The Life of the City. 49^ 



the direct result of the high price of hving owing to excessive rentals^ 

 which it is the duty of the Municipahty to cope with. It is a 

 problem which it would be comparatively simple to solve were a 

 European population alone concerned. Unfortunately, the peculiar 

 conditions of the South African towns impose in this direction 

 responsibilities and difficulties which are entirely unknown in Europe, 

 and which require stringent and firm legislation in order that the 

 various communities which are brought together should dwell com- 

 fortably under such reasonable conditions of health as may be 

 necessary, and with this end in view we must consider the European 

 standard of healthy living apart from that of the native South African 

 or the Oriental. 



The present unscientific method of dealing with our mixed city 

 population is noticeable in the way the authorities confuse the 

 hygienic necessities of the white population with that of the black, 

 and the black with that of the Asiatic. There is a growing opinion 

 that there is only one possible course which will result in the health, 

 comfort, and contentment of all, namely, the creation of distinct 

 compulsory areas of dwelling for Kaffirs as well as for Asiatics 

 entirely cut off under the most stringent regulations from the Euro- 

 pean quarters. 



It is lamentable that although the lower branches of our in- 

 dustrial life here are principally carried on by Kaffir labour, year by 

 year goes on without any comprehensive scheme being carried out to 

 provide them with suitable locations where they can live healthily 

 and happily without the necessity to conform to European require- 

 ments whilst harmless so far as European propinquity is concerned. 

 A few dozen tin huts on some waste ground near the city is our only 

 contribution tO' one of the most important subjects that can occupy 

 a South African communit}-. It is clearly in the interest of the munici- 

 pality- to build a town, and a healthy, substantial one, too, within 

 reasonable distance of the cit)- where the native can live as nearly 

 as possible a life to which he is naturally accustomed with as little 

 possible interference. It seems idle to- point out how much more 

 scientific it would be to allow the Kaffir to build himself a hut which 

 is a thing of beauty and of health rather than compelling him tO' live 

 m the miserable tin hovels with which he has been supplied. 



It is undoubtedly one of the first duties here lying to our hand 

 to provide not only for the regulation of the European city life but 

 for that of the Native life and for the Oriental as well. 



The Oriental question is one which could fitly be the subject of 

 a separate paper. Those who are sO' anxious to hurry us into the 

 complications of an Asiatic invasion do not seem to realise that it 

 means the addition of another problem to the already difficult ones 

 which confront us. For the threatened contact may contaminate 

 equally both European and Native, and in order to prevent it, 't is 

 necessary that Asiatic locations shall be provided in every city 

 where they are allowed to labour. Eastern habits being as they are 

 as different from the African as the African are from the European. 



