The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-12

runs the postoffice and sells its own postage stamps.
 The Prazzo System.
 It farms out the natives and makes them pay taxes, which in some cases they work out by giving their labor to foreigners. This is known as the prazzo system. The country Is divided up into districts known as prazzos. These are put up at auction the successful bidder haV- ing the right to collect the taxes of his prazzo for a term of three years He is allowed to levy a tax of so much on each native and he must pay that amount in cash or work. The contractor has also the right to force the people to do certain amount on the public roads and on house building, for the officials. He has also other rights which make the system little more than a legalized slavery The taxes are often paid in goods, and the value of their work Is measured by American or English cot ton cloth, the price of which can be reg ulated largely by the collector. A part of the labor is the hunting of elephants and the gathering of rubber both of which are exceedingly profitable. l am told that the abuses of such men, in the faraway districts, are terrible, and that the people have comparatively few rights that the tax collectors are bound to re- spect. It is said that slavery Is still con- mon in some regions, although 1t is not recognized by the government and is con trary to law, lhe conditions are not as bad as in Portuguese West Africa, where slaves are still bought and sold. but they are bad enough.
 Mozambique Back Number.
 The cities of Portuguese East Africa are changing It used to be that Mozambique
 t..L on a little island in the wide channel be- tween Africa and Madagascar, 1t was for years one of the great ports of the con tnent. It was a center of the slave trade, and the residence of the chief Portuguese officials The country has two capitals, one at Mozambique at the north and the other at Lourenco Marques at the south Mozambique is still the headquarters of the Mozambique company. and Its opera tons are conducted from there. Loren co Marques is the chief commercial cen ter, and, with It's magnificent harbor and its short railroad to the gold fields, it is fast becoming one of the most important cities on the east coast of Africa.
 Mozambique lies on little island only a quarter of a mile wide and not more than a mile long. It is close to the main land and canoes are always moving back and forth carrying food and supplies The island is covered with houses. Ii has clean sidewalks paved with cement. and it's roadways are macadamized.
 It has a fort and public buildings. but now streets are practically deserted. Man" of the good houses nre vacant and oth- CTS have been turned into the homes ot coolies and petty trading stores. The bazaars in which the slaves were eN- proposed for sale have passea away and the town is practically dead.
 The city of Beira is not as prosperous as 1t has been in the past. Its popuia ton has fallen off slice the Boer war and it now has 60o or ,C0 whites. ahonr 1500 negroes and a considerable number of East Indans It is . town 0f hanks. stores and hotels It has q street car line but the cars are little fourwheeled affairs. each large enough to hold hu, two persons. and they are pushed over the tracks by negroes, who run along behind.
 Lourenco Marques.
 Lourenco Marques, on the other hand, Is rapidly growing. It Is lighted by electricity. and there are lines of cleo tric tramways whi connect it's var'- ous sections It has new postoffice a new railway station and many neN buildings. The great marsh at s~e hacl, of the city has been dained and the mosquito plague is practically wiped out. Ire town Is rapidly becom- ing the chief port for the Transvaal and 1t is where our American goods for that region are now landed.
 The city has one of the best harbors