The Traveller.

Southern Cross, Volume 9, Issue 5, 4 May 1901, Page 3

The Traveller.

SOUTH AFRICAN NOTES.

[To the Editor.]

Sir, —Most people at yonr end of N.Z. are of opinion that South Africa is a long way ahead of many of the southern colonies. .Now, lam going to say a little about Durban life and habits just to let you see how far they are ‘ ahead ’ of that much-favoured land, N.Z. Ist, Take Schools. Yes, there are private schools all over Durban, and each denomination has one or more schools ; and, as a consequence, the ministers have plenty of work going round trying to induce parents to send their children to Mr So-and-so’s school as being the better school for reasons stated, etc. We simply have no such thing as an Educational Department or School Committee or Education Board. Someone builds four walls, and lets it out to anyone who comes along, and this anyone says— ‘ Well, this will do for a school,’ and acts on that, and a new school is the result. To educate my two children in one of these hovels costs me £2 per month. The bead teacher charges just what he likes, and if you don’t like that your children can go ignorant, and the State doesn’t care a rap. 2nd. There is no such thing in this place as A Labour Organisation of any sort. 3rd. Councillors are allowed to Tender for Contracts, and to buy and sell what they please to the Council. You can draw your own conclusions as to what is done. As showing the value of a billet under the City Council the following, taken from a paper of this town, tells a long tale if read between the lines : —A certain shopkeeper had been unpacking goods in front of his shop, and had just finished when up came a city policeman and said— ‘ I shall have to trouble you to attend court in a day or two for this breach of law,’ and naturally enough some further conversation took place between the two, and at last the Bobby said —‘Well, just give me a sovereign and you will hear no more about,it.’ The paper was very careful to add that possibly the sovereign was intended as bail, and hinted at an enquiry, but it has died, like thousands before.

Corruption Appears Everywhere, and is'I’'carried 1 ’'carried out ip such a glaring manner that even the blind can see it with one eye. 4tb. The Council here consider that

Eootiaths ark not Required, as only Kaffirs walk. All others ride in trams or rikshas if they move ten yards from their door. People here get abominably lazy through the heat. I am told by very old residents that all people do here (that is, the whites) is to drink and make the Kaffir work, and from what I have already seen this is quite true. But to return to the Council. They do keep some of the roads (mostly leading to their own homes) in tip-top condition, and when they make one it is done for many years to come. The metal (good blue stone) is put on fully 18 inches thick and the screenings put on top, and all is well watered and firmly rolled by a very heavy steam roller, and when finished is a credit to them. In going to and from my place of residence every day I have to pass their stone crushers (two), which are both worked by the same engine, and it is only 10 horse power ; but I must not forget to add that all stones’, before going into the crushers, are reduced to six inches by Kaffir or Indian labour. It is evident the Council have under consideration Extbnbivi Road Works,

for they have from 40,000 to 46,000 yards of broken If metal now on hand, and every train brings more stone to the crasher. The only white man on the job is the engine-driver.

The Tram System, I am glad to say, has at last brought some of them to a sense of their duty to the poor dumb horses, who have during 12 or 14 hours a day in a scorching hot sun to trot up hill with some frightful loads. For instance, a car is supposed to seat 25 persons, but it oftener happens that there are 70 or 80 full-grown people on each car. The system extends in four different directions, and only one of them is anything like nearly level, and, strange to say, it is on this level track that they propose first to ease the horses. But this, I take it, is because it leads to the Point, this being the road from the harbour to the town, and all arriving at the port have to travel over it. ’Tis the old style—just make the front of the bouse look nice to people passing. As the contractor for this alteration (electricity for horse tram) has to put through If miles per month, and he has miles to lay, he will not be finished this year, when we take into consideration the maiy crossing places. The rails are of steel and 86 or 86 type. The width of the track is 4 feet 8f inches. It is claimed that they will be able to

Reduce the Fares one-half, and I should say they could reduce them, fully two-thirds, for I pay 10s per month for a ticket to travel one mile night and morning, and if I want to go on any other section I must take a shilling ticket or pay 3d per section, and according to last month it will cost me alone (not the family as well) £l7 per year. This might seem a lot to a New Zealander, but it is very moderate here, as only Kaffirs and other blacks walk to and from their office or work. The rickshas being more expensive than the tram, are only used when and where trams are not available, or for the novelty of the thing. But to return to Durban life (or rather lingering to some hundreds). We were told when we landed that we would soon get Used to the Blacks, and have them in out house, as all other people do, to mind the baby and scrub the house, etc. The way the blacks are fed and housed would disgrace any good farmer’s pig, and still for all that they seem perfectly happy and contented ; and if we are to judge by what we see, there must be some white people far lower down, than the Kaffir they pretend to despise. I made it my business the other day to stand near a school and watch the children going in, and to my utter astonishment, I found children of all shades, from the purebred African to the child of silvery white hair and pink eyes. Here you can read between the lines better than I can describe. Yours, etc., E.G.E. (To be continued.)