The physical condition in which pupils returned after a month�s holiday confirmed that many parents were not providing sufficiently nourishing food for their children, and in pleading for the Government financial assistance to be continued Miss Gilson said that the school afforded the only opportunity which more than 100 children had for gaining even the simplest rudiments of education, and more important than the knowledge gained from books was the training in habits of industry and faithfulness, respect for law and order, and the wholly new ideals of life and duty. If those privileges were taken from them she felt that there would grow up in the next generation a people inferior to their parents, who did bring with them some knowledge of civilised life, and it could not be long before there would be a vicious if not a criminal class who would be a greater expense to the Government than the cost of maintaining the school.

In spite of Miss Gilson�s plea, the Government decided to reduce the boarding grant, and parents were to pay �5 a term. This brought an immediate long and detailed protest, as there was increasing difficulty in getting even the �2.10, and during the current term only five parents had paid that amount in cash for their own children. The school could not carry on with less than 20 boarders, and it was doubtful if there would be six the next term should parents be told they had to pay �15 per annum. She earnestly asked for the grants to be continued since the need for the school was so great, so much hard work had been done in laying foundations, the Mission could not do more, and the parents would not.

Longden added that it would be disastrous to allow the only school in the district to close. Miss Gilson had devoted herself heart and soul to her work, and, notwithstanding exceptionally adverse circumstances, had succeeded far beyond expectations. The hard uphill work appeared to be over and both parents and children were beginning to appreciate the benefit of the school. The difficulty was the poverty-stricken state of the farmers, due almost entirely to heavy cattle losses, and until they were able to recover it would be necessary to continue to give them aid.

The Director of Education, however, felt that parents should provide more liberally for their chi1dren's education and maintained that the grant should be reduced. The Administrator had difficulty with the problem, and eventually decided that the grant would be partially reduced, and that parents should pay �3.15 a term for boarding.

The Managers had to accept this decision as well as the fact that parents could not pay more than �2.10, and for the next few years they ran the school at a further loss, themselves standing the extra deficit resulting from the reduction of the Government grant.

J. L. Martin set. up in partnership with English as Martin & English; Lands, Law and Estate Agents, Auctioneers and Sworn Appraisers, Melsetter; Telegraphic address Rocklands. The existence of their business discouraged a prospective auctioneer and law agent whom Longden put off as he was not at the time very pleased with prospects generally and thought the outlook for the future was unpropitious.

 

Some businesses were, however, being carried on: Hastings� General Dealer�s Licence was transferred to Pritchard, who was directed to apply for a lease as the store was on Government ground; and Meikle Brothers applied for a Bottle Store Licence at the rate applicable to wayside places, but their request to pay the lower fee was not granted.

Houses were gradually being built, and when Mrs. du Preez applied for permission to erect a pole and thatch house she was told that it had been decided not to allow any buildings but those of brick and iron to be built in the township. Buildings to the value of �100 had to be erected within twelve months of the purchase of a stand.

The. Dutch Reformed Church was built by March 1904 with contributions from residents assisted by the Government and �100 from the Rhodes Trustees. In March 1905 the CC. again referred to the Church as having been erected, presumably a reference to the finishing off. Hans Heyns stacked the bricks on the wagon at the brick-field and unloaded them at the site after the oxen had had the hard pull up the road. Williams made the pulpit and Neeser the pews, the organ was bought and presented by Kleyn, and Mrs. Acutt presented the Bible in memory of her father, Tom Moodie.

The Attorney-General reprimanded Longden for not having displayed a due regard for the necessity of providing hospital accommodation for prisoners in the gaol: one or two grass-roofed huts could have been constructed with a little energy and trouble by sending natives out to bring in grass and light poles even if, as reported, the grass locally had all been burnt. Soon afterwards a brick and iron gaol kitchen was built which when necessary was used as a gaol hospital, the cooking being done elsewhere.

Subchief Dzingire sent his brother Jojo and five other men to Angoniland to purchase cattle, and Meredith asked the R.M. to issue passes for them and a permit for the old muzzle-loading musket and 30 lbs. of powder and shot which they wished to carry.

The Farmers� Association complained formally about grass fires, placing the blame on the natives, but the Magistrate felt that the farmers themselves were responsible in most cases: they wished to burn areas while out shooting or to clear old grass, and set it alight; there the matter was left, and the fire spread onto a neighbouring farm.

With A.C.F. still rife the F.A. asked for a Veterinary Surgeon, but the Veterinary Department said that there would not be sufficient work to justify the Government going to the expense of substituting a Veterinary Surgeon for a Cattle Inspector.

The Melsetter Advisory Board discussed the eradication of A.C.F.; a Government Veterinary Surgeon reported on the latest phases of the disease; a letter was read giving the views of the FA.; and the Board drew up a schedule of recommendations. These recommendations were exemplified at a public meeting in 1905 when farmers� dissatisfaction was voiced at a recent Government notice regarding A.C.F. eradication. It was pointed out that local circumstances were exceptional and that regulations suitable for Matabeleland were inapplicable to this district, where oxen were indispensable for transport and nearly all the cattle were salted. (It was erroneously supposed then that cattle which had been exposed to A.C.F. infection and had not developed the disease were salted, immune or insusceptible.)

Briefly the recommendations were: No unsalted cattle should be allowed to move under any circumstances whatever. As there were not enough donkeys to supply the necessary transport, salted cattle should be allowed to travel on recognised routes, with written permission first obtained from owners of occupied land and the N.C.�s permission for Native Reserves. Salted cattle would be branded with a distinguishing brand on authority of the Advisory Board, and while travelling had to be dipped at the first dipping tank en route and once every 14 days.

 

Two dipping tanks, one south of the Rusitu river and one on the north bank of the Umvumvumvu, were needed. As the most prolific source of infection was from native stock, it was strongly recommended that the movement of all native-owned stock be prohibited; as the natives did not engage in transport, or work their cattle, this would entail no hardship.

Later in the year the FA. noted with appreciation publication of a Government Notice permitting the movement of salted cattle under certain conditions, but regretted that the Government had not seen fit to prohibit all movement of unsalted cattle in accordance with the unanimous wish of cattle-owners in Melsetter. Salisbury�s reply that movements were allowed under permit of unsalted cattle for slaughter and dairying purposes only was considered very unsatisfactory, and the F.A. forwarded a resolution that movement of slaughter and dairy cattle was not necessary here where there were no butchers or dairymen. The Association pointed out that the district was not likely to suffer from want of water or veld but suffered from want of cattle caused by the ravages of the disease, and again requested the Government to instruct Veterinary Officers not to issue permits for the removal of unsalted cattle within the district.

 

The Rhodes Trustees agreed to Longden�s request for the provision of Merino Sheep for Melsetter and some were imported from the Cape. They were sprayed with Cooper�s Dip instead of being placed in cattle dips in Bulawayo and it was unnecessary to have them sprayed again in Umtali, where after some delay 1 275 arrived in December 1905 and were brought to Melsetter and distributed to 22 farmers who took them on the Trustees� conditions.

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