Your Commission entirely disapprove of concessions, through which the industrial prosperity of the country is hampered.  Such might have been expedient in the past, but the country has now arrived at a state of development that will only admit of free competition according to republican principles.  This applies more especially to the gold industry, which has to face its own economical problems without being further burdened with concessions that are irksome and injurious to the industry and will always remain a source of irritation and dissatisfaction.

As to white labour:—­

Your Commission are of opinion that wages are not excessive, regard being had to the high cost of living at the mines.  In fact, they are only sufficient to satisfy daily wants, and, consequently, it cannot be expected that white labourers will establish their permanent abode in this Republic unless conditions are made by which their position will be ameliorated....

Your Commission are of opinion that as long as the cost of living cannot be considerably reduced it will be almost impossible to reduce the wages of white labourers, and they would strongly recommend that, as far as possible, necessaries of life should be imported free of duty and conveyed to the mines as cheaply as possible.

As to the sale of liquor:—­

It has been proved to your Commission that the Liquor Law is not carried out properly, and that the mining industry has real grievances in connection therewith, owing to the illicit sale of strong drink to the natives at the mines, and they wish especially and strongly to insist that the stipulations of article 16 of the law shall be strictly enforced.  The evidence given on this point proves that a miserable state of affairs exists, and a much stronger application of the law is required.

Following this there is a long criticism with recommendations in detail.

As to import duties:—­

With reference to this matter, your Commission can only recommend that, if possible, foodstuffs ought to be entirely free from taxation, as at the present moment it is impossible to supply the population of the Republic from the products of local agriculture and consequently importation is absolutely necessary.

As to explosives:—­

Before entering on this subject, we wish to put on record our disappointment with the evidence tendered on behalf of the South African Explosives Company, Ltd.  We expected, and we think not unreasonably, that they would be able to give reliable information for our guidance respecting the cost of importation, as well as of local manufacture, of the principal explosives used for mining purposes; but, though persistently questioned on these points, few facts were elicited and we regret to say that they entirely failed to satisfy us in this important respect....

That the principal explosives used here can be purchased in Europe, and delivered here at a price far below the present cost to the mines, has been proved to us by the evidence of many witnesses competent to speak on the subject, and when we bear in mind that the excess charge of 40s. to 45s. per case does not benefit the State, but serves to enrich individuals for the most part resident in Europe, the injustice of such a tax on the staple industry becomes more apparent and demands immediate removal.