§ MR. HERBERT SAMUELI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the figures which he has published of the number of white men employed in the gold mines of the Transvaal includes men who are temporarily engaged in such occupations as the building of compounds for the Chinese labourers; and, if so, what is the number of white men employed on such occupations and what is the number employed in the work of mining and extracting gold.
§ MR. LYTTELTONThe increase in work for white men is due to the arrival of Chinese labourers and to preparations for their arrival, large fresh construction works are in progress on new mines and development work on the deep levels has been greatly on the increase. I have 306 not received a classification of the occupations of the additional white men employed in connection with the mines, but it includes the building and reparation of compounds or barracks.
§ MR. BELL (Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state the number of unskilled white labourers employed in the Transvaal gold mines on 31st December, 1902, 31st December, 1903, and 31st December, 1904, respectively.
§ MR. LYTTELTONAccording to the annual reports of the Transvaal Chamber of Mines, the number of unskilled white labourers employed in the Transvaal Gold Mines, on 31st December, 1902 was 2,150, and on 31st December, 1903, 2,472. The figures for 1904 are not yet published.