HC Deb 11 May 1905 vol 146 c45
MR. HERBERT SAMUEL

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will state by what percentage the number of coloured labourers, apart from Chinese, employed in the gold mines of the Transvaal, increased between March, 1904, and March 31st, 1905; and by what percentage the number of white men so employed increased in the same period.

MR. LYTTELTON

The percentage of increase appears to be for coloured labour 32.1 and for white labour 27.9.

MR. HERBERT SAMUEL

How is it that white labour has increased at a smaller rate than black labour, and that Chinese labour has apparently resulted in no increase at all in white labour?

MR. LYTTELTON

Before the introduction of Chinese labour, experiments were made for the introduction of unskilled white labour, and those experiments were, I believe, in the opinion of everybody qualified to judge, a total failure.

MR. BRIGHT (Shropshire, Oswestry)

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the opinion of Mr. Creswell, that white labour was, successful?

[No Answer was returned.]