116 



B COLONY AND Sol/Til AI-'KICA. 



mine* from paying dividends and caused some .to 

 cease operations. The commission found that 

 whatever had been the mistakes in the past, most 

 ;ues were controlled and engineered by 

 financial and practical men. who devoted their 



energy, and knowledge to the interest of the 

 mining induMrv. ami who had introduced the latest 

 machinery ani mining appliances and the most 



. t methods and processes known to science. 

 If the Government neglected to lighten the bur- 

 dens of the mining industry and refused to co- 

 operate in devising means to work lower-grade 

 mine* at a profit, there was danger t hat loo 

 which had cost from OOO.OOO > t..,., |U ,p 



and develop and averaged 10.000 a month in 

 working expenses, would have to closedown, taking 

 tho annual amount of 12,000.00" , of circula- 

 tion. The encouragement of agriculture would 

 have a beneficial effect on the industry by redu- 

 cing the cost of living, but the granting 

 sions hampered the industrial prosperitv of the 

 colony. Tne question of labor was a vital one for 

 the mines, for the cost of labor is f r. .m :.' 

 e total cost of production. M 

 from 18 to 80 a month, according to ability, and 

 then wages are not excessive, considering the cost 

 of living at the mines. In fact, they are only suffi- 

 :ailv wants, and consequently it can 

 not be expected that white laborers will establish 



permanent abode in the Republic unless their 

 position is Ameliorated. The commijon recom- 

 mended that labor contracts signed in Knrope be 

 i as legal in the Transvaal, and that the 

 OOSt of li\ .need for the white miners by 



removing all import duties from necessaries of life 

 and transjM.rting thes*> to the mines at the cheapest 

 possible rates. In respect to Kaffir labor, the in- 

 dustry most draw its chief supply from the Portu- 

 guese territory on the east coast, and the commis- 

 sion suggested that fares to the mines on the 

 Kafflrsper Railroad be reduced by two thirds, the 

 difference to be recovered from the laborers on the 

 return journey, and that premiums IK- paid to Kaf- 

 fir chiefs fur the supply of laborers. The p; 



remcnt of the \Vitwatersrand mines is 70.000 

 black laborers, and within three years 100,000 will 

 be needed on account of the development of deep- 

 level mines. It is recommended that the native 

 commissioners receive extra pay for the purpose of 

 visiting Kaffir chiefs j n the Transvaal to obtain 

 lalwtrcrs (or them, and that laborers so obtained be 

 conducted to the mines under supervision and 



1 in compounds on the way. The Minister of 

 Mines has recommended a law comiH-llirig all idle 

 natives lo work. The illicit sale of liquor to the 

 native* at the mines constitutes a real i 

 and a much stronger application of the li.junr law 

 -'6 is required. It is also desirable that the 

 number of licenses be gradually reduced. Transit 

 duties are unfair and ought to be abolished. '> 

 Iv th- Republic pays 600,000 to the neighboring 

 British colonies. It is recommended th.v 

 eminent negotiate to have these dutie* abolished, 

 previously removing its own dutic* m, good- 

 lined for the north. All im^ri duties on food 

 staffs should be removed, as it i* imftossible to 

 supply tho population of the Republic from the 



.'t of !.! agriculture. The price paid at 



\ plosives of all kind- 

 as it might be, and the excess 

 per case COM to enrich mdividua 

 part resident in Europe, The commission r 

 mends that the Monopoly be canceled, if it can be 

 don,, legally. and that in the mean time ' 

 ment avail its reserved right to ?aU j,,to 



vn hands the importation of dynamite and 

 other explosives and supply them to the mines sub- 



je -t t<> a duty of not more than 20. per case: 

 that the manufacture of < in the Republic 



be alloweti and protected b\ the >ame imp..|-t duty. 

 and that the importation of di-tonat.-r> le free. 



(m the matter of railroad-, taking tin- i;ros- 

 nue fn.in traOie at about "'<. a* in 



the commission advised the (iovernment to^rim- 

 Mich a lowering of rates as will reduce the railroad 

 earnings by 500,000, or 25 per cent., and i 

 proceed to" the expropriation of th,- N. -iherlands 

 <-oinpany if Mich reduction can be obtained on its 

 line. The reduction oii-ht to be lar-e-t on tl , 

 trallic. and the facilities for the deli\er\ .>f coal and 

 1 -honld U- greatly Unproved on tho 

 Hands line. The greatest facilities should, 

 moreover, be given t<> the transport of all agricultu- 

 ral produce at the I -.ami by ni.u'ht trains 

 if re|uired. to the principal market's of t! 

 public. 



To check theft* of pild ati<l amalgam, whi- ' 

 found to be on the increase, the conuni->ion j-, 

 mended a stringent law on the model of the illicit 

 diamond law of Kimberley. The paxs law miu'lit 

 be improved, but what is really required is i i 

 should be applied more stringently, and it i 

 gestexl that its execution be placed under th. 

 t p'l of a local board on t he p>ld fields and 1 1 

 ministration tran-fi-nvd from the .Mini-try of .Mm-^ 

 to the Superintendent of Native*. The com mission 

 recommended the appointment of a board or com- 

 mi->ion in Johannesburg, consisting of ~> m< 

 nominated by the (iovcrnnient and 4 deputed by 

 the mine amociationfl ami merchants of the city. 



The people represent in: the mining it 

 the Kami signed a petition urging expropriation of 

 the Netherlands Railroad, abolition o| the <l\namite 

 monopoly, vigorous administration of the liquor 

 law, protection against gold thefts by a 

 tective force, better enforcement of the pa 



and facilities for dealing \\ith native- 

 badges and arresting d'.-eri.-rs. native 1... 

 the procurement of a regtilar supplv of labor, and 

 a reduction of customs duties in onh-r to cheapen 

 the general cost of living. The Volk-raad declined 

 to receive this petition, as it has a rule forbidding 

 the acceptance of n.einorials coiii|iri*ing more than 

 one subject. It has been computed that under 

 favorable laws t lie mining industry might >;> 

 per cent, in explosive gelatin and <l\nam; 

 |>er cent, in coal, lo per cent in Iran-port. :, 

 cent in native labor, and 87^ per cent, in 

 labor, representing a total annual lossof ei.W 

 The wages of white labor, including all emp 

 from the manager down to t! 

 of the nai ; fin on the average ::' 



of the total cost" ( ,f production : native lal 

 cent.; explosives, jo JKT cent.: coal, s per 

 stores, 19 per ral char--'*. r t per 



There are about 8,000 employees in the min 

 ceivini: about l"J 1 per month." while the black .. 

 ere, who outnumber the- white* eight or ten to 

 cost 4 a month each, including pay and food. 

 Dynamite, which an American Jinn offered to de- 

 liver for 42. 7d. per case of 50 pound-, c,,^ fr<>m 

 f." t Coal costs Ss. per ton at th- 



mouth, and 'J0. s./. in tlie gold fields, ab' 



distant. The Netherlands Railn-ad. with a 

 capital of fl.H;.-,.(HKi.,-anie,l J 1 .:;::i.ood in IHOfl 

 arnl | '1-ing expenses and the guar.. 



intere-t ..n jt- loan-. Of the nrofits the st?i' 



i I'.'il I.OOO a- it- -hare. The State can expro- 

 priate the railroad after a year's notice, and the 

 company bargained for an extension of the col 



.r- a the price of a reduction in 

 tariffs. In September the Natal (iovernment re- 

 moved mr.st of the transit duties, practical! \ 

 dering Durban a free port. 



