SOUTH AFRICAN NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7418, 2 June 1902, Page 1

SOUTH AFRICAN NOTES.

THE COLOIXR PROBLEM. - " CHEAP BLACK LABOUR. (By LEONARD NORTHCROFX.) JOHANNESBURG, April 17. In speaking of the Witwatersrand goldfields, I said that their development and expansion depended" entirely upon the quantity of black miners available.' In the beginning of the year 1899 there were 100,000 employed, on the mines ; it is hoped that within five years' time as many as 250,000 will .-have 'been procured, and they will keep 17,000 stamps employed grinding to powder the: rock which they send up. Nearly all the'- heavy work in South Africa requiring the employment of unskilled labour is performed by black or by coloured people, chiefly by blacks. They have special "locations" close to to all the large towns ; in the country they live in small communities or in isolated huts close to their employers' residences. Apparently there is an ample supply to meet all requirements; but experience has proved that, such is nob the case, many large undertakings being jdelayed inconsequence of the paucity of labour. The black man wants some special incentive to make him work in his native state. In the tribal- communities his wants are few, food is abundant, clothing is an unconsidered quantity. He may be fired - N with an ambition to improve his social condition or his status in the tribe, and so he departs for one of the white settlements, and gets employment which enables him to save sufficient money withl which to buy one, two or three (wives from their parents, and with this source of wealth he is Bet up. cares of this life trouble him no* more," becausg his wives do the Work and keep him in luxury and happiness for the rest of his days. It is an idyllic life— to him, at anyrate — and why should things •trouble him. Men of this stamp may be found in all the white towns and settle-. ments. ' They ai-e l'ick'sha boys, house-ser-vants, porters, messengers, drivers, and they supply nine-tenths of the unskilled labour required in public works and industrial undertakings. There is a large stream of these people continually flowing backwards and forwards, and they have their uses, beyond the direct ones, in gradually introducing European customs, • and some traces of European civilisation as well, amongst their tribespeople. They introduce European vices also, included amongst which, is a lengthy vocabularly of expletives. On the whole, it is questionable whether this stream of intercourse is not more injurious to the "raw" native than beneficial. Views differ, but there is a general consensus of opinion that the "raw" Kaffir is altogether more dependable, more truthful, honest and trustworthy .than his sexm-civilised brother. This system lias been going on for de< <ades. In the early days of the Kimberley diamond -mines, blacks were obtained from the Mozambique Coast, and even now the gold mines have to depend almost entirely on the Portuguese Before the -wax a number of labour recruiting agents enjoyed a very, lucrative business in supplying the' mines ,with labour. They got £3 or £4, .and: very often much more, for each Native they brought to a mine, toch sums being supposed to represent the cost of recruiting and transport. Occaeionally an enterprising recruiter would persnade some of tlie natives to desert,^and^ •fie would take them to another mine, t"S' presenting' theta as fresh men, \and receive an . additional £3 or £4 for his trouble. The Pretoria (•*»- •vernment passed a law to prevent this, •ad imposed -a- fine of ten shillings on any native who < thus broke his contract, the fine being . substituted by imprisonment, with lashes, at the discretion of the Court. In practice it was found that the law did not effect suoh improvement, «s the fine could readily be paid out of the fee paid by the new employer. The mining authorities then asked the Government to impose jnore rigorous penalties, making the fine £3 and increasing the term of imprisonment, but their representations fell on unwilling «ars. , Having gained wisdom by experience, the Chamber.of Mines has formed a Native Labour Association/ and an arrangement was made that no inine would receive ta■bour excepting through, this Association. Its ■ object is to prevent competition amongst the . recMtiting agents, and also *o provide against the encouragement to {desertion. In order to prevent clashing with the mines in Southern Rhodesia, am arrangement has been made that 124 per cent of labour obtained shall be allotted to the mines in that territory. Under the old regime, the natives were paid 43s or 45_ a month including food, chiefly mealie ptfp, and they were provided with shelter, Irat deductions were made for. Goveniment fees, such as the monthly pass fee,' and M mucli as they could get out of them by way of refund for the cost of transport to the mines and the return to their, homes. The native mmdi resembles that of the European in some ways — it failed utterly to understand tbe meaning of these deductions. The Native could understand that he was to get so much per month and food for his labour, but that for some treason or other the money paid ,to him was to bo less than he Stipulated for seemed beyond! bis comprehension. . Under the new arrangements the deductions and irritation they excited will be done away with. The natives will get 30s a month and their food, and,- all charges,

