Sin,—In your issue of the 1st inst. you quoted from
a letter in the Afanchester Guardian which went to show that with the falling off in coloured labour the employment of whites in the Rand mines was rapidly increasing, and that the employment of Chinese would alter the present ratio of whites employed to coloured in a way which would tend to restrict the employ- ment of whites. In your issue of the 15th inst. the Rev. G. Bosanquet writes to say " that you have been strangely mis- informed as to the result of the Chinese labour introduced into the Transvaal." Your correspondent then proceeds to show that since the introduction of Chinese an increase of white employment has taken place as follows :—On the New Comet, 109 ; on the Van Ryn, 20; on the Geduld properties, 34. But your correspondent omits to mention how many Chinese are employed on these mines, so that the new ratio of white to coloured can be ascertained. Taking the figures of Chinese employed on these mines from the South African Mines of September 24th, and Mr. Bosanauet's
Additional Ratio of white to coloured
Chinese. Whites. (approximate).
New Comet 1,000 109
1.10
Geduld 500 34 1.15 Van Ryn 1,200 20
1.60
Total, three mines... 2,700 ...... 163
1.16 If these figures are compared with the present ratio of one white to five Kaffirs, a tendency that will reduce white em- ployment is, I think, exhibited. The really significant figures are those of the Van Ryn, as they indicate the white oversee- ing required for actual underground mining work. The Comet started to mill on the arrival of Chinese, and no doubt the additional whites are largely surface hands. The Geduld started shaft-sinking, and the additional whites include others than white overseers. When it is remembered that, to quote Mr. Schumacher, " the opening for the employment for unskilled whites is gradually closing as the Chinese come," and that the Chinese have not yet become skilled miners, and consequently require a maximum of overseeing, I think your correspondent's figures convey but little comfort to those who hoped to see the gold mines become in the Transvaal, as in the Australian Colonies, the basis of the colonisation of the land.—I am, Sir, &c., R. L. OUTHWAITE. 3 Cursitor Street, E.C.
[We have given an opportunity for the representation of both views in regard to Chinese labour, and must now close the discussion.—En. Spectator.]
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