THE DANGER SPOT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 277, 19 August 1919, Page 5

THE DANGER SPOT IN SOUTH AFRICA

THE RAND AND ITS HISTORY

THE LABOUR PROBLEM

The Rand, pronounced Ritndt, for ft is a Dutch word meaning ridge, is applied to that alluring ridge on the high veldt which extends for over 60 milee in tho Transvaal dividing tho Orange and Limpopo systems of drainage.

Since its discovery in 1885 it has enticed its thousands, from every quarter of the globe and has beeii tho cause and centro of so much of the politics and strife of South Africa. Johannesburg, one of the most cosmopolitan cities, has hurriedly risen in answer to tho call of tho gold magnet. From an. inhabited stretch of high veldt to a collection of shades with their rough and eager, dwellers and on to a modern city iritii fine buildings and a progressive municipal, ity, has needed a very short neriod of transition. Tho present population is about 240,000, of which number there arc about 120,000 whites; the number:of'natives varies from month to month. Had there been no Johannesburg, there h;ul been no uitlander question; had-there been no gold tho lato.President Ivruger would not have attempted to exclude the influence of the thousands of foreigners by practically denying them the vote though they wero by far tho largest taxpayers. Hence most probably there would have beon no Boor war. but "some form of union -would have been evolved, for questions of Customs and rail tariffs were made intricate by the _ existence of <i> groat centre of wealth in a section without any coast line of its own. This is, however, past history-and a discussion of might-have-beens.

Aid to England. During tho world war'the Rar.d played no unimportant part, for tho mines, by their steady production,' strengthened the credit of the British Empire.' Tho value of the gold extracted each, year ranges round the 175,000,000 dollar-mark. There is, of course, no artificial restriction as is the .case with the diamond mines, whero the market has to be carefully nuised. Tha most difficult problem in connection with fho mines is the-'supply of labour. The natives did not.tak&;kmdly to the work, for regular hours and continuous periods of contract were alien to them; hence to overcome this great difficulty recourse was had to indentured Chinese in the year 1904, but there was such agitation, chiefly in Eng. land, that permits of importation were forbidden in December of the following year. ' The number of natives employed fluctuates, but is usually in the neighbourhood of 190,000; many of these have to bo recruited over a very Tvide area by labour agents. x Tlio mine much higher wages than are obtainable' elsewhere in South Africa,'and this fact naturally draws many thither. None of the hard manual labour is done by- the whites, who actus bosses; this for two reasons—the climate is hot and the whito and coloured labour can never be mixed. Tho bosses make good pay. At tho time of writing, a new and very interesting 6tage ot development has been reached, annoying though it mav be. The natives and ■ -coloured workers have so far imbibed the spirit of civilisation that they have adopted some of tho ideas of trade unionism and, as might be txpected, when experiments in wage-boosting are . tried en ntasss br thousands, whose domain is the native kraal with its most primihvg and ribal simplicity, a considerable amount of disordor his been the result.

Labour Conditions. Unfortunately this movement cannot" be regarded as a transient one, ior while 011 the mines tho boys live - m closo contact; and, moreover, theie is always a stream coming and going which tends to spread and keep alive any controversial question. I his spurtof unrest is likely to spread t-herefoio throughout the Union. The native is handled best by thoso who have lived with him the longest; well meaning, tho inexperienced altruists, at times, do far more harm than good; tins factor has entered into the present diftculty. ■ Only tho most modern methods of gold production avail -to keep some of tho mines in the dividend-paying class. Ihe machinery is of the latest pattern, and now, of course, is transported by tho South African Government railroads, a great cliango from the early days when it all had to be brought over van lienen's Pass in the old trek wagons, drawn by oxen, 500 miles. The gold is found in the quarta which has to ba crushed by the stamps and then treated "by tho cyanide process. Unfortunately, the pulverised rock makes it? presence hateful by spreading itself wherever it can as a fiuo dust when any wind assists. Oi' recent years there has b<sen some discussion as to the length of life of the mines. Thero ore further areas which could be worked if the-Govern' irtent would open them up, but the suggestion of limited life reminds one that South Africa wou'.d be strangely tlirown ont of gear were the mines, for any reason to be closed down. Johannesburg,'or "Joburg" at it is often affectionately termed, is the hub of financial and political life and thought of the. Union though it is not- the. centre of government. It- is the richest town of the l'Tnion, and life there is bv 110 means ulceny; and a high altitude of 5001) feet both seem to quicker-H>o£ physical- and intellectual pulse.— Ohtt.ef;tiun Science Monitor." ' '