§ MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E.)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in making arrangements for the recruiting of labourers for the South African mines from British Central Africa, His Majesty's Government have laid down such regulations or obtained such guarantees as will make it impossible for these labourers being obtained from the Congo Free State, or through the action of any of the officials of that State or the chiefs within its jurisdiction.
§ * LORD CRANBORNEI hope to lay the regulations in question upon the Table in the course of the next few days. It will be seen that they apply to all native labourers engaged for service within the Protectorate, from whatever part of Africa they may be drawn. Whether further rules are required in the case mentioned by the hon. Gentleman will receive careful consideration.
§ MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, N. R., Cleveland)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign 175 Affairs whether the Foreign Office intends to authorise the recruiting of native labourers for the Transvaal mines in the Protectorate of British East Africa and Uganda, as well as in British Central Africa.
§ * LORD CRANBORNEPending the result of the experiment of permitting 1,000 natives to be recruited in British Central Africa for South Africa, His Majesty's Government do not, as at present advised, intend to authorise recruiting for a similar purpose in the Protectorates of British East Africa or Uganda.
§ MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can state who will fix the rate of wages to be paid to the 1,000 natives to be recruited in Central Africa for the Transvaal mines.
§ MR. J. CHAMBERLAINThe rate of wages will be fixed by agreement between the Native Labour Association and the labourers employed, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of the Protectorate.