POSITION ON THE RAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 25

POSITION ON THE RAND

THEFT OF DYNAMITE

JOHANNESBURG, August 5

All the troops were withdrawn from the Rand to-day, and the extra police returned to their stations.

Normal conditions have been restored August 6.

There is much public anxiety owing to the fact that a quantity of dynamite has been stolen.

The strikers are now endeavouring to secretly dispose of their thefts. There have been several explosions, including one at Germiston which partially wrecked 16 houses.

The mining industries stigmatise the references to phthisis as a deliberate appeal to sentiment in order to obscure the real issues.

Speaking at Stellenbosch, Mr J. Merriman, M.P., said the strikers never even mentioned phthisis in their demands. August 7. At the inquiry into the recent riots General O’Brien gave evidence that the troops in the Rand Club affair showed the greatest forbearance. The firing was absolutely necessary, and orders were given to fire low and straight. Mr Merriman, in hie speech at Stellenbosch, said examination proved that the trouble was the work of a little knot of agitators, and not an uprising by downtrodden workers. He contrasted the Rand miners’ wage of 23s per day with the South W ales miners’ 6s per day, and said the mine-owners had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds in trying to eradicate phthisis. Mr Holly condemned the Trades Federation, and urged a resolute resistance of syndicalism. _ August 8. At a mass meeting of the Labour party it was decided to insist that the Labour Federation’s demands be conceded, and to demand the immediate dissolution of Parliament. Speaking at Oudthhorn Sir D. De Villiers Graaf (Minister without portfolio) emphasised the statement that the Government was' elected by the people, and was not prepared to allow a continuation of the present state of affairs, which was tantamount to the abrogation of the authority of the people. The Government would unite to prevent the reputation of the country being dragged down to the level of a South American republic. The Government would certainly not allow strike agitators to take the law into their own hands. The mines were a national asset. Referring to the demand for the recall of Lord Gladstone the Minister said it was the greatest piece of insolence and arrogance he had known, and he was glad Groat Britain had treated it with the contempt it deserved. August 9. The Trades Federation has decided not to participate in the formation of the com-

mission to inquire into the miners’ and industrial workers’ grievances. The railwayman will have a separate commission.

j August 11. • Hundreds of men with families are leav- ! ing for Australia, Canada, and Britain, fearing that bad times are coming, j Mr Botha was accorded a great reception at a party banquet at Johannesburg. He declared that South Africa was a i young nation, and the people must not j valk about as revellers. Mob law could I not be allowed. If capital became frightj ened it would go badly with the labourers ■ and the general community alike. Unless better relations were established between the employer and the employed there j would be no chance of avoiding a recurj rence of the recent trouble. He indicated I that the membership of the Cabinet would be increased to enable the people to keep in closer touch with the Ministers, j LONDON, August 11. Owing to the strike the output of gold on the Band showed a large decrease in July.