29 APRIL 1938, Page 54

A GOLD MINING PROBLEM An important group of South African

gold mining com- panies associated with the Central Mining-Rand Mines management has been holding annual meetings in Johannesburg during the past week. The speeches which have been made by Mr. W. H. A. Lawrence at these meetings have laid special emphasis on the shortage of native labour. This problem became specially acute during December, so that several of the com- panies were driven to experimenting with the increased use of mechanical power as a means of maintaining development

in the event of the problem becoming still more intense. * * * *