202 MOZAxMBIQUE 



prise, as exhibited in some cases. But the most 

 serious evil to my mind is the control exercised 

 over the labour supply in compelling the people 

 to pay their tax in kind, to which I have referred 

 in another chapter. I have estimated that it 

 absorbs between 60,000 and 70,000 people. The 

 new-comer with this tremendous competition to 

 face would find himself at a most serious dis- 

 advantage. Indeed, under the present prazo 

 system settlement of the land by white planters 

 is an impossibility. There is another point 

 which the practical planter would need to take 

 into account. We see that the prazo holders 

 have working for them directly on their planta- 

 tions and indirectly in growing and bringing in 

 the tax a very large number of people ; as many 

 people as the mines of South Africa take from 

 the Province. 



The resulting production of wealth, it may be 

 remarked in passing, is insignificant. In addi- 

 tion they exercise judicial powers over the 

 natives, so that their influence over them is 

 absolute, and they could, by exercising it pre- 

 judicially against a new-comer, make it impossible 

 for him to obtain labour. The instruments of 

 their powers are local managers, who are some- 

 times also the Government agents ; hence, in 

 addition to having complete control of labour 



