Recruiting Operations in North China, 1904–1907

It has already been emphasised that the traditional focus of indentured emigration prior to the inauguration of the Transvaal experiment had been the two southernmost maritime provinces of China. However, contrary to expectations, the historical pattern did not repeat itself in this case, leading to an overwhelmingly northern-dominated emigration from China to the Rand mines. Out of 63,695 labourers embarked for the mines by the Committee of Agents or the CMLIA, 62,006 came from the northern provinces (see Table A.2). It would be incorrect, nevertheless, to emphasise the unusual quality of the Transvaal scheme whilst ignoring the element of preparation and rationality which accompanied this move into the northern part of the country for recruiting purposes. Thus, whilst the initial organisation, both in China and South Africa, reflected the presumed predominance of the southern provinces in the migration, the mining industry had been aware for some considerable time of the ‘virtues’ of the heavily populated areas of the north China plain. Ross Skinner made a point of emphasising the suitability of migrants from this area for the purposes of Rand mining whilst stressing the need to proceed slowly at first: ‘In Northern China the idea of emigration to a far distance has to be brought home to the Coolie, but when this has been done (a process taking time and money) many fine men will be obtained from the north, especially from the province of Shantung.’ 1