§ MR. BAYLEY (Derbyshire, Chesterfield)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can give the percentage of accidents and of deaths from accidents, and also the death rate from other causes, among the natives employed on the gold mines in South Africa during the last two years.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON,) Warwick and LeamingtonThe Transvaal Mining Engineers report for the year ended 30th June, 1903, gives the following figures as to accidents. For year 1901–1' average number of coloured persons employed on gold mines 18,837, number killed sixty-five, number injured 106. For the year 1902–3 average number employed 43,875, number killed 172, number injured 300. The death rate from all causes on the Witwatersrand mines is given at 57.7 per 1,000 per annum, and from sickness alone at 54.5 per 1,000 per annum for the period November, 1902—April, 1903, on page 389 of Cd. 1897.
§ MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)Will the right hon. Gen tie-man say if it is not the fact that the mortality in some districts in the Transvaal is as high as 100 per 1,000, and will he give instructions to Lord Milner that 242 natives brought from tropical districts shall not be employed on the high slopes?
§ * MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)Does the mortality, among the British Central Africa natives, of 280 per 1,000 still continue?
§ MR. JOHN BURNS (Battersea)Will the right hon. Gentleman at his leisure give a return of the industrial mortality of the last two or three years in a Paper similar to that he gave about six weeks ago?
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI would prefer to leave that to the hon. Gentleman who moved for the other one.
§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)Is the right hon. Gentleman taking any steps himself in regard to this mortality.
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! This is becoming a debate. It does not arise out of the Question on the Paper.