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Rhodeo: 1983 - October

Date: 1983-10
Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Text
Identifier: vital:14722 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019594
Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
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Date Issued: 1983-10

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A study in local history: Grahamstown, 1883-1904

- Sellick, Rose-Mary

Authors: Sellick, Rose-Mary
Date: 1983
Subjects: Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2556 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002409 , Grahamstown (South Africa) -- History
Description: [From the Preface]: A Study in Local History: Grahamstown 1883-1904 aims to draw into a coherent picture the threads of political attitudes, approaches to racial issues and changes confronting the late Victorians in Grahamstown, particularly in the areas of sanitation, public health and shifting commercial frontiers. The relation of local development to national affairs has been investigated, although attempts to define exactly how the former influenced the latter, and vice versa, would involve one in the proverbial chicken-and-egg syndrome. Let it suffice to say that an understanding of events in the microcosm, or locality, lends clarity to the cross-current of affairs at the national level. It begins at the point where Grahamstown's commercial importance in the Eastern Cape declines after a flourish of hopes in the prospects of the Port Alfred harbour as a means of bringing trade back to Grahamstown. The study concludes when the foundation of Rhodes University College in 1904, provides a new centre of development for the city.
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Date Issued: 1983

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Economic sanctions and South Africa

- Cooper, John Howard

Authors: Cooper, John Howard
Date: 1983
Subjects: Economic sanctions -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:1045 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006137 , Economic sanctions -- South Africa
Description: From Introduction: There are few more emotive and contentious contemporary issues of enduring nature than the subject of economic sanctions and South Africa. The controversy surrounding this issue has implications for the structure of international social, political and economic order. The threads of the debate are woven into the historical fabric of the past two decades, during which the acrimony of arguments both for and against sanctions on South Africa has increased. Indeed, for each argument in the debate can be found a counter-argument and "lies, damned lies and statistics" abound. The complex and widespread nature of the question has elevated a practical issue into the realm of theoretical analysis. This thesis is neither purely descriptive nor purely theoretical. It has essentially two focal points, firstly, an attempt at a systematic and reasoned investigation of the many claims and counter-claims, designed to put these arguments into a broad economic framework. There is generally a greater volume of pro-sanctions literature than anti-sanctions literature, some of which is freely available in South Africa, while some is restricted and some not available at all. However, this partial lack of accessibility would seem to pose no material problem of omission: as much of the literature is repetitive, the unavailable material is usually adequately "represented" by material which is available. Also a great part of the literature contains little or no economic analysis since it focuses more on political issues. In this respect the thesis tries to represent the main points of the broad arguments concerned rather than individual nuances and personal viewpoints. It is concerned with sanctions of an economic nature rather than wider sanctions that may affect South African citizens more generally, for example, sport and diplomatic boycotts, bans and restrictions on international travel, etc.
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Date Issued: 1983

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The history of Theopolis Mission, 1814-1851

- Currie, Marion Rose

Authors: Currie, Marion Rose
Date: 1983
Subjects: Barker, George, 1786-1861 , Missions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- History , Khoikhoi (African people) -- History , Xhosa (African people) -- History , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- History -- 1814-1851
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2536 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002388 , Barker, George, 1786-1861 , Missions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- History , Khoikhoi (African people) -- History , Xhosa (African people) -- History , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- History -- 1814-1851
Description: This thesis is an investigation of the part played by Theopolis Mission on the Frontier, in the community (both secular and religious)and in the context of race relations. The Journal itself provides the terse, sometimes angry core of commentary on the total situation, and an attempt has been made, by setting it in a broader context, to dispel some of the myths which persist about the role of the Christian missionary, about Khoi Missions (in sharp contast to Xhosa Missions) and about Dr John Phllip. A clear picture has emerged of a people whose life-style, antecedents and history have been inadequately researched in tne period subsequent to 1800.
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Date Issued: 1983

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Freedom and form in the fiction of Doris Lessing

