5th April.
Our Tientsin correspondent sends us the form of contract to be signed by the labourers, who are being recruited in Shantung and Chibli for the Rand mines. It is as follows The Lavourer agrees to proceed to the Transvaal Colony in South Africa and there to work on the Gold Mines for the period of his engagement.
The engagement is for three years dating from the day of the Labourer's arrival in the Transvaal.
The journey from Tientsin to the Transvaal is estimated to take 35 days.
Theemployer will transport the Labourer free of cost by sea and land from Taku, where this contract is made, to his destination in the Transvaal and will provide during the journey, without any charge to the Labourer, accommodation, food, and medical attendance, complying' with all the requirements of the British laws which exist, dealing with this matter.
The employer will transport free of charge & reasonable quantity of clothos and other private effects as may be necessary.
The employer will provide the Labouror, after his arrival in the Transvaal and during the period of engagement, with housing, food, and medical attendance, free of all charges.
The food provided for the Labourer shall be according to the schedule A attached, except in so far as the scale of food may be altered by law or regulation of the Transvaal Government or by mutual agreement between employer and labourer.
At the expiration of the engagement the employer will transport the labourer, free of all charge, by land and soa to the place where this contract was made, or to Tientsin, providing accommodation, food, and medical attendance on the journey, as before, and complying with all the requirements of the British laws which exist dealing with this matter.
Tf the Labourer wishes to renew his engagement at the expiration of the contract he shall be allowed to renew it with the consent of the employer in such manner and for such period as may be provided by the laws of the Transvaal.
In case of such renewal the labourer shall be entitled, at the end of the further period of contract, to receive a free passage to Tientsin with' food, ete., on the journey, as before, at the expense of the employer.
The labourer shall be paid wages from the day of his arrival in the Transvaal, at the rate of 25 shillings per calendar month (that is, 5 half-sovereigns every two months).
The day's work shall not exceed 10 hours. The labourer shall not be com-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.