Evening star., 1907-08-03
STRIKE ON THE RAND
MINERS WHO HAVE BEEN EARN
ING $4,000. a YEAR QUIT.

Special Cablegram to TIE Star
JOHANNESBURG. August S.-Since It
appears that an appeal for financial aid
on behalf Of the Rand strikers is now
being prepared an explanation OF tho ex-
| isting situation possesses unusual interest.
Beyond this the effect of the strike on
the Reef, on the politics not only of the
Transvaal, but the larger politics Of the
United Kingdom. is likely to make this
strike prove q matter of imperial mo-
ment. The older inhabitants in particu-
lar, who have often looked askance at
the new Johannesburg which came out of
the war, the rapid development of what
looked like general strike came with
the peculiar force Of bolt from the
blue, and they ascribed the whole trouble
to poison introduced by the Australian
agitator" or to obscure political in
trigues. The long immunity from dis
turbance which the Reef had enjoyed
was in itself the result Of perfectly
natural conditions. A combination of
high wages Q limited amount OF skilled
labor and an industry which Is in nearly
many cases an extremely profitable one,
is usually not likely to lead to strikes.
Johannesburg has been very expen-
sive place for the miners to reach. and in
this way q small body Of Cornishmen
soon secured a practical monopoly Of the
labor market. The sums made out Of the
mines by the capitalist investors were at
to sorutinize too closely the working
costs" aspect Of their industry, or to
commit themselves to. struggle which
would be highly inconvenient with men
whom it might be almost impossible to
replace. So, even when the cost Of living
went down. as II did with a rush after
the war. wages were still calculated on
ch ths sa%s 1ssutsS es basis The
of the white man underground 10 by
courtesy called skilled; 1t consisted
mainly in directing the placing OF the
tives who. whether as hammer boys or
helpers with the machine. actually drill
the holes. Any man can obtain q blasting
certificate and so qualify as a skilled
man could get his certificate in one-half
the time. The skill consists almost en-
ttrely in the placing Of the holes and
since nearly all of the work Is paid for
on the contract system one may be earn
ing S4Oo a month and another less than
Difference In Wages.
1t is no exceptional thing for these
mon to make from $4,000 to $4,000 q
year each Yet the average wage is only
about ii 800 q year. Such a difference
in wages throws a lurid light on the rela-
tive eficiency Of a great number Of the
white workers. Yet oven the lower wage
OF $12b to $3.50 per month IL really ex-
tremeiy high for what fs q low form Of
skilled trade. Many educated men in
Johannesburg doing clerical work do
not receive az much and are forced to
expend vastly more Tho common neces-
stiles Of life are not the dear items in the
Irensvaal. A miner not given to going
ION Q spree" could live pretty comforta-
bly, In his quarters or boarding house,
per month. He would thus be able to
save on an average over $1,000 a year.
II he were really expert in his ork he
could. OF course. save a great deal more.
perhaps not more 80 than the average of
mining ventures over the world. How
ever. a miner cannot continue at 1t for
more than FIVE or six or seven years
without considerable risk
Such. briefly. was the position of the
miners up to the spring Of this year.
maturing which led to the present out
break. 1t had been pointed out that the
priviledged position of the miner had
been due to two facts-the prosperous
the isolation Of the Reef considered as
labor market. The prosperity or ap-
parent prosperity of the Industry has
been badly shaken Of late by events
labor. But this lack Of confidence has
tened development common to all min
ing ventures by which they cease grad
ually to be speculative and grow more
and more to resemble an ordinary indus
trial business. The increased taxation
which followed the war worked toward
the same result. The heads of the in
dustry began to look about them and to
discover In many Of the lower grade
ventures which they were engaged
the question of working cost was of cru
cial Importance. simultaneously it be-
came apparent that the imported no
longer possessed monopoly Of the mar
ket. johannesburg had expanded enor-
mously after the war, and it has now
filled up with people who are convinced
that II the Transvaal 10 to prosper its
own Inhabitants must sit down and work
hard at the development Of its native re-
sources.