The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-23
Consul Sends Report GOVERNS
Nearly the Entire
Field.
WAGES AVERAGE WELL
Trades Unions Growing and
Compensation Laws Are
Liberal.

Johannesburg, writes:
I'm submitting n general statemo,, u.
conditions In regard to the wages a.r,.,
in South Africa, the fact mus, ~,
lost sight of that In this country ~
mines Of the witwatersrand. Trs,s,..'
employ majority of mechanics -,
"orkmen OF nearly every class OF trads
with the result that the standard uas,.
paid by them are adopted by almos, an
the remaining outside employers
~ mas not been possible TO obtain IN.
standard or average wages paid hv a..
tricts outside OF the Transvaal ouir. -
| statistical returns not being aysiIshto
but those at hand are furnished VIII
| as much detail as possible IL 1, sor,a
what difficult to furnish an accurat.
statement In regard to average wac,
paid owing to the enormous amour, a
| overtime work performed al the mines
| while outside firms do comparativelv m,
! tie and, as result. would not sffec. ~.
standard earnings to any degree
| standard wages dsv. hour or u.eL
| ana average weekly earnings arr Ne
chanics, s4.S6 CID a day in the Irans
vaal average weekly earnings, $40. more
particularly In the mines machinist,.
S4S6 a day in Transvaal: average roeLN
~ earnings, $50. Blacksmlths and far.
riers, carpenters and Joners, drill Sham.
eners. plumbers, iron molders and boiler.
makers are classod as toolmakers. Tn.
| standard daily wage in JOHANNESBURG ava
the Witwatersrand Is s4s6 with the TO-.
lowing exceptions: Blacksmiths and drill
sharpeners employed on the mines "a.
ceive So day. and work so hours a
/ week. Carpenters aud joiners in Bloem.
| fontein. Orange Free State, receive a
| cents an hour. and work hours A
| Gay. Plasterers and bricklayers in
| Transvaal receive 60 cents an hour for
2 hours a day. The following arr the
| standard wages paid to printers in IN.
| principal centres of this consular district;
| Bloemfontcin. Orange Free State, 81. A
week Bulawayo. Rhodesia, s29 week.
Johannesburg, s27 week; Pretoria and
East Rand. s2s week: salisbury
| Rhodesis. f29 a week
All men coming under the classification
| OF mechanics. pasterers, briclSlsyers
plumbers, carpenters and joiners, print.
ers, blacksmiths and farriers, iron mould.
ers, drill sharpeners. &c. work on an
average OF forty-eight to nifty hours a
week for flve and a half days week.
approximately eight and a half to nno
hours constituting a days work
The workday for all trades in this dis.
trlct is 7 A. VI. until p. NJ. with
lunch hour from ~ to I. In summer tie
mines operate from $3.50 a. NJ To ( $50 r.
NJ. with a lunch hour from II 80 10
, " 80 Underground mechanics com.
nence work AZ 6 80 \. NJ. aid cease 1t
2;3O r. NJ for the whole week, Monday
70 saturday during summer, but In win
ter do not commence until 4. u, finish.
ing at S:k p. NJ.
on the mines of the Witwatersrand
and with other firms in the distric.; IL ia
the practice To engage all depart mental
forcrnen ON fixed monthly salary. ave-.
aging from S175 TO s195 a month with
no overtime. while ordinary workmtn rt-
ceive rate and half wnen working
overtime on week days and double pay
for SUNDAYS
When an employee loses an hour. NOR
or Iess, II Is the custom to deduc, the
time from his wages. In many cases
however. II the time lost Is not excessive
inc foreman allows IL to be made up In
cases Of sickness on the mines only, an
employee other than the staff does no,
receive wages from the company during
MS absence from work, but in order TO
assist employees as much as possible IN
this respect each mine has benefit
society, to which employees are com.
PEELED TO belong. and from this source
thSy obtain half pay for the whole period
they are indisposed. provided they are
I J Work ior not less than seven days
IN cases OF accident employees receiy.
half wages from the benefit society and
half from the insurance company
IN this district, as in South Africa ger.
eraiy. thero Is no apprentice law. II
the general rule. however, that all
trauesmen serving their time sign ART
cies Tor hve years as an apprentice and
eight TO twelve months as an improver
pefore receiving the standard wage Of I,
sf'so day. During the whole term OF
apprenticeship they receive wages on the
Following scale, including overtime: Sew
enty-two cents day for first year, 81
day for second year, Si45 a day
Tor third year. $1.s4 day for fourth
year and s2iS day for fifth and final
year IT Is not the Gus Jun TO charge
trade.
During the last eighteen months to
two years trade unions have largely In.
creased. extending their branches to all
parts OF South Afi~cs, until they nov
nave membership to the extent Of S.
per cent. OF the whole. class fled by trades
as follows: Affiliated Plasterers Trad.
Union. Amalgamated Society of Eng.
neers, Amalgamated Society OF Carpeu.
tiers and Joiners, South African Black.
smiths and Drill Sharpeners Society, Iron.
moulders Society, United Operative Brick
layers Society. Plumbers Society. South
African Engine Drivers and Firemers
Association. Transvaal Miners Assocla
lion tnow South African Workers Assc
ciation). South African Typographical
Union, Society OF Coopers: Boilerrnskers
&c Society Painters Union. Shop Assist
tants Association. Operative Bakers Assc
citation.
These unions are all affiliated with The
Federation OF Trades Of South Africa
under the same general rulings, with the
exception of the railway workers asso.
citation, which is not actually affiliated
with the federation, but nevertheless
works in harmony with H.
In the Transvaal workman VINO has
been injured in the course OF his en-
ployfnent may choose one of two rene
dies. He may sue his employer for
damages for the injuries sustained undr
the common law or he may claim compen'
sation In the manner prescribed by the
workmans compensation act OF 1907,
III the workman decides to proceed
under the common law ne must be pre-
pared to prove that the employer or some
servart In his employ has been guilty
OF negligence. Such negligence must be
the direct cause of the injury
Under the common law the workman
may claim any amount OF damages
Under the Transvaal act the worknan'
claim to compensation I'm the case 81 pS
manent Injury resulting In total disable
ment Is limited 10 three years wages, o.
1850, whichever Is tho less and in
the case OF permanent injury resutine
IN partial disablelnent To the probable 60
nciency in earnings for the next three
years. or $l,S25, whichever Is the leg
similarly. workman's dependents under