§ MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can now state what provision has been made in the regulations controlling the recruiting of Chinese coolies to ensure that they shall be paid a rate of wages not less than that now received by the Transvaalnatives.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton.) The following are the terms of the wages; clause inserted in the contract: Any labourer employed at labour to which; piece-work is not applicable shall be paid for the work on which he is employed at the rates detailed by Chamber of Mines Schedule of Native Pay, May, 1897, restored January, 1903. If, however, within six months from the date of the said labourers' arrival in the Witwatersrand district the average pay of the; labourers employed under the said Ordinance does not equal 50s. for thirty working days the rate shall be increased from 1s. to 1s. 6d. for each working day of 10 hours. The schedule of native pay referred to will be found at p. 151 of [Cd. 2025]. The majority will be employed on piece-work, and will, I am assured, be in a position to earn about 50s. for thirty days' work, which is, I am informed, the average wage of the Kaffir at the mines. The Papers which have been laid will contain fuller information on the subject.