AFRICAN LABOUR TROUBLE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 635, 17 January 1914, Page 3

AFRICAN LABOUR TROUBLE.

* GENERAL STRIKE PROCLAIMED. SHORT SHRIFT TO DYNAMITERS. Johannesburg, Wedneßday. The crisis hap been reached and a general strike proclaimed. The Government hai formed a mobile column of 200 war veterans for emergency service at any point. None of the burgher force has been Btationed here, the defence of the town being mainly handed over to English volunteoTß. Ah being typical of the strong precautions taken, it iJ stated that members of the Cabinet now at Pretoria are accompanied everywhere by armed escorts. SHOOT ON SIGHT. Ballots everywhere are showing big majorities in favour of the srike. The situation in grave. In order to safeguard the trains, certain districts in the Transvaal and Ornngia have been placed under martial law. Drastic regulations have been made, including the shooting of rn««n uaing dynamite on eight. Armed bodyguards escort the labour leaders everywhere throughout Johannesburg. General de Wet is in command of a large force of burghers on the East Rand.

CAUSE OP THE TROUBLE.

MAINLY ABOUT WAGES. Sydney, Wednesday. The Whip of General Botha's party, Mr E. Hunt, ia visiting Sydney. In an interview to-day he said he was confident that the - South African Government Would be able to quell any Btrike disturbance, but bloodshed in places like Johannesburg was certain, becauae it was a cosmopolitan community, where most of the men had aeen'war and held life cheup. He hoped the better instincts of the strikers would come to the rescue, and that they would try to get their grievances adjusted legitimately. Regarding the trouble amongst the railway workers, he explained that during the war many farm labourers V?ho went to the towns were disinclined to return, and thus the towns became filled with unskilled labourers. The Government, seeing the danger from this, diicharged the Kaffirs who previously had done the unskilled labour on the railways, and put these •men on at 3s 4d per day, equal, with -coal and housing, to 5s a day. After the Union had been consummated the

labour unions were formed and an agitation began for an increase in wages, including the levelling up of the unskilled men on the Cape and Natal lines to what was paid in the Tranavaal and the Orange Free State. The Government considered this not to be practicable, as the cost of living was much higher in the two last-named Status, but agreed to level down and up. In consequence the wage in tne Transvaal had been reduced, and those in the Cape and Natal raised. The Transvaal men were dissatifsed, whilst the Cape and Natal services at present were fairly satisfied. The dissatisfaction had been increased by the Government introducing piecework in place of day labour in the railway workshop. Mr Hunt admitted that the men ha.i grievances, but it would only be a matter of a little time before these were redressed. The grievances were being greatly magnified. The railwayman of the Transvaal and the Orango Free State, apart from those getting 3s 4d per day, were the beat paid in the world at the present time in railway employ. He describpd Poutsma who is responsible for the formation of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Employees, was a Hollander and a splendid speaker, who carried the men away to a large extent by his utterances. He was out for trouble, and, even if granted all the demands, would not be satistied. Mr Hunt added that the heads of the Trades Federation were really paid agitators. Mason and Waterstone were Australians. "Their idea is to have a republic in South Africa again, and they go about inciting the workers and trying to incite the Boers, especially General Herzog's followers, to rebellion. Indeed, they pull down the British flag every time they see it, and put the red one*in its place. They tell the natives that the interests of the white and black workers are identical, and that they must stand together." There was considerable fear that the Kaffirs might rije now because they were much dissatisfied over the law passed last session empowering the Government to prohibit the natives from living with the whites and vice versa. Unless the Government took precautions and got the nativeß. of whom 300,000 are employed in t';e mines, way from the big centres, no doubt they would break loose. The people in their kraals were satisfied with the rule of the white man, but the whole trouble came from boys who went to the mines to work.

HIGH-HANDED OWNERS.

LACKING IN TACT. Melbourne, Wednesday. Colonel Wilson, better known as "Matabele Wilson," the organiser of Kitchener'a Fighting Scouts, is visiting Melbourne just now. When interviewed, he said that if the South African strike continues the whole of the three hundred thousand natives employed on the mines will have to be sent back to the kraals. That would mean the cessation of the whole mining industry, and it would be months, if not yoars, before the mines were again worked. The cost would run into millions. During the last strike there was talk of bringing the burghers out, but it was felt that it must be avoided, if possible, owing to the racial feeling involved. Apparently the situation was r.ow so serious that this consideration was outweighed, (jj "If it comes to a conflict between the burghers and the strikers, the former will not hold their hands like the Imperial troops, and the casualty roll will he considerably larger," said the Colonel. The strikers include all nationalities?, and their organisation is wonderful. A dangerous feature is the huge quantity of gelignite and dynamite available by men who undtratand its uss, said the Colonel. He attributed the discontent to the high and mighty attitude adopted by the big mining house, who failed to realise that times had changed, and that men eanmt be driven by the old methods. The men had had grievances for years in respect to conditions of work, hours, and wages. Last year's trouble could have been settled by a little tact on the part of the mine authorities, but they adopted a high handed attitude. After the settlement many of the mun openly complained that their leaders had been bought. The dissatisfaction spread because the Government, it was alleged, failed to carry out its settlement pledges Colonel Wilson added that the Government had paid the strike-breakers £50,000 for the loss of their jubs. The election of Mr Poutsma to the secretaryship of the Railway men' 3 Society was significant, and whatever happened, the Colonel thought the country was in for a troublous time.