Two despatches, one from Mr. Chamberlain, dated January 13th, 1899, and
the other from the Transvaal Government, dated March 9th, 1899, indicate
how Mr. Krüger always meant to interpret Article XIV. of the Convention
of 1884:

On October 13th, 1893, the Transvaal Government granted a monopoly of
the dynamite trade to Mr. L.G. Vorstman for a period of 15 years. The
price of No. 1 dynamite was fixed at £4 15s. per case, of which 5s. was
to be paid to the Government.

The Transvaal Government maintains that this monopoly does not violate
the freedom of labour, as it was established in the interest of the
State, not in that of the concessionaires, and that the manufacture of
dynamite is forbidden to the Boers as much as it is to foreigners.

Mr. Chamberlain in his despatch denies that the dynamite monopoly has
been established in the interest of the State; and points out that even
according to General Joubert, Vice-President of the Republic, this is
really not a State monopoly but the monopoly of one, Lippert, because it
is he who has derived the greatest profits from it.

The monopoly company has always failed to fulfil its engagements; the
installation was to be completed in two-and-a-half years: in October,
1896, the company was only able to produce 80,000 cases, the
consumption at that time amounting to 200,000. The commission of the
Volksraad estimated that between 1897 and 1899 it would be necessary to
import 430,000 cases in addition to the quantity produced by the
company. It is more to the company's interest to import than to
manufacture, since importation affords a profit of £2 per case, and to