including the cost, of transport both ways, will be defrayed by their employers. Un-.-deivthie new system tbey will mot earn so much as under the old, but it is claimed! I they will be more contented and nearly, as well off. How the mines are to get all the. labour they require is a problem tbey have still to solve. They say tfliey experienced as much difficulty getting 20,000 men. in 18S0 as in obtaining 100,000 in, 1899, and they consequently infer ,. that 250,000 will be as readily obtainable mi 1903. I am inclined to think the difficulty will be very great indeed, if not 'insuperable; to such an extent have the existing fields of labour been exploited that 'the Chamber of Mines is already looking beyond Soutb Africa for their supply 1 , representations having already been made in reference to recruiting in. the British- East Africa Protectorate and in Uganda. They have already been apprised that labour would 1 be imobtainable. in the Zanzibar territory. ' No census has been taken of the native population of the two hew colonies, bub it is believed to be considerably over* a million. In the Transvaal they are mosti numerous in the northern territory, and in •this direction the eyes of employers often" turn, but their efforts have been fruitless; the natives are satisfied with their lot, and do not seek to change it. Hopes have been formed that a hut tax will; be; imposed, sufficiently heavy, to compel some • of them to abandon their ' homes, but it would be a great mistake — if not a crime. — • to do so. TJsroug'houfc the country are great numbers "who have detached themselves from their tribal connections and established themselves in small communities; having no regular tribal authorities. These it might be possible to force into regular labour by a substantial hub .tax, because they would otherwise become a^menaoeto their white neigkbouirs, bub such; a rule does not apply to their primitive brethren', who still live in the ancient dwelling-places of their race. Of the tribal outcasts a large percentage already find profitable employment in the towns. Nearly every household, every business place, has a " boy," and some' have several. Although not very bright intellectually, they are fairly reliableand do not give much- troubled The girls and women make nursemaids-, and are also employed ip.- the houses. In the course of time .they will more closely .resemble the Cape boys and girls, of whora. I have already written^ Speaking generally, I may say that there is no unskilled white labour in this country, labourers' work is all -performed by the coloured people, who are gradually working their way' into 'higher positions in, tike mines, in. trades and in business. Every year a percentage of the "raw" Kaffirs become civilised, and do not return to their old homes. Having acquired a liking -for. some of tlj!e luxuries of civilisation,^ thfcy elect to remain, in the enjoyment of them. Good house-boys get as much- as £4 a month, and I have known boys required for casual work at the stores refuse tp work under 6® a' day. In time they will successfully compete with white labour in the skilled trades ;;they are not nearly so good, but thtey' work much cheaper! ... . It may be asked why the^mjne3^d ; gi^o| employ white miners irfsra^Vof'^l'iv^ savages. I have asked that question from many, and almost invariably receive the same reply: — "Because it is much cheaper to go on as vre ai-e." A white miner, would prebably be worth' as much as three blacks r-not more-—^nd would expect £14 a month at* least ; the three blaclra would' not cost more than £3j-VBdore the wJ^t_^?-_^fc-mated that 3bper j.-ent.bf tSeTS^cK' miners would not be working;. they irould be sick, or pretendiiig to be sick ; ahce. the resumption of work the proportion is jajbt more than 7 or 8 per cent. 'If th« man'es;eventually exhaust their sources of supply, and find, a gradually increasing tendency on 'the part of the blacks to demand more wages, fchey may. employ whites, bat ;Suk& tk ejMrtjn.gency seems very remote. Wi^tKe? mineowners it is merely a question of snvelling the profits. They are not concerned) about colour problem, s. , Yef this colour problem is constantly obtruding itself. The black races are rapidly increasing,* as also are the brown. and the yellow, whilst the complication is intensified by the steady increase of those who belong to a mixture of races, itt whomi the Caucasian blood is clearly discernible. In all the Soutfh African : colonies there is special native legislation, measures providing, for the protection of the Natives from vicious habits, which white people are permitted to contract at pleasure; enactments restricting them from, the enjoyment of much liberty of action, which none would seek to impose on the whites. But even with' these there, are special exemptions, based' on tihe native having attained some -measure of civilisation, having acquired . property,- or having taken up a profession- or trade. - We may expect to find a continually increasing number claiming these exemptions. * The majority of people one meets* with say that the Dutch are the only people ,who know how to treat the/ coloured .races, so as to keep them in their place ; the " raw " Britisher merely sspoils, them, and $*& will soon get unmanageable.

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