HC Deb 04 May 1908 vol 187 cc1651-2
MR. FELL

I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can give any particulars of the recent experiment to introduce white labour into the Transvaal mines; and if he has any official information showing that of forty-five men engaged not one would continue work on the second day.

COLONEL SEELY

The Secretary of State has learnt from Lord Selborne, writing under date the 13th of April, that the result of the experiment has not been altogether satisfactory. A very large proportion of the men refused to undertake the work offered to them on the mines, and made it a grievance that they should be called upon to do work of the kind ordinarily done by Kaffirs, at the rate of pay ordinarily given to Kaffirs. The statement issued on 6th April by the Rand Unemployment Committee, who made the arrangements, shows that of the 395 men whom seventeen mines bad agreed to take on 1st April, only 121 were still at work at the date of the last returns from the mines. The committee are not entirely discouraged by the first results of the employment of unskilled labour on the mines, yet they are disappointed that so large a proportion of the men sent to the mines should have either failed to appear or left the properties without giving the work a trial.

MR. FELL

Will Papers be laid, and will they show the rate of pay to the white labourers?

COLONEL SEELY

I could not without further inquiry say whether Papers relating to this matter will be laid on the Table of the House, but I shall be glad to give any information I can. The experiment now under discussion is merely an experiment with unemployed. It has no reference to the general question, about which the Government will be able to give further information later.

SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend)

Is it the case that white men were employed for exactly the same wages as, Kaffirs?

COLONEL SEELY

I could not say offhand. I must, however, again point out that this experiment has taken place in connection with the question of unemployment.

MR. FELL

Were not the unemployed who were engaged in this attempt miners

COLONEL SEELY

Not necessarily; great many wore not, for complaint was made that they could not earn as much by piece-work because they had no experience in the work.

SIR GILBERT PARKER

Will the hon. Gentleman give to the House the exact figures relating to the wages of the miners?

COLONEL SEELY

said that, if the hon. Gentleman would put down a Question, he would see whether he could do so.

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