BOOKS
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1955.tb00103.x |
| Published date | 01 July 1955 |
| Date | 01 July 1955 |
138
JOURNAL
OF
AFRICAN
ADMINISTRATION
Mr. McDougall does
not
disturb this agreement,
but
recommends a common
roll for Europeans
and
Asians. He hopes
that
it
may
cure
apathy
among
both
communities, help to promote inter-racial co-operation
and
make African
representation on
the
council easier to achieve when
the
African High Density
Residential Area is eventually incorporated in
the
united town.
African
High Density Residential Area
NIr.
McDougall considers
that
the
Soche African High Density Residential
Area, which houses Africans who work in
the
two towns,
must
ultimately
become
part
of
the
united town
with
African representation on
the
unitey
council. He assumes
that
this
will come
about
within
ten
years of amalgama-
tion
and
suggests
that
the
central government should give an assurance
that
incorporation of
the
area
in
the
united
town would be on terms which would
not
place aheavy burden on
the
rates.
Civil servants as councillors
To overcome ashortage of suitable public-spirited men
and
women to serve
on
the
united
council, Mr. McDougall suggests
that
civil
servants
should be
allowed to
stand
for election as councillors, except those whose work as civil
servants
brings
them
into close contact with
the
council.
Central control
The
united council should be able to manage its own affairs
and
Mr. McDougall
hopes
that
it will not be required to submit annual estimates to the Governor
as is
the
present practice with
the
two towns. Where agovernment
grant
is
given for a particular service, estimates for
that
service will, of course, have to
be approved by
the
central government.
Both
the
Blantyre
and
Limbe town councils have considered Mr. McDougall's
recommendations.
The
central government, in a
statement
to both councils
in
January,
accepted
the
proposals concerning financial assistance to
the
united
town
and
will
pay
aminimum of £31,500 every year initially to the proposed
united council. A referendum was held in March in both towns
and
the voting
was practically unanimous in favour of amalgamation.
BOOKS
A Handbook
of
Tswana Law and Custom, by
r.
Schapera. Published for the
International
African
Institute
by Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford University
Press;
1955;
30s., pp. 326.
Of
the
many
good books
that
Professor Schapera has devoted to
the
Tswana,
the
most
important
is certainly
the
Handbook. First published in 1938, the
result of careful research
and
accurate scholarship. it has ever since been an
indispensable companion to
the
administrator,
and
a mine of information to
those in
any
other
way concerned with
the
people of Bechaunaland. To
t1~ose
familiar with this valuable work a second edition will need no commendauvt':
Those who approach it for
the
first time will appreciate an excellent plan, an
orderly arrangement of massive material
and
a clear, incisive style. The text
remains much
the
same as before, since
the
original purpose of
the
book
waS
the
description of ancient usages,
and
this needed little revision. Moreover,
present-day usages sometimes
vary
so much from one tribe to another
that
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