THE RAND GOLD MINING INDUSTRY. II7 



been adduced for this last state of affairs^ the chief reason being 

 probably that the demand for skilled workers can be more 

 readily supplied from among imported men than by training 

 apprentices. Efiforts are, however, being made to remedy this 

 condition, since the existence of large numbers of an untrained 

 rising white generation in South Africa — unable to compete 

 economically in unskilled labour with coloured workers, or in 

 skilled labour with immigrant artisans, or even with coloured 

 artisans in other parts of the country — is a problem of very 

 serious importance. As in most gold-mining communities, the 

 average length of service underground in one mine is short, but 

 in the reduction works this is not the case, and as an illustration 

 of this fact, it may be mentioned that on one group during one 

 year, out of 257 reduction works employees other than learners, 

 there were only fourteen dismissals and twenty-eight resignations, 

 so that the average term of service was over six years.* No 

 doubt the desire of the mining companies to retain skilled and 

 reliable workers by considerate treatment, leave allowances, 

 facilities for recreation and other privileges, is largely account- 

 able for this result, but in view of the migratory nature of a 

 mining population, it is somewhat remarkable that such a con- 

 dition has been attained. So far as ore treatment is concerned, 

 the law precludes anyone from rising to the position of manager 

 of a company who has not been engaged for three years in work 

 undergroundf. The result is that most able and enterprising 

 technical graduates prefer to engage in mining rather than 

 metallurgical work in the hope of ultimately attaining a 

 manager's position, and since the number of such men is strictly 

 limited, the progress of ore treatment is not adequately advanced 

 by the energy and capacity of this class. As elsewhere than on 

 mines, the worker's success in competition is largely the resul- 

 tant of will and ability, and the objective of the first decade of 

 working life should usually be experience, matters of position 

 and pay being considered as secondary until a later period.!. 



Although the Rand is often regarded outside its own boun- 

 daries primarily as a share-dealing centre, this business really 

 affects its great industrial population and welfare only to a minor 

 degree. Whilst the sale of shares serves as the readiest means 

 of raising capital for mining enterprises, yet the share values of 

 a producing mine are of comparatively little importance to the 

 bulk of the population of the Rand and of South Africa. A 

 poor mine pays wages and indirect taxation, and consumes sup- 

 plies and maintains its workers in the same way as does a rich 

 property, in proportion to its scale of operations. Since divi- 

 dends mainly go overseas, a large low-grade property is of much 



* Annual Report of the Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa, 

 Ltd., for year ended 30th Juno, 1913. p. 31. 



i Journal of S.A. Inst, of Eng.. 13 (1915), 177. 



t P. Cazalet : " The Position and Prospects of tlie Young Mining 

 Engineer on tlie Rand." in South African Mining Journal Anniversary 

 Number (icji2). 



