NEW ZEALAND TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2546, 31 December 1902, Page 32

NEW ZEALAND TEACHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

I.— IMPRESSIONS OF JOHANNESBURG

Agxks M. Doss.

JOHANNESBURG, October 18

After a somewhat protracted but unavoidable delay I am giving you some impressions of Johannesburg, the El Dorado of South Africa.

With its groves and avenues of tall trees — wattle and gum, reminiscent to an Australian of " home, sweet home " ; — with ite beautiful piles of buildings, triumphs of architectural skill fit to grace any city of the world ; and with its cea?eless streams of traffic, Johannesburg is, indeed, a marvellous city — one finds difficulty in believing that less than two decades ago the district comprised nothing but open, bleak, treele;s down?. In one particular it differs -widely from a Ev.i-opean city — there the most conspicuous and most beautiful building 19 in■\ariably the - cathedral or the church; here one looks in vain for a church spire, and finds that the church is a mean, stablelike building in a side street. Fancy men who pride themselves on their handsome residences, palatial clubs, and splendid business houses being content to worship God in such sheds ! It is cerlainly time for Johannesburg to see to it that its sacred edifices are worthy of its wealth and size.

Situated as it is on the- southern dope of the Witwatersrand Range at an elevation- of ' 5600 ft, Johannesburg, with its dry winter, ! should be one of the healthiest spots in the : world for weak-chested individuals; but, un- ! fortunately, its value a«s a health resort is ' considerably depreciated by the ever-preva-lent dust. A newcomer is struck by finding t'lioo^ door« all 'dosed, but with the an- , nouncement " Closed on account of the dust — please come in," and at fir?t rather resents being caught in a dense cloud of reddish-brown dust, which eeems to come from nowhere in particular a.ud to be uncertain where to go. The dust, charged with cyanide from ths mines, is said to conduce j in no small measure to the fatal nature of the Rand great foe to human life — pneumonia. One of the many schemes? the Municipal Council has in hand for the advancement and improvement of the town is said to be a feasible one for the mitigation of the dust nuisance. It is to plant out the mountain heaps of tailings wiih certain plants and trees, and thus bind the stuff ; together. The council ie making experiments in road formation ; and when the streets are up to date and the- dust evil abolished Johannesburg should be second to none in cleanliness. The dust is "at pre-^ sent aggravated by the holding off of the' summer rains. Some old. Johannesburgers prophesy a dry summer such as the city experienced six years ago. when men bathed in soda water and when Kvuger wired from Pretoria that they must immediately cease-from-their cloud-firing.=i and their rocketiugs, such doings being impious and unlawful. Tho unceasing cry of the congested city 13 for aceomrnodation. At Capetown and Durban permits are being issued as fast as the clerks can fill th-pm in. and every train brings up its load of fortun<?»=eekers. till the housing problem is almost impossible of solution. Count yourself lucky to secure a tumble-down shanty in which to shelter your family, and for that chanty be prepared to pay a princely rent. As a. slight relief the city authorities arp. importing iron cottages in sections from Capetown, ready for immediate erection here. A gentleman, lute of New Zealand, whose family is in England, the other day let his furnished house for £130 a month! For a room in a backyard shed even a Kaffir will be chareod £2 a month. The poor Dutch families — bywoners from the farms brou?hfc into town by Kruger to work as unskilled labourers and (at that time) sheltered rent free nt Vrededorp (Freetown) — have most unlovply homes ; mostly iron huts . opening directly on the road? — no flowers, no gardc-ne. no ; privacy; — -and the Kaffir and coolie locations in the immediate neighbourhood do not tend to elevate their ideals or to broaden their limitations. Exactly opposite Vrededorp, and in strong contrast to it. ia Parktown. the residential suburb of Johan- j nesburg. where the regulations forbid the opening of a shop and the erection of a house for less than a thousand pounds. There live the notabilities and millionaires, their handsome residences standing in extensive, beautifully laid-oufc grounds, and all the roa.ds planted with avenues of gum trees.

Living is in proportion to thf>. rents. For £10 a month a young mail in tlio city gfts very second-rate board and lodging — should hp make any demur there are plenty more to take his place. Until a few months ago the lady teachers of .Tohnniip-sburnr had a rouefh time — unable with their smaller salaries to pay more than £8 or £9 a month they were liable at any moment to receive notice, to quit in favour of the morn profitable male boarder. The superintendent of the Rand fchools, Mr Robinson, came to the re-cue, and nfter infinite trouble and heavy expenses opened hostels for the reception of such ladies aa had no homes. Here thoy could live, unhauntecl by the dread of the next compulsory flitting. The hostel in which I live comprises two cottages on oup section, oi " stand " as w say here. Tlipv are \ery comfortably furnished, and contain two sitting; rooms, six bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, etc. S^von of r.s (a cosmopolitan =evr\n — mo Scotch. one Capo Colonial, m*>ee of Rev. P. B. FiT.ser, of Otago fame, onp Hollander, two Australians, one Transvaaler, and one N°w Z.ealanclor) — =liare the ho«ix?l. and manage very satisfactorily. One of the Australian ladies (o\u- chapeion ami a chaimine young widow) has ]icrmi"ion from the ever-thonp-htftil Fupormtr-iKlent to return from school at tli" end of thp. morning fusion to superintend tho culinary preparation. We-car-h pay in £6 10s per month, nnd any =ur-ilu.s is devoted to the adornment of our t-'iting room°. On Saturdays and Sundays we puff-Ttpm our fripnrls nt flflprnoon tea, pud fi-pcjussitly give "dinners" and "even-

iii;r= Ju=t the- other day the Government bought fojc £20.000 a large pile of buildizisas— fcb.e

