HC Deb 04 May 1909 vol 4 cc876-7
Mr. A. FELL

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies if the death rate from disease for the last quarter of the year 1908 among the blacks engaged in the mines in the Transvaal was nearly five times as great as the death rate among the Chinese; and what is the explanation of this discrepancy?

Colonel SEELY

The death rates were: Black, 31,601; Chinese, 6,788. The Chinese rates are habitually lower than the natives, but the native death rate shows a considerable increase. Inquiry will be made as to the cause of this increase.

Mr. FELL

May I ask the hon. Gentleman whether the black death rate is not greater than it has been on any previous occasion?

Colonel SEELY

I regret to say that the increase in black deaths is considerable; the decrease in the Chinese death rate is obviously to be expected owing to the rapidly diminishing numbers of the Chinese. [Cries of "Why?"] I should think it was sufficiently obvious that the number of Chinese persons liable to diseases connected with the mines must be much less. They must by this time be nearly all dead or returned to China.

Lord ROBERT CECIL

May I ask whether this black labour comes from the same part of South Africa or whether there has been any change in this respect?

Colonel SEELY

I have looked through the figures to see if there was any explanation of that kind. It does not appear that we can trace this increase in the death rate among black labourers, because they have been drawn from a different area. I will ask for a return.