26 PRESmENTIAL ADDRESS SECTION C. 



dealing with demands in excess of five times the present total 

 consumption. 



In 1898, owing to the instrumentality of a French Company, 

 the whole of the town and Municipal area was illuminated by 

 means of electricity ; this replaced the oil lamps previously in- 

 stalled by the Municipality. This undertaking was eventuallv 

 absorbed by the Delagoa Bay Development Corporation, Limited, 

 in 19 10. The public lighting is done in a most efficient manner 

 by means of a matter of 1,000 metallic filament lamps and 12 x-\rc 

 lamps, distributed over the entire Municipal area, and, in this 

 respect, is one of the best, if not the best illuminated town in 

 South Africa. In connection with both water and lighting supply, 

 public service is rendered by the Corporation to both Government 

 and Municipality at a greatly reduced rate, and by these means 

 such supply is made without entailing any special rate to the 

 inhabitants. 



In February, 1904, an excellent service of electric trams was 

 installed, giving complete and rapid means of conveyance to all 

 parts of the town. This service has undoubtedly contributed 

 more than aught else to opening up the more distant confines of 

 the Municipality, making such parts accessible for the purpose of 

 residential districts. It "is remarkable that even in this respect 

 Lourenco ^larques has led the way to other towns in South Africa 

 by introducing electric means of transit, a twenty minutes' ser- 

 vice being available from 5.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m., and this in a 

 town which at that time scarcely numbered 4,700 European in- 

 habitants. In maintaining the above-mentioned services, the Cor- 

 poration has undoubtedly met the requirements of the public in 

 an efficient and up-to-date manner, which by other means would 

 have been impossible ; it has secured advantages that are denied 

 to towns of even considerably larger population than Lourenco 

 Marques ; and it has, at the same time, relieved the Municii)al 

 Administration of serious responsibility . 



Municipal enterprise has hitherto been much handicapped in 

 iriaugurating progress of considerable extent, owing principally to 

 a serious absence of continuity of policy and the lack of necessary 

 funds, the total yearly revenue, principally derived from a Muni- 

 cipal tax on imports, amounting in round figures to i6o,ooo per 

 annum, and from this sum all Municipal enterprises have had to 

 be made and maintained. On the other hand, it is highly credit- 

 able to note that the town is, with the exception of a matter of 

 £70,000. free from debt of any description, comparing more than 

 favourably in this respect with other towns within the Union. 



Good and solid work has been done in the establishment of 

 an excellent Public Market, Public Gardens, an excellentlv 

 equipped Fire Brigade, the hardening and laving out of street? 

 and pul]lic places, and, althou8:h much remains to be done, there 

 are evident indications of works of important nature being under- 

 taken in the near future, which will place Delagoa Bay in the 

 forefront of towns in South Africa. To the Government also 