Kensington Flats — for the accommodation of teachers — male and female. Even should two friends share a suite the cost will be» quite £10 a month. Of course, camp teachers living there have their expenses defrayed by Government. As the Government expect to get a return of 10 per centj on their outlay the* arrangement is not -unalloyed philanthropy. Our creeper-clad cottages, though less pretentious, are mucht more home-like than the palatial " flats." Notwithstanding the cost of living there appears to be no stint of money in the Golden City, if one may judge from the abundance of free-wheels, motor cycles, and! motor cars, and. above all, from the expensive dressing of the ladies. The perfect blue of the sky and the glorious sunshine seem, to call for gay colours, delicate laoes aadl I ruffles and elaborate millinery. Johannes- \ burg has been called " the second Paris," arid with its tempting shop sand smartlydressed women, it deserves the name. Though, even since my arrival, increased competition has caused an appreciable reduction in prices, ladies still find it economical to order largely from London, whilst the "smart" set order directly from Paris. For every-day wear washing silka hold first place, being esol and easy to " get up " — a. matter of importance where the Dutch 1 women charge from 5s a dozen for underj clothing, and don't give too much satisfaction at that. -For wasMing, starching, and ironing a man's white shirt they charge i eighteenpence I

THE WAR TAX. Public intrest in the projected war tax to be applied to the Transvaal is running high. ■Public meetings have been held to protest; against the rumoured contemplation of £100,000.000 tax, and deputations of citizens have waited on Lord Milner asking him to declare the Government's intentions. But his Excellency was not to be drawn. He declared that he knew nothing, and expressed his full confidence in the Home Government's justice and consideration. The SoutTi African Association, though prepared to pay some-thing in Iceeping with its •conomio outlook, declares it will not sit etill under an imposition which will put an end to all -enter- <• prise and paralyse existing mining and trade. J The publication of the disturbing rumours ! has had a depressing eftVcfc on High 'Change, j and business there is almost at a standstill. j'The leading papers warn the Home Government against acting the part of the' rackrenting absentee landlord, and declare thafc the only way in which the Transvaal can be I kept is by helping its development; they suggest also cheap loans on its own security. Men are not wanting who declare that the existing depression and labour trouVe is nob altogether the result of the j war. but is a. ruse- of the capitalists to freeze out the smaller j men. AYhen their object is accomplished, prices will go up and the mines will begin to pay.

LORD MILKER ON TOUR. Lord Milner, realising how much the Boers appreciate discussion with high authorities, has taken time lo moke a tour in Western Transvaal — the first of a series he proposes to .make now that the advent of the Lieuj- tenant-governor leaves?- lihn greater His- Excellency rode along with the families on trek, met village magnates 1 fn true natriarohal fashion on the village green, drank , endles3 cups of coffee on the farmers' stoeps, and, to crown all. conversed with them ."in their beloved Dutch. Wherever he went ha found a su-Hennera-and resentfulness of demeanour which showed plainly, their lament .antagonism to British rule,; but in -no case , did the- moroseness continue to the end. Lord Milner encouraged them to talk over their grievanos3, removed the impression that the Government was unmindful of their unfortunate position, and left them comforted and friendly and pager to shake hauda with him. The good offpols of these tours will ba far reaching and permanent-. Pcrhap- much misery might have been spared to South Africa had such a statesman n<? Lord Milner been at the head of affairs 20 years ago. instead of military officere.- who considered it derogatory to their dignify to shake hands with the people ther governed. His Excellency discovered amongst the Boers a great desire for education ; all the children who had been at the concentration schools were anxious to return, and thp tmrents were importunate in recmostins facilities for the continuance of their children's education. AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS. Cricket is the word in everybody's mouth, and the inexplicable collapse of the Australians in the frrjt match is the absorbing theme of conversation. On an average about 7000 spectators were present each day. Needless to cay, we Australasians proudly displayed the trree-n and yellow and clapped wildly when " our men " excelled. We are hoping that the Australians are ncflr becoming accustomed to the new conditions and are regaining their form. We anticipaho a sensational recovery in the nexfc match. Tt is certain that in the South, African team the Australians are not meeting ignoble foea. but experienced cricketer?, to master whom ~ : t is npcessary to use all their wile? mid bring into play all that ability whirh has given them the great reputation thoy enjoy.