- Flischman, Rita

Authors: Flischman, Rita
Date: 1981
Subjects: Lessing, Doris May, 1919- -- Criticism and interpretation
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2269 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005921 , Lessing, Doris May, 1919- -- Criticism and interpretation
Description: From Introduction: This thesis then is a detailed study of Lessing's novels in an attempt to show her development as a writer. Her short stories are handled briefly in connection with her novels. For, although the short stories are among her finest work, focus on the novels is sufficient to show her growth as a writer. Hers is the small individual struggle to overcome the limitations of both her content and her form. To overcome the limitations of her content means expanding her own consciousness and re-forming life itself. Only when she is free and the world is free can she overcome the limitations of her content. Then, of course, she need no longer and can no longer write. The task seems as impossible as that of the dung beetles, but she nevertheless continues. Like the sacred beetles with "the sun between their feet" she carries on rolling the muck of the world into symbols of the truth.
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Date Issued: 1981

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The poetry of Guy Butler

- Van der Mescht, Hennie

Authors: Van der Mescht, Hennie
Date: 1981
Subjects: Butler, Guy, 1918-2001 -- Criticism and interpretation , South African poetry (English)
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2256 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004387 , Butler, Guy, 1918-2001 -- Criticism and interpretation , South African poetry (English)
Description: This study of ButIer's poetry proceeds chronologically in accordance with the dates of composition of his poems. The first task has, therefore, been the compilation of a chronology of his poems. Butler rarely dates his poems; nor does he keep a diary. Yet there are several criteria which make sensible dating of his poems possible. The first is the date of publication of individual poems. Many of the poems which appear in one or more of the five collections were published earlier in army magazines, student newspapers, and the like. A work which can be traced back to one of these early sources may be assumed to have been written fairly soon before its date of publication. Another criterion is subject. It is possible to discern periods in the poet's career in relation to the subjects of his poems. The most obvious example is the War Period. Allied to subject is the criterion of theme. To use the War Period again, poems written during or immediately after the war years all treat the theme of man's dehumanisation. Both subject and theme are linked with biography. It is often possible to ascertain Butler's location from details in the poem; knowledge of his movements thus enables one to date such a poem. Butler's style is the most significant criteion. This study is based on the observation that his style develops as time passes. The Butler of the Sixties is different from the Butler of the Fifties as far as style of writing is concerned. A poem which defies dating on all other grounds cannot escape this ultimate test. Each of these criteria - date of publication, subject matter and theme linked to biography, and style - has limited reliability as a guide to dating the poems. But combined they are a meaningful instrument to assist in the structuring of a chronology whose most valuable source was the poet himself who was kind enough to search his memory for dates. The fact that Butler rewrote or revised a number of his poems several times does of course raise the question: Is the first version merely a stage in the development of the poem, or a poem in its own right? This study is based on the opinion that a poem is a poem, regardless of the number of versions which precede or follow it, provided it is a complete statement. Each version should, in fact, be regarded as representative of the poet's thoughts, feelings, and skills at the time he wrote it, and is lndependent of subsequent versions. For the purposes of this chronology, poems have been placed at the time of the experience from which they grew. This thesis does, however , take cognizance of the ehanges in style or theme later versions may reveal.
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Date Issued: 1981

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Vocabulary proficiency in English of students in the primary teachers' certificate course

