ties,
the free services to our employees do not exist anywhere else. The
whole thing is a dream town, something which—if mining is carried on in
Paradise —one imagines it to be like. What has been the effect of this
display on our engineers, on the board of directors? We were ever more
fortified in our belief that Nature could not possibly be less kind
than we mere human beings had been, and that we had the most wonderful
mine in the world. We had cast our bread upon the waters and it would
be returned to us manifold.
Then
again, what has been the effect on our management: extravagance. Anyhow
one might have imagined that our workmen who had all these favours forced upon
them, would be grateful, would be loyal. Not a bit of it. This vulgar
display of wealth made them an easy prey to . . . Bolshevik propaganda.
Why should we not supply more houses, more benefits, when our managers
lived in palaces, when we kept a beautiful guest house for the benefit
of directors, who pay an occasional visit? . . .
I
compared in my mind Kimberley, as it was, with N'Kana. During the
extravagant period of De Beers, we also built a 'model' township for
our workmen, the Belgrave Hotel, Alexandersfontein, improved the
Kimberley Club, gave free vegetables, free milk, free houses and so
forth. But Rhodes did not give it—as if it were a right—he gave it step by step as a. favour, and
he built houses suitable to Kimberley conditions. The result was
complete loyalty. The Member of Parliament was a supporter, not an
opponent.
But
how are these problems to be solved? There is no short cut, but with
local adjustment the work I did for Dc Beers has to be repeated here. .
. .
What
about our workmen? A scheme must be worked out—a very favourable
scheme—so that they can acquire their houses on the lines of our
Western Reefs scheme. I have asked for full details both from N'Changa
and N'Kana as to the housing question and free services to workmen. I
shall write fully about this from Johannesburg in due course. Then I
personally feel that (just as in Kimberley) the mine township must be
merged with the Government township so as to create a real town with a
municipal council, which will be responsible for roads, sanitation and
the usual municipal services. We [Rhokana] will have to help by
supplying cheap water, cheap electricity, perhaps make a contribution
to the municipality in the beginning. The municipal council will give a
healthy outlet for people who aspire to public life. In this way people
will own their houses and be proud of them, they will be proud of their
town. Civic pride will replace the jealousy of absentee employers. The
company will be rid of work they should not do and by making
concessions or by helping the council from time to time will create
supporters instead of enemies.
This will all take time. I have dealt with a similar problem in Kimberley.
You
must not conclude that I have lost faith in Rhokana; on the contrary it
is and will continue to be a great success; but the system of
exploiting our
