BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN SOUTH AFRICA 19 



what the actual conditions were, the bad as well as the good side; it 

 was not a question of searching for information, but of listening to 

 the full answers which an enquiry always produced. In particular, 

 the native and Chinese compounds were visited at all hours both with 

 and without previous notice. My own impressions and those of our 

 party with whom I afterwards talked were the same : that the arrange- 

 ments for housing and feeding the workers are far better and more 

 complete than we had any idea of, and that the slavery which has been 

 and is still so much exploited in meetings and newspapers of a certain 

 class does not exist. Passes for leaving the compounds during off 

 hours are freely granted to natives and it is only since the commission 

 of crimes outside by a few bad characters that a restriction in this 

 direction has been placed on the Chinese. As one walked about the 

 compounds or in the mines underground the solemn Chinese equally 

 with the light-hearted native readily responded to a word or a smile. 

 ' Tell those who abuse us to come and see things for themselves ' — was 

 a frequent remark from the mine officials with whom I talked. 



A second striking feature is the change which must have come over 

 the spirit of the so-called ' Outlander ' since the conclusion of the war. 

 Formerly, Johannesburg consisted of the business section, the mines 

 with compounds for the natives, and cottages on the mining area for 

 the staff and white workers. During the last three years large sub- 

 urbs have sprung up with many hundreds of residences surrounded 

 by gardens and young trees, and having every appearance of permanent 

 occupation. If this conclusion is correct, there will be a large settled 

 population within the city area which will take an interest in its future 

 and in the general affairs of the country, in spite of the fact that the 

 majority of the shares of the mining companies are naturally owned 

 in Europe, whence came the money which started them. To this must 

 be added the consideration that nearly all the best work on the mines 

 is being done by comparatively young men who have gone to them 

 with the definite intention of making a living, and who have to use all 

 the ability and energy they possess to rise to the higher positions. 

 There is need now, however, of men of a higher grade, with, if possible, 

 a college education and special training in some one or more of the 

 departments connected with mining. 



As might be expected, the town gives every external appearance of 

 being alive. But it presents some curious anomalies. One has not to 

 walk far from the principal streets with fine buildings on either side, 

 shops, offices, clubs and hotels, to reach old shanties which look as if 

 they had been there at the opening of the Band. Cabs, carriages and 

 automobiles are passing rapidly along the roads (there is no speed 

 limit !), but there is only a single line of slow horse-cars. Instead of a 

 modern sewerage scheme the ' bucket system ' is employed. Electric 



