THE VIEWS Of THE
JOHANNESEURG JOINT COUNCIL OF
EUROPEANS AND NATIVES ON ¢ FORCED
LABOUR.”
To the Editor, The South African Outlook.

Sir,—The article “ Forced Labour in Africa,” which
appeared in the April number of the Outlook, was of
great interest to the Johannesburg Joint Council of Europeans
 and Natives, especially as the Council itself has
been engaged in a study of the Report of the International
Labour Conference on Forced Labour, and the application
 to conditions in South Africa of the principles
enunciated in that Report. The very able survey of this
subject embodied in the article referred to is highly
appreciated, and the conclusions reached are very similar
to those arrived at by this Council.
The trend of legislation in the Union renders the whole
question of Forced Labour a matter of the greatest importance.
 This is especially true of indirect compulsion.
In view of the principles laid down in the Report of the
International Labour Conference for 1929 the Joint
Council desires to call attention to the following additional
 points.
A. Direct Compulsion.

The practical effects of the South West Africa Vagrancy
Proclamation of 1920 should be examined in view
of its distinct likeness to early 19th century Cape enactments.

In this regard the Report states (p. 65) that there is no
system of forced labour for public works, porterage,
emergencies or compulsory cultivation ; but
“ Proclamation 25 of 1920 provides, in Section
14, that upon a first conviction of wvagrancy or of
being an idle or disorderly person, the court shall
sentence the prisoner to a term of service on the
public works of the territory or to employment under
a municipality or a private person, and shall fix a
reasonable wage therefor. If no such service or