62 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



have to vield. Some figures may be useful as 

 sliowiug what our countrymen have to put up 

 -\\dth at the hands of the Boers. In Pretoria a 

 Dutchman can purchase abuikling stand of 26,400 

 feet square subject to a taN of 1/. 10.<?. For the 

 same site an inhabitant of Johannesburg has to 

 pay a tax of 45/. The poll-tax in Pretoria is 

 3.b\ Qd. ; in Johannesburg it is ISs. QJ. The 

 Sanitary Board tax in Johannesljurg, on a 

 property value 5000/., amounts to 41/. ISs. 4(/. ; 

 in Pretoria there is no such tax. The sanitary 

 fees in Pretoria are 13/. lO.v., in Johannesburg 

 17/. lO.y. In Pretoria there are no water-rates, in 

 Johannesburg the water-rates on a pro^jerty of 

 5000/. value amount to 48/. The result of these 

 taxation arrangements is that a Dutchman in 

 Pretoria, owning a jiroperty value 5000/., pays in 

 rates and taxes 15/. S-s. 6(7., an Englishman in 

 Johannesburg owning a simihir property pays in 

 rates and taxes 15o/. Ix. 10 J. This system of 

 taxation, so inequitable, so audacious, soim2)udeut, 

 cannot be expected to endure. Pretoria, with a 

 population of 6000, mainly Dutch, is maintained 

 at the expense of Johannesburg, witli a pojDulation 

 of 15,000, mainly English. The latter, when it ]ias 

 time to give its attention to nuuiicipal as well as 

 mining matters, Avill demand and exact a thorough 

 reform. Two years at the least will probably 

 elapse before Johannesburg, a town Avliose life and 

 groAvth depend on the construction of railways, is 

 properly connected with the sea-coast, with other 

 South African towns, or even with all of its own 