- Harlech-Jones, Brian Arthur

Authors: Harlech-Jones, Brian Arthur
Date: 1981
Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) Vocabulary -- Study and teaching (Elementary)
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
Identifier: vital:1903 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006347
Description: This work investigates vocabulary proficiency in English of a group of students in the Primary Teacher's Certificate course. It is shown that this is the major certification course for teachers in Black education in South Africa, and, that primary school teachers are the major source of English for Black pupils for a considerable period, if not for the duration of their school education. The quality of the teachers' English thus has a major influence on that used by the pupils. In addition to the established needs for proficiency in a national and international medium such as English, it is emphasized that , with the increasing use of English as a medium of instruction, a lack of proficiency will adversely affect general scholastic achievement. The investigation proceeds by two means: (1) a series of vocabulary tests and (2) an error analysis (lexis and morphology) , based on scripts produced by the same group to whom the tests were administered. Prior to the presentation of the tests and the results and conclusions, there is a discussion of what constitutes vocabulary. This is introduced by a discussion of the dichotemy 'structure/lexis', primarily by reference to the writings on structuralism by Charles Fries - This discussion shows that the progress in vocabulary study is intimately related to the as-yet undeveloped state of investigations into the semantics of the language . There is a referenoe to the role of frequency-counts in vocabulary teaching with specific reference to Michael West's General Service List of English Words. In the absence of other prescribed standards of attainment in vocabulary, the General Service List serves as control for the tests , and is itself under examination as a possible major resource for vocabulary teaching. It is shown that structuralism has produced the instructional method known as 'audio- lingualism', which has gained wide credence, not least in the educational system through which the subjects of this study have passed. The contributions and defects of this method are discussed , with particular reference to its deleterious effect on vocabulary teaching. It is shown that vocabulary teaching becomes increasingly important in the later stages of language learning. There is reference to the current emphasis on ' commununicative' language teaching/learning, and it is shown that a major area of application is in the presentation of materials which embody an across-the-curriculum approach. The Pre- Tests are concerned only with the four major 'parts of speech ' and use only items from the General Service List ('G.S.L'). A particular feature is the development of tests based on the 'partial productivity of lexical rules' , which proved significantly effective in distinguishing between testees of high and low proficiency . The Final Tests, compiled from items which discriminated successfully in the Pre-Tests , are presented , and a Post- Final Test form of ultimately successful items is provided. There is a brief theoretical discussion of Error Analysis, and this is followed by the presentation of the categorization of lexical and morphological errors extracted from a corpus produced by the same group which provided subjects for the tests . There is comment on this categorization, which points to both the usefulness and shortcomings of such data . Amongst the conclusions and recommendations are the following: that vocabulary teaching has languished, both because of present inadequacies in semantic investigation, and because of the predominance of structuralism; that vocabulary teaching is important throughout , but particularly in the post-initial stages ; that word-counts (specifically the G. S. L.)have a valuable place in vocabulary teaching, as controls, prompts and suppliers of resource material ; that there is a wide range of proficiency amongst these subjects , even within the limits of a word-count such as the G.S.L. (the most frequent 2000 'words ' in English , with a samantic count, and related items formed by various processes) ; that this range of proficiency and the shortcomings shown are disturbing in teachers- in- training , who are also in their eleventh and twelfth years of formal instruction in English; that there is further cause for concern when it is remembered that their pupils will need English for success in a number of subjects , and will be instructed in English mainly by teachers. drawn from this group ; that there is some evidence of a relationship between vocabulary proficiency and the frequency of items in the G.S .L. (reinforcing the suggesting that the G.S .L. is a useful ' teaching tool ' ) ; that the categorization of errors shows that mastery of the · contents of the G. S. L. would , in theory , eliminate the great majority of errors attested in the categorization, and that mastery of even the most common areas of lexis and lexical formation cannot and should not be taken for granted; and that acquaintance with the contents of a word frequency-count , and with categorizations of errors , will sharpen teachers' perceptions as to the nature of their task and the directions in which vocabulary teaching should proceed.
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Date Issued: 1981

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Rhodeo: 1980 - August

Date: 1980-08
Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Text
Identifier: vital:14704 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019576
Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
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Date Issued: 1980-08

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Aspects of the theory and practice of choral training in South African schools

- Radue, Robin R

Authors: Radue, Robin R
Date: 1980
Subjects: Choral music -- Scores Choral music -- Instruction and study Choirs (Music) -- Instruction and study , Choral singing , Scores , Children's choirs , Choral training
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
Identifier: vital:2629 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001974
Description: Firstly, the matter of constituting a choir is discussed. This involves auditioning, with its attendant problems of nervousness and self-consciousness on the part of the children, and assessment on that of the trainer. In the final analysis, after enthusiastically advertising the rewards to be gained from choral singing, and after trying to create an environment which is seen to be conducive to this philosophy, the trainer has to make the best of the willing forces available. Rehearsals are probably more important than performances, since the time devoted to preparation is much longer. Moreover, the educational value of carefully preparing the music and of becoming acquainted with the techniques of singing and with the aesthetic niceties of style and interpretation should by no means be underestimated. The choir and trainer get to know not only the music but also each other, and the trainer has to use his skills wisely in developing the human and musical resources available to him, in order to realize their greatest potential (Introduction, p. ii-iii)
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Date Issued: 1980

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Semantic field analysis and the structure of culture: a comparative study of Sotho and Xhosa

