The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-04-21
BRITON And BOEl
ElGHTY-THREE LABOR LEADERS
OF ENGLAND ISSUE AN APPEAL.
Now Tell us all About the War and
What They Killed Each other for
Real Object of the War Wnged
! by Capitalixts to Depress Labor
Labor Where the boers I10"'
Sway.

Fellow Countrymen, you have been
led to believe that the present war
against the BOers is being Waged on
behalf of justice and freedom for in
dustrious Britons. AS matter of fact
President Kruger offered to cOncede to
the Outlanders as much as the British
Government demanded for them. The
outbreak of the war made it clear that
a large proportion of them were not
British subjects at all. According to
Lord Rosmead, the late Governor of
the Cape, more than half of the Out
landers were on the side OF the Trans
vaal Government; and the Cape Times
"a war iournaD asserts that 5000 OF
them are now fighting against us. In
1897 the Gold Mining Companies of the
Transvaal had an output of ELL, SOC, 900;
but they employ very little British lab
or, and they would employ still less If
they were able to control the govern
ment Of the country.
The Real Object Of the War.
You will naturally exclaim: There
must have been some real object in the
war" Yes, there was; it is a war wag-
ed by capitalists with the object Of
SdAIlAS 61CdSCl PIo SAAou6A SACop
Trigger labor" We shall prove this
out of their own mouths. A meeting of
the CONSOLIDATED Gold Fields Com
pany of South Africa was held at the
Cannon Street Hotel, London. Novem-
ber 14th, 1899, and is fully reported in
the Financial News of November 21st.
Lord Harris, the chairman, stated that
upon the working capital of 32,147, 600
the profit for the year had been e1,-
100000! But this enormous profit does
not satisfy these people. They want
more and they mean to have more.
Mr.. John Hays Hammond, engineer
of the Company, - in his speech
that he estimated that after the war
they would increase their profit to
92,199,O 900. So this single company
stands to make over a million a year
profit by the war. This is the real rea-
son why war was inevitable. Do not
think that this means a splendid open
ing for British labor; it means nothing
of the kind. The plan is to apply as
little British labor as possible, and to
reduce the wages of native labor to the
smallest pittance. These men do not
conceal it,. Mr.. Hammond said:
There ought to be no difficulty in OBJ
staining $4,000 rKaffirs 20 work the
mines. Where does the British work.
1ff:
ther said sss 4, r = ..} .$ss I I II
5a with a good government there
should be an abundance Of labor. and
with abundance of labor there will be
no difficulty in cutting down wages,
because it is preposterous to pay a
Kaffir the present wages. He would
be quite as we'll satisfied-in fact he
would work longer-if you gave him
half the amount
British workingmen under such cir
cumstances would not work at all.
But these South African capitalists
mean to have a government which
shall =,
Explicit the "Nigsers' in Their In-
j sterest.
The tax collector is to be the crimp
of the gold-mongers. Mr.. c. D. Rudd,
director of the company said:
IF they could only get one-half the
natives to work three months of the
year, it would work wonders. They
should try some cogent form of in
ducement or practically compel the ma
tive, through taxation or In some other
way. to contribute his quota to the
good, of the community, and to a GER
tain extent he would then have to
work.,
There can be no mistake as to Mr..
Ruasd's meaning, for he went on to say
they might fairly call upon the native
to contribute to the government In kind
or in cash." That means that the gov
eminent is to impose on the natives
taxes which they cannot pay, and that
the company Is to collect the tax in the
form OF labor. 1t is only slavery under
another name.
Labor Where Mr.. Rhodes Holds Sway
In, the Kimberly mines, controlled by
Mr.. Rhodes, the ordinary wage of KAT
nrs.1s from Is to Is. per day for a day
OF ten, hours, and thealaw allows them
to pc worked seven days a week.
Labor Where the Beers Hold sxny.
The. ordinary wage of Kaffirs in the
Transvaal is Is. Sd. to g. Cd. per dav
They only work eight hours Der dav
ana oy the Transvaal law, six days in
the week. 1t Is clear that the owners
OF the Transvaal gold mines hope, by
HAedHS VI tHe war, 10 reduce their KAT
frs to the same conditions as those OF
Kimberly.
'"'t Cheap and Forced Labor.
is therefore the chief object Of the
capitalists. The pay of natives EN-.
ployed in the Kimberly mines is one
shilling to two shillings per day. Mr.
Cecil Rhodes hopes to reduce it to {
few pence per day. AS long ago a!
1894 Mr.. Rhodes made speech il
which he said that III they could max.
these people work, they would. reduce
the rate Of labor in the country" Thu.
Rhodes and his fellow conspirators in.
tend to. teach the natives ''the dignit,
Of labor" by reducing them to a con
dition' of practical slavery. st4, +s ..:.,i-
No White Man Need Apply. :: =.
Earl Grey, In addressing the char
I tered ,companys shareholders (reportet
in Times December 15th,) said: 'sls B. q e., :,
I've must dismiss from our mind,
II any idea OF developing our mines Will
White: labor. -. ItYisssobvious tina.
! the black labor OF the aboriginal in
3 abttants Of South Africa must be o,i
H. first line 0f 6Sa|nY,na =.