The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 71907. THE TRANSVAAL AND CHINESE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13242, 23 March 1907, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 7 1907. THE TRANSVAAL AND CHINESE.

The Transvaal Government has. done wJuit was expected of il.i|i dccidjn,g-,that, iho importation "V Chinese itiuwt* bo stopped at, tho earliest possible opportunity, b«V it , has acted whely in declining to adopt rcvolulionniy measures which would inevitably .throw the most important industry in tlio colony out of gear it' 'this supply of labour were suddenly interfered ,with. , The intention ,'<>f (he, Government - is therefore to retain those coolies who are already in the country until sufficient Kaffir* are forthcoming to permit) of the, repatriation of their Chinese competitors being carried out without injury to the mines. How long it will -be Wore Transvaal is rid ,of \Hb yellow importations will depend upon the hint-only mid Hie success- of the efforts- vhich uro to bo made to increase r the supply of Kaffir hibour, for 'there has always been 11 nunpicion that a Boer Ministry, repro.-pntativo to a very large, extent of the funning interests would not, be entirely hostile do the employment of Chinese in the mines, as tit, would lessen the drain on the supply of Kaffir labour which the Boerij require in the uninageniont of their farms. It may also bo surmised thai, the Transvaal Government; at the outsot of their farcer, are not anxious to antagonist'the, heads of the great industry on \ which they will depend for no inconsiderable portion of their revenue, and they, lire therefore approaching the ■quest:-:i of-coloured labour in 11 very cauth -i . spirit. There is a, degree of- unccrU; .y about the precise altitude which the mine-owners would now tako up twwdrds the repatriation' of the Mongolian coolies, for cxporienco wit h them seems t»> have shown that they (no not a very economical type of labourers, 'and provided the Kaffirs could be obtained in sufficient numbers, there is 'lw obvious reason why the Chinese experiment should ,be persisted with. Tho average cost.of importing 11 Chinaman has worked out,' at about £24 10s, and he ' cos(s*2ss 11 month to feed, while the eo»t of getting a Kaffir is about £3, and ho costs 20s a month for maintenance. What was the defect in Kaffir, labour which made it worth while for, the .mine-owners to pay so much more for Ilia .Chinntnan ? One explanation was that the natives had become affluent through 'the, wages they received from t'ho military -authorities during the war, and that' until they Ixwl reduced themselves once mora to a state bordering upon poverty,- they would decline to' offer themselves in tho numbers; for the underground work which they knew by previous experience tk> be attended by considerable risk, a high.' death-rate. That was practically tho only excuse the ownoi* made for tho introduction of Chinese into tho Transvaal. "No one," said• Mr Lionel Phillips, who was iu a position to speak the, mind of the owners, "wanted to hnport China--men, but what were we to dt>?" That ■ excuse will be destroyed ,if tho Governnieiil meet with success, in then- attempts to increase the- supply of Kaffirs, and as the earnings of the war period, must bo pretty well exhausted -by this time, tho recruiting agents who go round tho.krauh ought to experience .no groat difficulty in scouring enough local labour to enable the mines and tho country .'to turn its biwk on ,the vellow cooJie., M•■ - v , . - /1, .