A COUNTRY OF PROBLEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 147, 16 March 1908, Page 8

A COUNTRY OF PROBLEMS.

C AN INTERVIEW./ : PLENTY OF WORK AND .UNEMPLOYED ■ -.v. 7Mr. :N ; _ T. Miller,' ;a-resident7of\jaggbrs- ; ,r i foritein, 'in the;': Transvaal- isif "visitor - : to JNeiy ' Zealand: who is delighted 'with d'l hehas seen here so far as his brief obsenation • lias allowed. Any.country must be a welcomo chango after. SoutluAfrica -as it-is That unhappy qountry of : lnoxphcable p'robloms is in-a-state ot-drcadful"depr«ssion ! at . , , c.«.pression. thab::no one can -seo , the end of Mr Miller said that when ho Johannesburg a -few- iveeks ' ago 'thero ;. "'ere 'botween-3000. and 4000 'men'out- of v work, living.Heaven -only .knew how .-' ; "But are.;tbeytsnot replacing the Ohiriamen> 111 the minssP'f -asked the reporter ' '' ii "% the y- are not, and?it is- almost'-a pity ; •■. the Chinamen 'are. going, for ..they .kepi the mines going full time " .. '$ ut seems ; incredible for. iheso men i v.-. tobo.out of .work .when' there:.is', amnio' Work at the .i..» .. ' j.' 15 because it is a black-man's coun)P-:,! White men-will not work alongside tho , . 1 boys. | The ■; mine :managors would ■ gladly . accept. white but-m a.-country-where-all labouring vork is done by the black man it r is-beneath-tho, white man's dignity to do " ' P"e'i'.J ,o rk--it js- not:a- matter- of pride'- or , side, .' but one of blood, and vou want to bo , there ;to.:r^i!Mrliow/imi^raT)lft^it'-i8 :: for the ...- .•in'-.the'-ifleld'- of; unskilled - labour." . , >, . Milner/imported a number of British - toyvjM for,;varioiis'-ftorks : in 'the-;Transvaal' . . when,he was administering'the "country, biit. •within-threo months they, had realised-tho 7. v had.quitted: navvying eithertb ; return Home or.ido something brse,.;where 7..; JTOuldibe called '.Ba!as' by. the■ boys.. "Then aro being replaced'by '-■■■ blacks .in .thejmines?" ... .;,.\ .77.' < , - "Yes,- as. far as'is possible; but 1 that involves another pioblem. Tho black man will only,; work tlireo, months out of .the' year retires, to his kraal to.'.smoke and sleep-,while • his '-women-folk 7 cultivate" 'the ■ mealies that keep; him, going. ;He is .really . guite .independent of tho mines, '.and, knows .. i, it. ;> So that,.as-far. as the mines are con- ' cerned, .they, aro-getting , rid of this Chinese . in.-favour.. of ;an -uncertain .-supplyof.: blaoli -7" - labour, ■ and ;tho; whiteman .prefers to ,-be one of the unemployed rather :than .do.-'Jblack - man 3 -work:'" -■ . . ' "But ,how ,do the unemployed .h'vo?'/ .: '. i" 1 don't know. The Government' aids thorn, I suppose. It started relief, works, on an .alluvial mino at as. a'day not. long ago, but thoy were.not a.success; Five, shillings - 7a-day m South' Africa-is not a'living wager the -working man requires about.. 12s.' a day - tp livo: dccontly. Then Mr.. J. ,B. Robinson '. gave a sum of. money,..to the .unemployed 7 fund tho other day." ' : y'-v'.'■ , 7 Mr. Miller Intends''-to- visit -the' Orient . , before, returning to Soutlv-Africa. ' 7 -~7