- Thipa, Henry Mothebesoane

Authors: Thipa, Henry Mothebesoane
Date: 1980
Subjects: Xhosa language -- Semantics , Sotho language -- Semantics , Xhosa language -- Social aspects , Sotho language -- Social aspects , Field theory (Linguistics) , Componential analysis (Linguistics)
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:3647 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1015985
Description: Analyses of Sotho and Xhosa seem to concentrate predominantly on morphological, tonological and phonological studies. Semantics seems to be a relatively neglected area in African Languages. It is the view of the writer that attention should now be turned increasingly to semantics. In fact, except perhaps for van Rooy's Venda work semantic field analysis does not seem to have been undertaken in African Languages. This thesis is an attempt to contribute in this particular area of linguistic analysis. In addition to that, the present study is an attempt to explore new dimensions in African language study, namely the application of componential analysis to two African languages, Sesotho and Xhosa. In general terns, the aim of the present study is to explore the relationship between language and culture. Very little seems to have been done in this particular area in African languages. In this connection the only work that comes to mind is van Rooy' s Venda work which has already been referred to above. In that work, van Rooy tries to show the integration of language and culture in the communication of the Christian message as illustrated by the Venda Bible. Perhaps with the notable exception of Siertsema there seems to be some scholarly concensus about the relationship between language and culture as the following brief survey will show. Boas, the American anthropologist, for example has investigated the interplay of the environment, cultural life and linguistic form. This be has done by comparing Kwakiutl, an American Indian language, with the Eskimo language. Lotz shows how the structure of one semantic field, or area of semantically related terms, namely numerals, can shape the goals a particular linguistic community strives for in a major cultural activity such as sports. Conklin shows how languages may differ not only in their segmentation of a semantic field e.g. colour, but also in the dimensions of semantic fields themselves. Siertsema, on the other hand, takes a different view from the above views. Only a brief summary of his views will be given here. A fuller exposition will be made in the next chapter when some theoretical issues are considered. He disputes the view that language and culture are related. It must be noted though that he does not speak specifically of culture but of a world view. He examines four "properties" of language and on their basis disputes the language - world view relationship which he eventually dismisses as showing circular reasoning. Perhaps another scholar that needs to be mentioned is Whorf who admittedly is not writing about semantic fields. His relevance to the present discussion lies in the fact that he also considers the relationship between language and other phenomena, namely thought. He writes, "We dissect nature along lines laid down by our native languages. The categories and types that we isolate from the world of phenomena we do not find there because they stare every observer in the face; on the contrary, the world is presented in a kaleidoscopic flux of impressions 'Which has to be organized by our minds - and this means largely by the linguistic systems in our minds. We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe signfiicances as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way - an agreement that ... is codified in the patterns of our language". Whorf 's theory has been called the Dissection Theory from the opening line of the quotation that has just been referred to. Put in a nutshell, what Whorf is saying is that language has a constraining influence on thought or cognition. Or, perhaps put in another way, it is through language that reality is NECESSARILY apprehended. Thought and cognition have to be seen as necessarily dependent on language, at least in certain respects. Whorf discusses a linguistic - philosophic problem which is not really relevant to a study that addresses itself to semantic fields. In exploring the relationship between language and culture some semantic fields will be analyzed. A lexical analysis of each semantic field will then be done applying some of the insights and techniques of componential analysis. What this means, is that we shall start with vocabulary, analyze it and see through its structure the structured world of culture. The question may well be asked, why Sotho and Xhosa? Firstly, the reason for choosing these two languages is for comparison and contrast. Sotho and Xhosa belong to the same language area, traditionally known as the south-eastern zone. As a result, these two languages share certain morphological, syntactic and phonological phenomena. Because the present study is basically semantic one can also add that the choice of the two languages is meant to reveal the extent of semantic similarities and differences between them. Secondly, the writer is, so to speak, bi-cultural. He is very well acquainted with both Basotho and amaXhosa cultures firstly, because of the circumstances of his birth and secondly, because of his education. The writer is actually Sotho speaking with a Xhosa speaking mother. He also has university training in both Sotho and Xhosa, languages he can speak fluently. All these factors are mentioned here in order to lay some claim to competence in both Sotho and Xhosa. Basotho and amaxhosa live in slightly distinct worlds despite all linguistic affinities between their languages. They have slightly different perceptions of the same reality. This accounts for the difference in the organization of any selected field, however slight in some cases. This factor seems to be an indication of the fact that the conceptualization of the universe differs from language to language. This is the point that is also made by Hoijer and Lyons. Hoijer argues that the "real world" to a large extent depends, perhaps unconsciously , on the language habits of the speakers. He goes on to say that no two languages are so similar as to be considered to represent the same social reality. This naturally goes for Sotho and Xhosa as well. The world in which different peoples live are different and cannot merely be characterized as the same world with only different labels. Lyons is even more pertinent to the present study, ''Every language is integrated with the culture in which it operates; and its lexical structure reflects those distinctions which are (or have been) important in the cultures. This statement cannot be overemphasized. While the assumption will be held that language reflects culture, one may hasten to add that not every word in a language does so. For example, there does not seem to be anything particularly cultural about interjectives or about ideophones. In other words, some lexical items are more significant than others in this respect. One should therefore rather speak of lexical items as being a mirror of culture in 'a selective kind of way. As Hymes puts it, "In a particular culture a language serves as a sort of "metalanguage", a cultural way of communicating about much, not all of the culture". (Emphasis added).
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Date Issued: 1980

