The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-18
SOUTH AFRICAN GOLD MINES.

Dispatches from South Africa for the
past week have been ominous of trouble
in the gold mines on the Rand, The
later dispatches Indicate that the trou-
bles have been put down with rather n
rough hand, and good many of the
rioters killed, hut particulars of what
was done are lacking. In view Of the
reports from there, however, it is Of in
terest to note recent view taken of
the mines on the Rand By F. W. Howe.
the noted editor from Kansas, in
his Monthly for June. Mr.. Howe is
on world iaunt, having started from
San Francisco, visited Hawaii, Tutuila,
Australia, New Zealand. and then South
Africa. He visited johannesburg, and
in his account of the gold mines on the
Rand, states that $4,000 men arc em-
ployed in those mines: that practically
all OF the miners are native negroes.
These negroes ''are compelled to work
for whatever the whites decide is neces-
sary to keep tho country's industries
1ourishing." Tn many places there the
blacks outnumber the whites fifty to
one, and are compelled to work "for
whatever wages the whites arc able to
pay IF they do not, the whites say.
1.-THE blacks arc in rebellion again, and
send for British soldiers.n He quotes
Georgia man there as saying that the
South African negroes are no better la
borers than the negroes Of the South,
and continues: off the South African
government should decide that the pros
perity Of the country depended upon the
negroes working for shilling n day
each, n law would be passed without
regard for the Rights of Man.
Mr., Howe reviews the situation by
saying that Chinese labor was tried In
the Johannesburg mines, and at one
time there were more than $4,000 Chi
nese employed in these mines. But the
Chinese gradually demanded more
wages, and as a result were ordered TO
leave South Africa. a fate which is now
overtaking the Hindus.' - He quotes
statement in newspaper there, that
"if American miners wages were paid
along the Rand, the mines would show
loss instead Of a profit
Mr.. Howe says that johannesburg ore
is Of low grade, much Of it averaging
only $4 a ton, while a little of it is
worth s25; and further: GA good many
years ago three thousand American min.
ing engineers were employed along the
Rand, and few Of the best ones re.
ceived from $4,000 to $4,000 year,
but now the number does not exceed
four hundred I have heard it limited
that as soon as the Americans taught
the English how to mine and to extract
the gold from the Rand ores, there were
chickering's over salaries, and the Amer
leans went elsewhere. The American
mining engineers are highly regarded
for many reasons. but especially be-
cause of their quickness and cleverness
in meeting difficulties
1t is very likely that the troubles in
the South African gold mines are due
very largely to tho cause suggested by
Mr.. Howe, namely, that the American
ousted and that Euglishmen have taken
their places; for there is no question
but that American mining engineers are
men of the highest skill, and that their
rePute of being resourceful in meeting
all sorts of difficulties is well earned,
This is not the case with English min
ing engineers, as a rule, or English SUI
perintendents or managers OF any kind.
The English are not resourceful in meet
ing difficulties of various kinds; on the
contrary, they wish to "bull things
through - pushing matters on their own
ines, regardless of other views, and alb
5olutely uncompromising. It is likely,
therefore. that the difficulties in the
Rand mines are largely due to the fact
that the American mining engineers
nave been ousted in favor of English
men, who were not their equals in
'quickness and cleverness in MEETING
difficulties, -