In conclusion, your Commission fervently hope that they have truly and faithfully interpreted the object of the inquiry, and that their suggestions and recommendations, if acted upon, will confer a lasting benefit on the country and people.

The evidence, as has been stated, was all given on oath, and some very interesting details came out.  In one case Dr. Leyds’s system of misrepresentation was exposed.  Whilst the Commission was actually taking evidence the then State Secretary in an interview with the Paris Temps strongly supported the dynamite monopoly, and stated that the price charged, namely, 90s. per case, was the same at which the Chamber of Mines had offered to enter into a sixteen years’ contract with Nobel’s factory.  A witness questioned on this point explained that this was quite true as regards price, but that Dr. Leyds had suppressed the essential fact that whereas out of the 90s. paid to the monopolists the Government only receive 5s. by way of duty, they would out of the 90s. which it was proposed to pay for Nobel’s dynamite receive no less than 38s. per case as duty, and that if the contract proposed by the Chamber had been made the Government would have profited during the previous four years to the extent of L1,200,000 instead of L150,000.  Upon another occasion light was thrown on dark places in a rather disconcerting fashion.  Mr. Christiaan Joubert, Minister of Mines, took one of the witnesses in hand with the object of showing that the people of Johannesburg had only themselves to thank for the loss of confidence in this business.  The following questions and answers are from the official report:—­

Should not the Chamber of Mines co-operate with the Department of Mines to get a law protecting European shareholders from being defrauded by swindlers?—­I don’t know if such a law could be framed without interfering with what, in other countries, is considered to be personal liberty.  You have to come to the point whether the man intended to swindle, and that can only be settled by the Court, as a matter of personal judgment.  If a good law could be devised it would be beneficial.

Is there no possibility for the Chamber of Mines to work with the Department for the passing of such a law?—­I don’t know if laws exist in France, Germany, England, or America, to that specific effect; but if so, I would be guided by the wisdom and immense experience of the law makers of those countries, otherwise we might be rushing in where angels fear to tread.

Is it then possible?  Are you willing to discuss the matter with us?—­Oh, yes; but I do not think that that is exactly what is wanted in order to restore confidence.  Lots of things combine to shake the confidence of investors.  For instance, to deal with some small and homely matters, I was told by a member of the Sanitary Board yesterday that an application for the underground rights of the Market Square, had been made by Mr. Jan Meyer, a leading member