UNSKILLED WHITE LABOUR IN THE TRANS VAAL.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE .` SPECTATOR...]
SIR,—In his letter to you of June 24th, published in the Spectator of July 21st, Mr. F. H. P. Creswell once more repeats his favourite fallacy. Mr. Creswell refers to the initiation of experiments as proofs of successful accomplish- ments; but be is careful not to say what are the final and actual results. This is neither logical nor fair. Perhaps you will allow me, however, to disclose these (which but repeat the verdict of the Transvaal Government Mining Engineers), and to show that while native unskilled labour is spasmodic and unreliable, white unskilled labour is still more irregular. The actual facts are as follows. The managers of some of the mines were requested by the Het Volk Party to engage indigent young Dutchmen to do unskilled work. Seven of these men went out to Kleinfontein, and from the day they arrived until now they refuse to do any unskilled labour, or to work for anything less than sixteen shillings a day. They were eventually taken on at this wage, but their engagement threw out of work skilled men at a pound a day. The outcome of the experiment of white labour, of which Mr. Creswell is so proud, has simply meant competition with the skilled men's wages and undercutting. These young Dutch- men, as soon as they arrived at the mine, said they would not do coloured men's work nor accept coloured men's wages.
—I am, Sir, &c., H. HANDCOCK, Secretary,
Imperial South African Association.
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