SOUTH AFRICAN LABOR.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1922, Page 5

SOUTH AFRICAN LABOR.

A BALLOT TO BE TAKEN. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. — Capetown, Jan. 25. The Miners’ Federation, aiming at services in the mines, has requested officials of the association to take a ballot regarding continuance of Mr. Buckle, president of the Chamber of Mines, opened the case for the nameowners at the conference. He stated that as a result of natives leaving, the mines would be seriously hampered at restarting and he doubted whether it ■would now be possible to carry on the Chamber’s original terms. Mr. Buckle thought also that owing to flooding it may not be worth while re-opening some of them. Generally epeaking it was difficult to say on what terms it would be worth re-opening some mines. There was great difficulty regrrding re-employment and if the strike lasted only a short time longer more and more mines would find themselves unable to re-open. Thus there was the most serious difficulty m coming to an agreement. Mr. Buckle affirmed that the Chamber had never any idea of removing the color bar. In seeking to terminate the status quo agreement on the mines the main desire was to retrench the redundant white workers. The Chamber was prepared to give guarantees as to the ratio of whites to blacks. Sir Evelyn Wallers stated that the cancellation of the status quo did not mean the removal of the color bar. The position of the industry made retrenchment inevitable and the strike made greater retrenchment unavoidable Mr. Gemill emphasised the fact that seventeen mines in December had made i loss or negligible profit. Half the i - iustry was now at the point of <mliapse." hut with reduced costs hundreds of millions of tons of low grade or. could be worked. —Reuter.