§ MR. WOOTTON ISAACSON (Tower Hamlets, Stepney)I beg to ask the 1349 Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, considering the very small number of 1,700 available in Mashonaland, he will recommend the employment in Rhodesia of porters and police selected from Sierra Leone and other native constabulary forces in West Africa, and especially men who served and native levies in the late expedition to Kumasi; whether he is aware that the Colony of Sierra Leone can furnish trained constabulary members of the late Gambia Frontier Police, besides upwards of 2,000 native porters, without difficulty, for service in Rhodesia, providing the men are led by officers with whom they are acquainted; and whether he will consider the advisability of obtaining reinforcements for the relieving column operating from Beira for the relief of Mashonaland from amongst the Hausas, Mandingoes, and other native levies who have been enlisted in the various constabularies of our West African possessions and of the Royal Niger Company, under their own officers and officers chosen from amongst those selected for service with the special service corps, with the Hausas and native levies in the campaign against Kumasi in 1895.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. J. CHAMBERLAIN, Birmingham, W.)As regards the importation of porters from West Africa, I am advised that the step would be useless, as the men could not carry even their own food supply and would have no strength for carrying stores. In West Africa the porters obtain their food supply as they go along. As regards the importation of combatants from West Africa, I am advised that no considerable numbers could be spared, and that there is in South Africa ample material from which to recruit local levies. The hon. Member will have observed that the Cape boys have been doing particularly good work in the present war. ["Hear, hear!"]
§ MR. ISAACSONasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that farmers in Natal had suffered very considerably from the want of native labour, owing to that labour having sought employment in the mines?
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThat is a totally different Question, and I must ask for notice. ["Hear, hear."]