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Some aspects of play production in the English and parallel medium secondary schools of the Eastern Cape 1822-1977

- Dickerson, Mary Elizabeth Henderson

Authors: Dickerson, Mary Elizabeth Henderson
Date: 1980
Subjects: Drama -- Study and teaching (Secondary)
Language: English
Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2127 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002029
Description: There has been very little research into play production in schools, as distinct from drama in education and theatre in education, and none at all with specific attention to the Eastern Cape. The proliferation of dramatic productions in the schools of the Eastern Cape during the 1960s and 1970s coincided with the establishment at Rhodes University of a Department of Speech and Drama. The particular interest of this Department in the educational aspects of dramatic work of all kinds led naturally to a desire to investigate what was being done, and had been done, in the schools in the area. Added to this, interest in the history of the Eastern Cape has been stimulated by the building of the 1820 Settlers' Monument, which was opened in 1974, to mark the hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the British Settlers. In order to set the social and political scene for the beginnings of cultural activity in the schools, I have given a brief account of the historical events leading up to the English settlement in the Eastern Cape. Because the evolution of the towns has affected that of the schools, an account of this development has been included¹. To prevent this work from becoming unwieldy, the detailed investigation of the cultural milieu has been limited to that of two frontier towns and two seaports, as being the most representative in the Eastern Cape². So much that was done in the schools had grown out of the ideas brought from Britain and its public schools that it was necessary also to look at the basis upon which the schools in the Eastern Cape were founded, and the lines along which their ethos developed. To facilitate a consideration of the work done in play production and related activities over a period of approximately a hundred and fifty years, I have separated the account into four natural historical divisions: from 1820 until the turn of the century; 1900 to 1918; the period between the two world wars; and that which follows the Second World War. Of these, the first three have been considered from the historical point of view; but with regard to the years between 1940 and 1977 it seemed more interesting and profitable to examine specific trends and developments in dramatic activity within the schools. I wished, further, to find more detailed information about what is happening in the schools at present than could be gathered from school magazines and the local press. For this purpose, two questionnaires were sent to the schools. The evaluation of these will be found in Part III and in Appendix B. The investigation was confined to the English and parallel medium schools in the area. The catalogue of plays produced since 1860 which is given in Appendix E is not necessarily exhaustive, though as comprehensive as it was possible to make it. It has been drawn up from the information in school archives and the press, as well as that given in the answers to the questionnaires, but there are occasions when these sources do not give titles of plays (this is especially the case with one-act plays) and there are also times when productions may not have been reported, or magazines are missing. It is not the purpose of this thesis to give details of the best production procedures. Teacher-directors may find these in many excellent books on the subject, some of which have been suggested in Appendix F. ¹While not strictly part of the subject under investigation, a consideration of musical activity is relevant to developments in drama . A short section on music has therefore also been included in Appendix A. ²My researches have pointed to the fact that there is an interesting field for further investigation in the smaller towns such as Cathcart and Uitenhage. (Pref. p. ii-iii)
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Date Issued: 1980

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Extinction as consummation: an exposition of Virginia Woolf's mataphysic of visionary relation

- Ryan, Rory

Authors: Ryan, Rory
Date: 1979
Subjects: Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941 , Virginia Woolf
Language: English
Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:2171 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001822
Description: What follows is an attempt to circumscribe Virginia Woolf's ideas on life and death, the relation between self and all that which is not self, and the nature of reality, in short, Woolf's vision. I hope that whatever unity and structure may exist in the vision will not be overlooked, and moreover, I intend to avoid imposing a unity where none exists, whether the absence of unity is intentional or accidental
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Date Issued: 1979

