Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/270

 218 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

proportion of the younger men are annually enrolled, and it is hoped that this proportion will volunteer. If sufficient volunteers are not forthcoming the balance will be obtained by ballot. Men who do not undergo training are liable to pay 1/. a year for 24 years. The period during which men are liable to training is four years between the ages of 17 and 25. There is a period of preliminary recruit training followed by annual training of from 8 to 25 days. Men so trained form the Active Citizen Army. After completing four years' training in the Active Citizen Aimy, men join the Citizen Reserve Force until they aie 45. In addition to the Active Citizen Army there is a Coast Garrison Force composed of Garrison Artillery and Engineers, which is voluntarily enlisted and receives payment for its services. There is also a Permanent Force which includes the staffs of the defensive forces, five regiments of mounted riflemen, and some batteries of artillery. The Coast Defence Force and the Permanent Force have their own reserves formed from the men who have passed through their ranks.

Boys between the ages of 13 and 17 are compnlsorily enrolled in cadet corps, where this is practicable, but it is recognised that this is not possible in sparsely populated districts. Trained cadets enjoy certain exemptions from recruit training on joining the Active Citizen Army.

Finally there is the National Reserve, comprising all citizens between the ages of 17 and 60 who do not belong to any of the above forces.

During 1920 the demobilization of the defence forces of the Union was completed, and a peace establishment was introduced.

Production and Industry-

Agriculture. — Wheat-growing has made a big forward movement, as will be seen from the following table giving the cpjantity of wheat produced during the years 1904, 1911, and 1918 :—

Year.

Cape of

Natal.

Transvaal.

Orange Free State.

Union.

1904 (General Census) 1911 (General Census) 1917-18 (Census of Agri- culture) 1918-19 ( „ „ )i

1,0001b. 113,453 261,001 496,842

323,734

1,000 lb.

493

1,446

849

2,154

1,0001b. 15,076 53,098 48,627

65,504

1,000 lb. 12,717 46,518 68,153

87,342

1,000 lb. 141,73;i 362,063 608,971

478,734

The following table also give3 the production of maize for the same period

1904 (General Census) 1911 (General Census) 1018 (Census of Agricul- ture) 1919 ( >, )

Cape of Good Hope.

1,000 lb. 220,342 345,573 477,498

77.580

Natal.

1,0001b. 157,735 861,149 288,780

220,746

Transvaal.

Orange Free State.

Union.

1,0001b. 1,000 1b.

260,733 662,122 910,783

82S,39S

77,6< 9

3 JT.669

850,967

1,0001b.

783,819

1 726,608

612,304 1,734,118

1 Excluding Native Location, Reserves, <fcc. Maize, 585,490,000 lbs.

Production, 1918, Wheat, 21,566,000 lbs.

Other products, including Native Reserves, kc, 1918: barley, 50,789,000 lbs.; oats, 214,039,000 lbs.; Kaffir corn, 383,524,000 lbs.; potatoes, 220,066,000 lbs. ; tobacco, 16,603,000 lbs.

In dairying, too, good progress has been made. In 1919-20 the production of butter amounted to 13,783,000 lbs., and of cheese, 3,756,000 lbs.

The 1919 census (Agriculture) showed that the numbers of various classes