§ 20. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked if the Secretary for the Colonies will state what is the expectation of life for machine men engaged in the mines of the Witwatersrand?
Mr. HARCOURTI regret that I have not the information necessary to reply to my hon. Friend's question.
§ 21. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked if the Secretary for the Colonies can state how many Kaffirs have died during the past ten years during or immediately subsequent to their employment in or about the mines of the Witwatersrand; and the number that have been killed by accidents and that have been maimed whilst employed
Mr. HARCOURTNo, Sir, I have not the information which would enable me to answer this question, but I will see if it is possible to obtain it.
§ 46. Mr. MARTINasked the Prime Minister if he will give an opportunity for the discussion of the Motion standing in the name of the hon. Member for East St. Pancras, urging the immediate recall of the troops now in South Africa? ["That, in the opinion of this House, all the Regular soldiers now stationed in South Africa should be at once brought Home, in view of the fact that they have recently been used by the South African Government in connection with the strike,on the Rand, thus indirectly making the Home Government responsible for the Policy of the South African Government with regard to the relations between capital and labour."]
§ 51. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Prime Minister if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Mr. Speaker, on the 7th and 8th July, refused to admit a Motion for the Adjournment of the House, proposed to be moved by the Member for Hanley, on the grounds that if the hon. Member wished to Move a Vote of Censure on Lord Gladstone that the proper course for the hon. Member to pursue would be to put down a Vote of Censure under the ordinary forms and rules of the House and can he state how this ruling affects the reply which the Prime Minister gave to the Member for Merthyr Tydvil on 14th July, when he stated that time could not be granted for the Motion of Censure standing in the hon. Member's name, but that the issue involved could be raised on the Estimates?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)The Government fully recognises that the House should have an opportunity of discussing the employment of Imperial troops in connection with the recent troubles in South Africa. But such a discussion could riot be carried on under satisfactory conditions in the absence of full and authentic information as to the facts. We understand that a dispatch from Lord Gladstone is now on its way, and as soon as it arrives it will be laid on the Table. I should not like to make any definite statement for the moment as to the best manner or occasion for raising the discussion. I should have thought it might have been done most conveniently either on the War or Colonial Office Vote. I believe the statement in Question 51, as to the Speaker's ruling, is substantially correct, although I understand that he gave other grounds also for refusing the Motion for Adjournment.
§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDWould the right hon. Gentleman say whether the statement in this morning's newspapers that the Government of South Africa are instituting a thorough inquiry into all these incidents is true or not?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo; I only saw what was in the paper.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEMay I ask if it is to be taken from the right hon. Gentleman's reply that occasion will be given for a discussion in this House after the receipt of the dispatch?
§ The PRIME MINISTERCertainly.