The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-30
THE TRANSVAAL MINES.
Remarkable output of Gold From
the African Republic.

London. Jan. 29.-The report on the
mining industry of the South African Re
public for 1897 presented to the Volksraad
gives remarkable details of the progress
made in the gold mining in the Transvaal
and the striking regularity in the yield
of gold, hardly equaled by any other
known gold fields. The capital of the 1875
gold mines working at the end of 1897 was
1868, 1858 $50. OF these. % mines with a
capital of about $50, 900, 900 paid sl4, ,75O coo
in dividends, or nearly 30 per cent. Sixty
four other mines were producing gold but
paying no dividends, and some could not
pay any without a considerable reduction
in working expenses. The other JOG mines
we're in course of being opened up.
The total value Of the gold yield in 1897
! was SJS. 250.0 600, being $4,000, 900 more than
in 1886. OF this Gs per cent was from
crushing mills and "a per cent by chemical
extraction. The quantity of ore worked
was 5,Il1,311 tons, which gives a yield of
a little over $40 to the ton. which. as the
working expenses were about $3.50 per
ton, left net profit of S3.3S per ton. The
working expenses in 1896 had been SO So
and in 1885 $I.54 per ton. The total ex-
peuditure Of the gold mining industry had
been $3.50, 400. As during the past year.
so in 1897 the Transyaal government re-
0
cent the yield, and there is no in
come tax and no exchange or stamp duty
is paid on newly issued shares, the gold
| mining industry does not appear 10 have
| much TO complain OF in that respect The
reduction of the price of dynamite by 81
| and the lowering OF railway rates con-
| tributed in increasing the profits.
| There were, however, great losses made
/ in Transvaal mining securities during 1897.
| These are attributed to the unscrupuious
! proceedings OF promoters, who formed
nearly four hundred companies with a cap
| ital of 5000. coo. 0G0 in localities where no
! gold existed and oyercapitaliZed other
I companies TO such an extent that dividend
| paying YVES entirely out of the question
| even If dynamite had been Imported free
! of duty and coal carried to the mines free
of charge. The profit paying capacity of
| the mines in general might be increased
| but for three causes, namely, the theft of
! gold from the works, the Illicit sale of al
! cohol 10 the native laborers. and the labor
| question generally about 25 per cent of
| the Kafiir iaborers being constantly inca
| pacitated for work. The scarcity of labor
| tells heavily against the economical work
| ing of the mines, and the premium of sl5
| TO $50 paid to KaiIir agents to procure labor
| has only resulted in encouraging deser-
! tiOns OF laborers from one mine to pass
| through the agents hands to brief serv-
| ice al another, when the process would be
| repeated. The TTansvaal government has
| done what it could. short of reducing the
| Kafiirs TO actual slavery. to remedy these
| evils. but without much effect. II is esti-
| mated that the losses incurred through the
causes enumerated amounted TO the very
| considerable sum of $40 $50 900. of which
rather more than half was by theft The
| total area of gold claims in 1897 was ISL
| S5S acres, Il large decrease on the previous
| year due TO the abandonment of worthless
! claims.
| In coal mining there was considerable
| progress. There were twenty collieries at
work, with an output of 500 2l2 tons. be-
I ing an increase of .915 tons over that
| OF 1896. The price fell. however. from
| SIS per ton in 1885 and $2.1l in 1886 to
| Sl.SS in 1897. leaving but small margin
| for dividends that amounted altogether to
| only $2S1 500. The wages of the white
miners range from 800 to $3.50 Il month
| Besides gold and coal there is a small
| production OF silver, lead, and tin. not of
much Importance yet. Diamond dig
! ging in 1897 yielded about 1000 carats, and
| is likely to receive an impetus from the
recent discovery of a field near Pretoria
! which. it is hoped. may prove another
| Kimberly. Al the time the report was
completed 267 diamonds had been dug up.
the largest weighing sixteen carats. The
| same difficulty. however. that hampers the
| gold and coal mining industries tells
| against the economic working of the new
diamond fields.
| Secretary AIger Called TO His son.
Secretary Aiger left Washington for
| Boston yesterday to see his son. Capt
! Frederick Alger. who is Ill. Captain AL
| ger is student at Harvard. He injured
| his knee at Santiago and 4 recurrence OF
| the trouble was deemed serious enough to