The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-05-04
THE PLAGUE AT CAPE TOWN.

 During the last six days the bubonic plague has been making rapid strides
 within the city, and every day sees five or six individuals added to the list of patients With seven exceptions, the
 ravages of the distemper have been confined to the native and colored pop ulation, but it is ominous that three out of the seven Europeans attacked are men of good position in the town, occu-
 pying perfectly sanitary dwellings and unable to trace the source of the infec- ton.
 Cases of plague have now occurred in every district of the city, and thirty five different streets have contributed patients to the hospital. The majority of these, it Is true, are situated in the rat-infested area in the immediate vi- cinity of the docks, but isolated cases are occurring in practically every slum of the city. Nothing is more signif- cant than the unerring manner in which the plague has laid It's finger up- on the most unsanitary spots in the ur- ban area. Under the new system, by which government has taken supreme control of the plague arrangements, it is satisfactory to know that vigorous measures are being taken to stamp out the pest Several hundred men are now employed in the work of cleansing the town, and wherever one goes the pun gent smell of formaline or other disin- fectant is in evidence. The general plan of campaign Is under the direction of Professor Simpson whose services have been lent by the imperial govern ment for one month. His wide experi- ence in Poonah and Sydney is proving of great value, and system and organi- zation prevail where previously all was chaos.
 I referred last week to the absolute necessity for the immediate establish ment of Kaffir locations, where the thousands of natives who at present herd together in filthy novels all over the town, might be compelled to live under sanitary conditions. and where it would be easy to keep them under prop CT observation and control. The gov ernment has now recognized the impor- tance of some such system, and yester- days Gazette contained series of drastic regulations whereby all natives will, in future, be compelled to live in lOCdllUIlS bpNti 9upci NisiOii' It is highly probable that some little | trouble may occur before the new regu- lations are carried into effect. The | harbor board has had a native location fully equipped and ready for occupa- | ton for the last three weeks but, owing | to a mistaken idea that their freedom | will be curtailed thereby, the Katfirs | have hitherto resolutely declined to take up their residence in the quarters pro- vided. In the event of their still refus- Ing to enter after the locations have been proclaimed, the colonial secretary s authorized to use any force that may be necessary for the purpose. It is hoped, however, that the native head men will have been brought to more attitude before that time comes. Meanwhile the blacks are constant source of danger and infection 70 the whole population.
 Sir Walter Francis Hely- Hutchinson, he new governor of the Cape of Good Hope, arrived from Natal this morn ng. It had been intended to give him formal welcome, in which the general public would have participated, but, on he advice of Professor Simpson, the ued was dDdIluOUtU. I-IOleSSOI DIillp- | on pointed out that, under existing cir with plague prevalent the city, any demonstration hat would tend to bring together a arge concourse of people would be lighly dangerous, and might result in general outbreak of the distemper ,mong the white population. The gov rnor, therefore, made his progress rom the docks to government house without any display other than guard f honor, consisting of the Sixteenth At government house his ex- ellency took the oath of allegiance as overnor, the function taking place in ublic for the first time in many yeas. liter the ceremony the mayor, who tt- ended in state, offered his excellency, Il behalf of the city, a cordial welco ne 3 the Colony-Cape Town (March @ l of the London Stand 1 I'd. {