The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-17
IN WAR TIME.
THE KIND OF WINTER JOHANNES
 BURG IS HAVING.

BURG IS AVING.
 Military Rule Certainly Not Popular
 in the Rand-Wire-F Fence Foun da
 ries.
 Military rule is certainly not popular with the civil community of the Rand, the refugees who have been allowed to return being especially bitter at the way they are hampered by the maze of irksome regulations and restrictions. At first the military took entire control of the sale of stores and provisions. Now they supply the wholesale firms, who are required to submit the names of all retail dealers for the approval of the authorities, and must be responsi- ble in a bond of fifty pounds for such dealers observance of all regulations as to sales and a schedule of the retail prices of all classes of goods-groceries, liquors, tobacco, even drinks at the bars is published in the Gazette" the margin of profit allowed being approXi- mately seventeen and one-half per cent Families can only buy provisions on production of a permit, which has to be endorsed by the storekeeper supplying the goods, the quantity allowed per head being stipulated. The butchers are supplied from the government stock farms. The cattle are captured stock left at various depots by the columns and collected thence by a force known as the cattle rangers, The meat, owing to change of inferior pasture and dis ie, of ipd ffaTpr1t C1In1itU and has been condemned by many of the doctors. although a stiff price is charged for it.
 Johannesburg town has been encir- cled by substantial wire fence, each roadway through being guarded by sen tries, who examine all passes and enter the particulars in ponderous ledger. The suburbs and country outside the fence are divided into districts. Resi- dents cannot leave their respective dis tricts, and those living near the fence must not pass in or out, either on foot or by vehicle of any description with out pass
 All British subjects returning to Jo- hannesburg must become members or the Rand Rifles, or, if to work on the mines, must enroll in the mine guard. The latter, in addition to their mine work, have to guard the line of reef, do- ing the night pickets and working the guns the total remuneration being nVe shillings per day from the gold compa- nies, with monthly allowance of seven pounds for rations, the balance of the wage Cthe old rate of pay was usually about one pound ehifD going to a fund for the benefit of the families or men still in the field. This regulation is to prevent the early corners reaping any material advantage over mining men still with the Irregular corps, whose pay is five shillings per day. The Rand Rifles have to do picket duty for the | town, and be prepared to take the Held whenever called upon. The alarm IS three 'toots' from the mine whistles, 1 followed by three guns from the fort The banks. restaurants and all places ot business must at once close and the non-combatant population turn indoors. Not long ago the alarm sounded, when the noble Rand Rifles, which include . bankers stockholders and professional f men. donned the khaki and marched many weary miles in the soaking rain to their allotted posts in the country, then back again, without the pleasure of a fight. It was said to be merely "tester.''
 It is matter for considerable heart burning that certain sections of the community should be exempt from this compulsory service, which many regard as nothing less than conscription. Ger mans, Peruvians and Russian Jews, Tn fact all those who are not British sub iects, and their name is legion, are eX- empt, and the Dutchmen and Afrikan- ders who have taken the neutrality oath and been reinstated in their old billets also escape. The returned Brit ishers, a large proportion of whom have served with various of the Irregular corps, are also chagrined at finding themselves often shelved while so many of the best government billets are given to foreigners. But it is admitted that this may be merely a temporary matter of policy, possibly having some thing to do with the wholesale clearance of the undesirable foreigners when the British arrived. During the early part of the war an extensive trade was car ried on by loose 1AaracterS in goods footed from the premises of the absent refugees bicycles being favorite arti- cle of such traffic The latter must now be registered, and a permit obtained to own and ride the same. No sale of fur niture can take place except by permit, which has to be accompanied by an affi davit as to bona fide ownership and the production of the auctioneer's license.
 Of course the Britisher must have his sport. It was not long before the offi- cer's colors were very prominent on the