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The South African shipping question, 1886-1914

- Solomon, Vivian

Authors: Solomon, Vivian
Date: 1979
Subjects: Shipping conferences -- History Shipping -- South Africa -- History
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
Identifier: vital:1039 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004667
Description: From Preface: For the best part of a generation the "Shipping Question" was a talking-point in South Africa; yet today it is completely forgotten, and the name of its leading actor is virtually unknown. Scant reference to the controversy will be found in economic- or other histories; in the rare cases where it is alluded to, the treatment is superficial. This study seeks to fill that gap. At the outset it is advisable to define the scope of the work. It is not a history of the South African shipping trade in the pre-1914 era: shiplovers have had that ground amply covered by Marischal Murray, and indeed are unlikely to find in the following pages much to their taste. Neither is it an economic analysis of shipping conferences: there is a growing body of work on that subject, and this study does not seek to add to it. Nor is it a business history: it does not probe the structure, the management or the profitability of shipping enterprise in the period concerned. A full-scale discussion of these latter topics would be a major undertaking in its own right, nor is it at all certain that the necessary materials are accessible or even extant. In short, the study is concerned with the origins, the course and the outcome of the "Shipping Question" of the period 1886-1914. Documentation for a controversy that was essentially mercantile in its origins and its first dimensions might be thought to be patchy and sparse; but it is gratifying to record that a substantial volume of material has been uncovered. The newspapers and periodicals of the time, especially in the period before the Boer War, devoted much more attention to shipping than has since been usual; The British and South African Export Gazette, South Africa, The African Review, and the London edition of The Cape Argus have been of particular value. In that era, again, the Chambers of Commerce occupied a more prominent position in their communities than they seem to do now, and their meetings were reported at length, often to the extent of several columns of newsprint; these reports have been of great assistance. It is fortunate, moreover, that the papers of two of the leading protagonists on the South African side have survived: the Garlick Papers and the Jagger Papers, now housed in the University of Cape Town Libraries; these, while perhaps not as full as might have been hoped, have shed a good deal of light on mercantile thinking and strategy. If the controversy had been confined to the mercantile sector, however, it would scarcely justify detailed investigation. It entered also into the sphere of government and politics and it came to assume an Imperial dimension; and in these aspects it is pleasingly well documented in official primary sources. The papers of prominent public figures, furthermore, have yielded some valuable insights and, in some cases, the documents that rightfully belong in official repositories! The minutes of one of the corporate bodies to the dispute - the South African Merchants' Committee in London - are still extant, and they have been of great use in supplementing the (sometimes condensed) versions of the Committee's proceedings that are available from newspaper- and other sources. While disappointingly attenuated in some areas, the records of the Union-Castle Line have been alike fascinating and indispensable. The papers of Percy Molteno, a member of the Line's management and one of the leading actors in the second part of this study, form a valuable supplement to the records. One cause for regret has been the absence of primary sources emanating from the other shipping lines involved in the controversy. The Union- Castle Line was the dominant partner in the trade, and will therefore occupy the centre of the stage; but its colleagues' records would have been useful in perhaps correcting undue emphases or false perspectives.
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Date Issued: 1979

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Rhodeo, Vol. 32, No. 2

Date: 1978-03-28
Subjects: Grahamstown -- Newspapers , Journalism, Students -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Activate , Rhodes University -- Students , Student newspapers and periodicals -- South Africa
Language: English
Type: Text
Identifier: vital:14687 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1019559
Description: Rhodeo is the Independent Student Newspaper of Rhodes University. Located in Grahamstown, Rhodeo was established in 1947, and renamed in 1994 as Activate. During apartheid Rhodeo became an active part of the struggle for freedom of expression as part of the now defunct South African Student Press Union. Currently Activate is committed to informing Rhodes University students, staff and community members about relevant issues, mainly on campus. These issues range from hard news to more creative journalism. While Activate acts as a news source, one of its main objectives it to be accessible as a training ground for student journalists. The newspaper is run entirely by the students and is published twice a term. Activate is a free newspaper which receives an annual grant from the Rhodes University Student Representative Council, however, majority of its revenue is generated through advertising.
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Date Issued: 1978-03-28

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