3th, 1900
(the occupation of Bloemfontein) to June 30th, 1901, the "real"
revenue and expenditure of the colony were respectively L301,800 8_s._
and L217,974 18_s._; an excess of revenue over expenditure of L83,825
10_s._ And during the half-year July 1st-December 31st the revenue
collected was about one-third in excess of the actual civil
expenditure.[309] The progress in education was remarkable. At the end
of February, 1902, there were 13,384 children on the roll of the
Government schools, camp and town,[310] or nearly 5,000 more than the
greatest number at school at any one time under the Republic, and the
reorganisation of both higher and technical instruction had been taken
in hand. A system of local self-government had been commenced by the
establishment of Boards of Health at Bloemfontein and in all
districts in the protected area, while in the capital itself the Town
Council was again at work. The Agricultural Department formed on July
1st, 1901, had taken over a large number of sheep and cattle from the
military authorities, and a commencement of tree-planting under an
experienced forester had been made. The Land Board was created in
October, with two branches concerned respectively with Settlement and
Repatriation. The Settlement branch was occupied especially in
procuring land suitable for agricultural purposes, and its efforts
were so successful that by the end of April, 1902, 150 British
settlers had been placed on farms. The Repatriation branch was engaged
in collecting information as to the whereabouts of the absentee Boer
landowners and their families, and the condition of their lands and
houses; in investigating the possibility of importing fresh stock, and
in collecting vehicles, implements, seed-corn, and the other
necessaries which would be required to enable the Boer population,
when repatriated, to resume their normal pursuits. Also temporary
courts, pending the re-opening of the ordinary civil courts, had been
established.

[Footnote 309: Cd. 1,163, p. 145. The accounts were
complicated by expenditure for, and refunds from, the
military authorities.]

[Footnote 310: This is in the Orange River Colony alone. For
the number of children in the _camp_ schools of both
colonies, as apart from the _town_ schools, see above.]

In the Transvaal the work was on a larger scale. Five departments,
those of the Secretary to the Administration (afterward