The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-28
THE RAND STRIKE oUIETED.

mines on the Rand IN South Atrca has
been put down. Details are lacking
b the general impression from what
has been said is that troops were called
in and that the strikers who made dis.
turbances were pretty roughly handled
This is quite IN accord with the senti-
ment expressed by +. w, Howe, Of Kan
sas, who has recently been on a visit TO
South Africa, and who. as quoted in The
Tribune on July 18th, said in his
Monthly that when there is any
trouble down there, the whites say
"The blacks are in rebellion again, and
send for British soldiers"
The London Times, whose editor was,
until three years ago, in charge of a
newspaper in South Africa, has gust
had an editorial, reviewing and ana.
lying tho situation which led up TO the
strike, and the strike itself The Times
deprccales the idea of calling .johan.
ncsburg ga mere camp Of cosmopolitan
dcsperadoes. On the contrary, the
r mes saws that in normal times ''it is
a modern and law abiding community.
moro liko' z Lancashire manufacturing
town than like a gold field. - This also
agrees closely with Mr.. Howe s impres-
sious as TO Johannesburg, He wrote in
his magazine that Johannesburg is
live, progressive, up.to-date city, with
all the modern municipal improvements;
moro. he said, like a wide-awake, pro-
A
he had seen since he left the United
States.
The bulk OF the miners, fifty TO one,
arc blacks. The white miners arc
mostly foremen, Cornishmen. with
element of Afrikanders, - as
the Times SAYS. Hitherto these latter
have stood together in support of the
Botha government. and 10 General
Botha is attributed the prompt "resto.
ration OF peace With regard to the
mine management. the London Times
anslyzes The conditions as follows:
Tho management of the mines has tend
ed inevlta bly, IN recent Years 10 pass into
hands Except la certain honora bic In
stances, the relations between masters
and men have become more Impersonal
prra niZation has been carried TO a point
al which IL seems 10 dominate the live
'ihood of the whole community. Some
of tho best OF the mining ma 2ua teg''-
most of whom are not maguates AT all
but salaried business men--arc absorbed
I'm politics and spend much of the year
In Cape Town. Curious as il may seem
In so vast a concern, there Is no really
permanently n tho interests Of the in
dustrv. cspably OF foreseeing it's ten
dencics and trusted ny It's men.
We suspect that the expression that
the management OF the mines has
passed into fewer "aud probably less
hands, - is the true secret of
the whole business. Mr.. Howe in his
report on the mines expressed himself
upon this point, saying: 4 good many
years ago three thousand American min
ing engineers were employed along the
Rand, and n few Of the best ones re
ceived from $4,000 to $4,000 a year,
but now the number does not exceed
four hundred. I have heard it hinted
that as soon as the Americans taught
the English how TO mine and TO extract
the gold from the Rand ores. there were
over salaries, and the Ameri-
cans went elsewhere, The American
mining engineers are highly regarded
for many reasons, but especially be
cause Of their quickness and cleverness
in meeting difficulties.
In our former discussion of this mat
ter. we quoted the above expression,
and gave the opinion that very likely
the strike arose through the employ
ment Of English engineers, who are not
as competent in handling situations as
they arose as the American engineers
were; and now the London Times an.
pears quietly to assent TO this same
But the strike is over; the conflict
was short, sharp. and decisive. The
Rand mines, doubtless. viii show some
thing less Of earnings for the month OF
July than the average of recent months.
but the interruption was so short that
the decrease is not likely TO be very
great. And this will be comfort TO
the gold-hungry nations of Europe that
scour the earth for gold, and that come
TO America and bid in gold by the mil.
lions, paying freight and all charges to
get it. This feverism and worldwide
demand for gold is in curious contrast
10 the academic opinions Of men like
Professor Irving Fisher. who urges that
the clamor for gold and the readiness OF
European nations to pay a premium TO
get IL is the best indication that gold
is oyer-abundant. This, however. shows
the sharp contrast between practical
men and theorists. Practical men saw
that gold is scarce, and they are willing
to pay roundly 10 get it. The theorists.
who do not handle the gold and simply
think out distinctions in their studies.
and who nave nothing TO DO with the
practical affairs of the world. build up
hypothesis on tho basis TINT gold is
over-abundant. II is pity that the two
extremes could not meet on middle
ground; but the truth is that practical
affairs do not lend themselves 10 the.