THE BEGINNING OF THE STRUGGLE

'the footpaths of prominent streets ia Durban for fear he should ba insulted or pushed off.

We are the "Asian dirb " to be "heartily cursed," we are " obokeful of vice " *' and we live upon rioe, "we are " stinking ooolies " living on " the smell of an oiled rage,'* we are*' the black vermin," we aredesoribed in the Statute Books as " semi-barbarous Asiatics, or persons belouging to the uncivilised races of Asia," We "breed like rabbits" and a gentleman at* a meeting lately held in Durban said he was sorry we could not be shot like them." There are coaches running between certain places in the Trans- vaal. We miy no!) sit) iodide them. It) is a sore trial, apart) from the indignity ib involves and contemplates, to have to sib outside them either ia deadly winter morning, for the winter is severe in the Transvaal, or under a burning sun, though we are Indians. The hotels refine us admission. Indeed, there ara oases in which respect- able Indians hava found it diffioultj even to procure refreshments at European plaoes. It was only a short time ago thab a g*ng of Europeans neb fire to an Indian store in a village (cries of shame) called Dundee in Natal doing some damage, and another gang threw burning crackers into the Indian sborea in a business street in Durban. This feeling of intense hatred has been re- produced into legislation in the various States of South Africa restricting the freedom of Indians in many ways. To begin with, Natal, which is the mosb important) from an Indian point of view, has of late shown the greatest! activity in passing Indian legislation. Till 1894, the Indians had been enjoying the franchise equally with the Europeans under the general franchise law of the, Colony, which entitles any adult male being a British subject to >be placed on the voters' list, who possesses itumoveabla

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