Free
State mining history in 1955. He had set out his aims much earlier,
when, on 16 May 1947, he cut the first sod of No. 2 Shaft sunk by the
Welkoni Gold Mining Company. On that occasion he took the opportunity
of saying,
.
. . the Anglo American Corporation will play a leading part in the
opening of the new gold-field, and I feel that this imposes very
special responsibilities on us to see that the opening up is done in
the most efficient manner. When I speak of 'efficient' I do not just
mean the lowest possible working costs on the best possible tonnage,
but also that we pay special attention to the welfare of our employees
and to the development of the region as a whole. Never before has the
corporation had the opportunity of developing so large an area from the
very beginning, and it is our duty to take full advantage of the
knowledge we have gained in our other mining enterprises.
The
various finance companies, in our group, have acquired the surface
rights of no less than 20,000 morgen. That is the ground on which our
future mines are situated. This is of the greatest advantage in
advancing our policy. As the trading rights in the Free State belong to
the surface owner, we will be able to develop special facilities, so
that our Native workmen can purchase their requirements at the cheapest
possible price. Moreover, co-operative arrangements for European
workmen are possible as a check on unduly high prices for commodities.
This must not be construed as our being opposed to the establishment of
business enterprises in the area; on the contrary, they will receive
our greatest assistance and help.
We
are most anxious to co-operate with the provincial authorities and the
Union authorities in regional planning for this area. When I speak of
regional planning I do not only mean the best lay-out for the township
of Welkoni. We are studying the area as a whole so as to achieve the
best results in the farming operations which will be carried on and the
steps necessary to avoid soil erosion; in the planning of industries,
in communications with other parts of the Union and, in general,
securing the highest productivity for this area and the greatest social
comfort for the very large population which will, in due course, be
settled here.
It
is our aim to have the best possible housing conditions for our
European population, and to improve their amenities of life to the
greatest extent economically possible.
I
have on many occasions referred to our aim of materially improving the
housing conditions of our Native population. When I think of our Native
problems I am, of course, influenced by the conditions which I have
seen in Kimberley, where, while our Natives live in compounds, they are
paid higher wages and provide their own food.
I
think also of the conditions which have developed in Northern Rhodesia,
where we have a large proportion of married Natives with their families
