TRANSVAAL NATIVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 32, 1 November 1907, Page 9

TRANSVAAL NATIVES.

' Maiiy'"'exfraordinary , facts'. regarding the....;;', position 7 of the natives, in the Transvaal are, . pl ; giveii''in"a series'*bf-'reports, just issued by.-... - the Transvaal Land Oivnors' .Association., (.■,.„,;'.'»

'■■ : 'Tho reports; are made by special.' coniinis- ,,,-.-. ■ sioners'seiit'out by the association 1 . In bne.'j ;, tho writer says':— -.- ... ...... •>■>" "It. has , 'become quite a common practico,,,.;•', for white men to plough land' for natives.;.,,... The latter pay the former so much per acre. •/■> ■•. "A is noticeable am0ng,..,..,, tho natives as.regards .their,method..of c'ul-,' ;„■, tivatioii. In ; foriner' years' inosf of their,:- ,< land/ was'/tilled by 'women,' who ..used .the. ■ w lios, 'practically-/ , their ■ only /.. implement ; ; _of ~.,,; agriculture, whereas at' prosent. it .is quite,.- ,-.i common to' seo tho men cultivating with.*.,,': ploughs drawn by either oxen or .donkeys..? ~,..->..•■ 'Another of the commissioners, writes:.,;;, "The rapid strides the natives are makings towards civilisation and the eagerness they- <.--. display in endeavouring to leant,to readv.,;;.; aud write have of late.become yery^marked.--.;, 1 ; I regret to have to say' it, but : it appears; :: > to me' that'ilib''native children, as _ regards ;,>; ■education";'" arp .'"comparatively" advancing „„; more rapidly than the. children .of'the poorer ;■;• whites"in""the'outlying, districts." , • _■ ~,.* ■ ".I find r that"on inostoftho stadts. visited >~,,,, a' ; largo.' h'umbor of. boys. are away: .at In:fact, in' somo stadts I found, only th 0...;.-..., women 'and, old men, all ihe younger m0u;..,, v being -away," writes another commissioner;,, ; >.-j "From' conversation iWith the.tnativeji.:-,;;i they all stato their willingness, to work,.. v but ' as formerly, stated '.in my report, not underground.'' They;' also .'strongly object to j being recruited, as they, without exception, all i state, that,they -havo been, cheated_by ■labour agents to such an extent that they •• nrefer to go and look for work by themseh'os, ~.. as then they -will ' know exactly what work'.,, they Will liavo to do', and' what-thoHremuner-;...; ation -'will be-" ' ■ ','.'. '•'■■' ;,■■;■, Dealing with the native' hut tax, the same . writer says: "I"noto the Gpwiniment no '',; longer charges a nativo anything.more than m . j v £2 extra for tho second wife; By this I .. ■ mehn that a nativo' with four wives pays",;; tho same as" a nativo with two. until, re- „ cently'this, of course, was different. Mo hart ..,„. to pay .for oyory.. wife' Above on v , _.. ; j, : ,■■ ■ -With regard , to agriculture it is pointed out that the first sowing of tho winter crop ; ;.'.'.' of ■■ Kaffir' , corri".has been destroved by o-.;."' ousts which'has'necessitated a late second ,-•. sowing: -Unfortunately a number of farmers ".. or' the Bijwonor class have beon'unable to ,;,;.:. purchase a second supply of seed. . .;. Owints"'to immunity from horso sickness . by moculation;.-mules are increasing, and ..;;. are now couorally used, for transport, pur- ;, posos : , : replacing donkeys, which wero largely , used' after.: the war...... ■•„■., . .-,!'! Tliis'season-the gamp, generally has in- .;', croasod-" This "is'ospcoially tho caso with \ .j. koodop',;' steinbnck'jrphoasaiit, and guinea .„ fowl//"' " ; ;'..: : - : //;./'.//; '■':'■,'■ ,• . '-vV' Wild dogs aro increasing, and complaints ~( ; aro r constantly being made, mpro particu- J "' larly from natives,.of losses % of goats and '.;.. sheep killed .by.tboso animals.. , ':■