KIMBERLEY'S PLIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 6

KIMBERLEY'S PLIGHT.

THE SLUMP IN DIAMONDS,

GROWTH OF UNEMPLOYMENT It has been stated that the outside public do not know KimLer'iey's position,

and if they did they would not believe it, writes the Kimberley correspondent of a Capetown paper. Therefore a few facts and figures showing under what conditions Kimberlev has entered in the New Year

should not be without interest. As everyone knows, the bottom has fallen out of the diamond mining industry, and the mines are at a complete standstill, and with considerable stocks to be worked off when business is resumed. There have been three retrenchments by the De Beers Company of their employees, the first in September. 1920, affecting about 400 Europeans ; the second! in February,, 1921, dispensing with 600 Europeans, and the last, which has recently come into operation, reducing the white employees by a further 500 or thereabouts. The figures are approximate. Whereas the company usually employs about 3000 European, there are only about 1000 in the service to-day, and these are all on hal'-pay_ A person in a position to judge considers that for every 100 Europeans retrenched bv the company, 30 by tie other employers in the city. Of course, many of those retrenched have left the city* and gono elsewhere, some of them overseas. But sufficient unemployed havo remained, in the city to constitute a tremendous task with the municipality, who have been generous!.}' assisted in their endeavours by the De Beers Company.