locations in Zululand at the disposal of the Natal Government, in order that the Native squatters, when turned off farms, may be able to return to Zululand?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE (Baron HENRY DE WORMS) (Liverpool, East Toxteth)The hon. Member is probably right in estimating the present Native population of Natal at 400,000; but the proportion of those living on private lands is believed to be not more than 175,000, if so many, and to be less than that of those living on locations. The number of their horned stock is probably about 200,000. The land difficulty to which the hon. Member refers in the second and fourth paragraphs of his Question has been known to exist for several years; but it is believed that the difficulty is less serious than he appears to suggest. It is impossible at present to say whether locations could be found in Zululand for Natives wishing to quit Natal; but if it should hereafter be found that there is a surplus of land in Zululand beyond the requirements of the Native population there would be no objection to the migration of Natal Natives.