South African Notes.

Southern Cross, Volume 10, Issue 30, 25 October 1902, Page 2

South African Notes.

From wbat I can gather from some N.Z. newspapers you are about ‘ full up ’ of King Dick or ‘Digger Dick.’ Well, send him over here by all means, for he would be a perfect godsend to South Africa in any one of the colonies. Our public men are too easily led by the arguments of others, and as a consequence we can’t get a move on, and railway extension is stopped, while progressive measures are unthought of for fear of giving offence to old hands, who prefer to go by bullock team rather than by train. I must again call public attention to the lack of postal facilities between South Africa and New Zealand. 1 find that there is no such thing as a parcel post between the two countries, except via London. Surely this only wants your attention to be remedied. Seeing that so many people in New Zealand have relations in this country, and may want to exchange friendly, or even trade, parcels, I cannot see why such parcels should have to travel some 12,000 miles for no purpose whatever. We in Natal do not pretend to be progressive but you in Fernland do and where it comes in, in this case I fail to see. Surely you will not allow this reproach to tarnish your otherwise good name. A friend has sent me two views of the Bluff —one taken by day and the other —ah well, it may have been by night, but if so I see no signs of the electric light, and any kind of darkness that we read of that could be felt would be a very poor description to compare to the night view. The town clock, I see, is an emblem of the progressive little town, for it is still at the same time as when erected some two and a half years ago. And what has become of the metal that was put on the roads some two years ago F Some of your readers may be looking forward to the time when they can come here and go where they like, but that time has not arrived yet, as the following will clearly show : —Since the terms of surrender were published a woman left here with her children for England for a change, with the intention of leaving some of the children there for the purpose of better educating them, and her husband remained in Natal to keep his business going. All went well till she went to get a ticket to return home to her husband with one child, when she was told she could not return without a permit, which had been refused at the permit office. Explaining that she was a British subject, and that her husband had served at the front and that he had been a resident of Natal for 14 years, as well as producing her marriage certificate, seemed to produce no better results, so that sha must remain till her husband can move the powers that be at this end, which will be in the course of two months, if he has any luck. From the Australian end it does not seem so very hard to get a permit, for every boat that comes has a large number of passengers of varied classes. Accommodation at Durban was taxed to its utmost eighteen months ago, and where all the people go that have come since is more than I can say. Many houses have gone up since that time, and so have house - rents. Many people are anxious to get to Johannesburg, and I find that when they get there they will be glad to come back to Durban, as provisions are very scarce and dear, while rents are so

[From Our Own Correspondent.] King Dick in Demand. —Progressive Men Wanted. —Postal Absurdities. —A Friendly Tilt at the Bluff.—RedTapeism. —The Australian Influx. —Cost of Living.— Rents and Provisions at Durban and Johannesburg. Durban, Sept. 18th, 1902.

high that in 15 months one pays for the cost of the house be has rented. People wishing to come here must obtain permits from their respective Grovernments. Tours, etc., E.Gr.E.