The evening times., 1900-01-06
Views OF MIR. HAMMOND
The Famous Engineer on South A.
rica's Mining Situation.
Close Relation of the Cold Industry
TO the Political Differences That
Led 10 WHr-FlHgrant Abuses by
the BOers-PrObabIe Outcome of
the Present Struggle with England

In the January issue Of the Engineering
Magazine" there appears timely ar
ticle giving the views OF John Hays Ham
mOnd, the famous American engineer, on
the mining situation in. South Africa Mr.
Hammond's information is particularly in
teresting at this juncture when the coun-
try OF which he talks Is in feYerish state
Of war, because il has the value OF accu-
racy and embraces many hints on the gen
eral condition OF affairs which naturally
revolve about the mining industry Ike the
spokes Of wheel. II will be remembered
that Mr.. Hammond was one Of the politi-
cal prisoners who were sentenced 10 death
at the time Of the Jameson raid, and his
pardon was conditioned upon his absolute
promise not to discuss TransvaaI politics
The views Of Mr.. Hammond are present.
ed through the agency OF Charles b. Co
Ing, whose well-w-itten article will prob
ably attract wide attention. In part he
says: The year has ended in the sternest
war OF the last quarter century, war
sDTlnging solely from the struggle OF the
new spirit OF Industrial progress against
the old forces OF political repression And
sooner or later. by force OF arms or by
sheer moral power, the conflict is certain
to end in the emancipation Of enterprise
and the freedom OF engineering effort 20
develop 10 the utmost the economic re-
sources Of one OF the richest mineral re-
gions Of the world"
Mr. Going assumes all responsibility for
statements OF a political character
To make clearer than ever the cngin-
eerlng relations of the new order in The
Iransvaal,' he SAYS, Mr. Hammond
whose time did not permit him TO write
an article, has extended 10 me the courtesy
OF an interview explanatory Of his annual
report TO the Consolidated Gold Fields Of
SCCth Africa, Limited-a report which
summarizes the situation at the outbreak
D: the present war. The additional infor-
nation obtained from Mr.. Hammond
makes clear the ways in which The indus
try on the Rand will be bettered BY the
establishment Of good government in the
Transvaal.
Productivity OF the Rand.
The Witwatersraad produced in 1898
gold 10 the value Of GI5.14l.376. being
about 70 1-2 per cent Of the total product
Of the world II there had been no inter
ruDton 20 mining operations during the
year 1899, the output would have exceeded
here that this entire output comes almost
entirely from territory lying with a ra-
dius of twenty-five miles from Johannes
Durg Indeed, y per cent OF il is derived
from the central section stretching from
LanglaagIe Estate 10 knights. a distance
of about twelve miles
The relation Of the WitWaJersrand gold
product TO that Of the world is shown in
the following summary Of the figures for
Va rs~e- a L 4 Hr
per cent america. Gl3.4Iq,CO. 2ZI-Z Der
cent, Australia, GI2.S44 200. p l-2 per
cent. Russia. &5.Os9. $50. S - per. cent.
miscellaneous, E13.l13,J44 % per cent.
The world &5S, Gle, 600.
The vast yield has been attained bv
continuous rapid increase since 1887 in
which year gold TO The value Of ESQ. .8s7
was produced. The @uJire yield since The
Inception OF mining Eas been cT6.TeO COO
Dr. Hatch, formerly one OF Mr. Ham
mond's assistants, estimates that within
five years The output from the Witwaters-
rand fields viii reach the enormous figure
Of G3600o, 600 per anuum.
The present situation OF impending
change is, therefore. one whose importance
is not confined even TO the enormous enCi
necring and financial interests directly in
Voived- Anything affecting the prOduc-
tion OF so large a proportion Of the worlds
tending throughout The whole range OF
economies. Bur il is the purpose Of tlis
supplementary and explanatory comment
upon portions OF Mr.. Hammond $ rerort
obtained in substance from Mr. Hammond
himself. 10 treat only Of the direct bearings
Of the present war upon the mines and
mining conditions. regarded from a purely
professional standpoint.
Fate of the Mines.
First and foremost: The question pre-
sents 4Jself as to the immediate fate of
the mines and the vast mechanical install
lations thus clustered about one of the foci
Of the Boer activity. VIII they suffer de-
struction, as has been threatened; vii
they be seized and worked in the interest
OF the Boer GOvernment-Or Will they
merely lie idle and take only the damage
due TO neglect? Unfortunately. no direct
answer seems Obtainable. II is not TO be
believed, however, that any destruction Of
equipment could receive official sanction.
In the first place. contrary TO the generally
received opinion, the ownership OF the
mines is vested chiefly on the continent
British interests are a minority only, the
majority of the shares being he'd in Ger
many, France, and other European cOun-
tries.
Even should the Geneva Convention ex-
prcisp blIf Ifrrle Influence I1DoD tho conduct