A corrupt assembly is an evil master, but when it is narrow-minded and bigoted as well, it becomes indeed intolerable. The following tit-bits from the debates in the two Raads show the intelligence and spirit of the men who were ruling over one of the most progressive communities in the world: 'Pillar-boxes in Pretoria were opposed on the grounds that they were extravagant and effeminate. Deputy Taljaard said that he could not see why people wanted to be always writing letters; he wrote none himself. In the days of his youth he had written a letter and had not been afraid to travel fifty miles and more on horseback and by wagon to post it--and now people complained if they had to go one mile.' A debate on the possibility of decreasing the plague of locusts led to the following enlightened discussion: '_July 21._--Mr. Roos said locusts were a plague, as in the days of King Pharaoh, sent by God, and the country would assuredly be loaded with shame and obloquy if it tried to raise its hand against the mighty hand of the Almighty. 'Messrs. Declerq and Steenkamp spoke in the same strain, quoting largely from the Scriptures. 'The Chairman related a true story of a man whose farm was always spared by the locusts, until one day he caused some to be killed. His farm was then devastated. 'Mr. Stoop conjured the members not to constitute themselves terrestrial gods and oppose the Almighty. 'Mr. Lucas Meyer raised a storm by ridiculing the arguments of the former speakers, and comparing the locusts to beasts of prey which they destroyed. 'Mr. Labuschagne was violent. He said the locusts were quite different from beasts of prey. They were a special plague sent by God for their sinfulness.' In a further debate: 'Mr. Jan de Beer complained of the lack of uniformity in neckties. Some wore a Tom Thumb variety, and others wore scarves. This was a state of things to be deplored, and he considered that the Raad should put its foot down and define the size and shape of neckties.' The following note of a debate gives some idea of how far the legislators were qualified to deal with commercial questions: '_May 8._--On the application of the Sheba G. M. Co. for permission to erect an aërial tram from the mine to the mill, 'Mr. Grobelaar asked whether an aërial tram was a balloon or whether it could fly through the air. 'The only objection that the Chairman had to urge against granting the tram was that the Company had an English name, and that with so many Dutch ones available. 'Mr. Taljaard objected to the word "participeeren" (participate) as not being Dutch, and to him unintelligible: "I can't believe the word is Dutch; why have I never come across it in the Bible if it is?" '_June 18._--On the application for a concession to treat tailings,