money. If there had been no work , the department would have been unnecessary and would

have been discontinued. So they found this work for themselves.

The Indians had to apply to this department. A reply would be vouchsafed many days after. And
as there were large numbers wishing to return to the Transvaal, there grew up an army of
intermediaries or touts, who with the officers, looted the poor Indians to the tune of thousands. I
was told that no permit could be had without influence, pounds in spite of the influence which one
might bring to bear. Thus seemed to be no way open to me. I went to my old friend, the Police
Superintendent of Durban, and said to him: 'Please introduce me to the Permit Officer and help
me to obtain a permit. You know that I have been a resident of the Transvaal.' He immediately
put on his hat, came out and secured me a permit. There was hardly an hour left before my train
was to start. I had kept my luggage ready. I thanked Superintendent Alexander and started for

Pretoria.

I now had a fair idea of the difficulties ahead. On reaching Pretoria I drafted the memorial. In
Durban I do not recollect the Indians having been asked to submit in advance the names of their
representatives, but here there was the new department and it asked to do so. The Pretoria

Indians had already come to know that the officers wanted to exclude me.

But another chapter is necessary for this painful though amusing incident.

Chapter 79

AUTOCRATS FROM ASIA

The officers at the head of the new department were at a loss to know how I had entered the

Transvaal. They inquired of the Indians who used to go to them, but these could say nothing
definite. The officers only ventured a guess that I might have succeeded in entering without a

permit on the strength of my old connections. If that was the case, I was liable to be arrested!

It is a general practice, on the termination of a big war, to invest the Government of the day with
special powers. This was the case in South Africa. The Government had passed a Peace
Preservation Ordinance, which provided that anyone entering the Transvaal without a permit
should be liable to arrest and imprisonment. The question of arresting me under this provision

was mooted, but no one could summon up courage enough to ask me to produce my permit.

The officers had of course sent telegrams to Durban, and when they found that I had entered with
a permit, they were disappointed. But they were not the men to be defeated by such
disappointment. Though I had succeeded in entering the Transvaal, they could still successfully

prevent me from waiting on Mr. Chamberlain.

So the community was asked to submit the names of the representives who were to form the
Deputation. Colour prejudice was of course in evidence everywhere in South Africa, but I was not
prepared to find here the dirty and underhand dealing among officials that I was familiar with in
India. In South Africa the public departments were maintained for the good of the people and
were responsible to public opinion. Hence officials in charge had a certain courtesy of manner
and humility about them, and coloured people also got the benefit of it more or less. With the
coming of the officers from Asia, came also its autocracy, and the habits that the autocrats had