Girls in South Africa.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XXVI, 27 June 1903, Page 1826

Girls in South Africa.

The following is an extract from the letter of a lady of position in Capetown. It will be i*tad with interest, as it is from a most reliable source:—“Living in Capetown is frightfully expensive, and not for those of small means; indeed, we know it costs more here to live quietly than where we lived in a fashionable part of London, and we entertained a good deal. This is not the country for limited incomes. A small house costs £ 100 a year. My Malay washerwoman pays £6O for her wretched cottage. Meat, fish, vegetables, get

dearer and dearer; eoal costa £3 10/ per ton. In the suburbs, to hire a eab to go out to dinner costs 25/. Girls and young men pay £7 a month for their board, and usually poor aoconuuodation at that price; the good boardinghouses charge £l2 a month. We say do not let anyone come to this country on chance, or who have a comfortable home, or living elsewhere; workingmen earn high wages, but gentlemen have a poor chance without capital; clerks are miserably paid; daily governesses rarely get sufficient to cover their living expenses; typists can earn enough to keep themselves only, but nothing over for a rainy day. Posts formerly held by gentlemen are now held by a lower class, and there are exceedingly few “eligibles.” Young and pretty girls have a good time anywhere; girls not quite so youthful have a poor chance of enjoyment, as there are too many here already, and nice men are scarce, and it is difficult to get sufficient nice men for dances. Life used to be very gay here, but it is altogether changed nowadays, partly owing to the war, partly because we are so scattered. We get little bursts of gaiety occasionally, but never very much, though the young people get small dances and other entertainments sometimes. We shall very much miss Lady Healy-Hutchinson and Lady Suttle, both of whom have gone Home. A dull winter is anticipated with no lady at Government House and no General’s wife here. Cape people, as a rule, dress very well; and then we get a great many well dressed Englishwomen who come out for pleasure or as officials’ wives, and they are usually very smart. In country places colonial hospitality is as great as ever, but not so in large towns, where it is more “calculated” than formerly. In big towns nice people are easily crushed unless they bring good introductions. Very few people ask each other to meals here, except tea now; usually people get few invitations unless they entertain in return. In Johannesburg life is very gay for the rich, but very dull for the poor—not a place for girls to go to without homes. I am strongly against girls coming here to earn their bread unless they can live with their parents. I should add that several girls who have recently gone to Johannesburg to fill good Government posts complain bitterly of the cost of living there, which makes what sounds good salaries in reality no catch. Servants are in great demand —but not better-class girls— we have enough of them here.”