sitation from the Almighty.

The Memorial Committee reported that they disapproved of such a
thing, but at the same time they did not consider they could make a
law on the subject.

Mr. A.D. WOLMARANS said he was astonished at this advice, and he
expected better from the Commission. If one of their children fired
towards the clouds with a revolver they would thrash him. Why should
they permit people to mock at the Almighty in this manner? It was
terrible to contemplate. He hoped that the Raad would take steps to
prevent such things happening.

The CHAIRMAN (who is also a member of the Memorial Commission) said
the Commission thought that such things were only done for a wager.

Mr. ERASMUS said they were not done for a wager but in real earnest.
People at Johannesburg actually thought that they could bring down
the rain from the clouds by firing cannons at them.

Mr. JAN MEYER said such things were actually done in Johannesburg.
Last year during the drought men were engaged to send charges of
dynamite into the clouds. They fired from the Wanderers' Ground and
from elsewhere, but without result. Then some one went to Germiston
and fired at a passing cloud; but there was no rain. The cloud sailed
away, and the heavens became clear and beautifully blue. He had
reported the matter to the Government.

Mr. DU TOIT (Carolina) said he had heard that there were companies in
Europe which employed numbers of men to do nothing but shoot at the
clouds simply to bring down rain. It was wonderful that men could
think of doing such things; they ought to be prohibited here. He did
not consider that the Raad would be justified in passing a law on the
subject, however; but he thought all the same that they should
express their strongest disapproval of such practices.

Mr. BIRKENSTOCK ridiculed the idea of people forcing rain from the
clouds. In some of the Kaffir countries they had witch-doctors who
tried to bring down rain; whether they succeeded or not was a
different matter. Still, if people were foolish enough to try and
force the clouds to discharge rain, the Legislature ought not to
interfere to prevent them. He did not agree with the idea of firing
at the clouds, but did not consider that an Act should be passed to
prevent it.

The CHAIRMAN said if such things were actually done--and he was
unaware of it--those who did it ought to be prevented from repeating
it.

After a further discussion, Mr. A.D. WOLMARANS moved: 'Th