The Wrangell sentinel., 1928-07-26
Coming To Front as a
 Gold Producer
In Half a Dozen Years Dominion's Annual Production Has Increased From Fifteen Million to Thirty Million.


 Unusual interest attaches to theI worlds gold production on account of the establishment of nearly all monetary systems on the gold basis and desire of many countries to in-I crease their reserves. Total produe- tion all over the world last year val ried but little from that of 1926. The TransYaal which is producing littleI mere than one-half of the world'sI new supplies made a new record andI Canada showed a moderate inereasei but declines elsewhere about offset these gains.
 In 1915. record gold year for all time, output for the world was s468.-I 725,0O0, whereas last year it had del clined to $399,053. 1000, approximate ly S1,000,0O0 more than was pro-I duced in 1926 But whereas produc-I tion in sections has steadily declinedI since 1915. that of the Transvaal hasI steadily increased. In the record year the Transvaal produced $183.-I O33,O00 and output since then hasI increased until last year it reached $2O9,251, ,OOO.
 Canada's gold production was lessI than $7O00,O0O under that of the United States last year The United States ranked second, being next to the Transyaal.
 Gold held in the United States de- creased by $106, 6,O0O.0OO last year but there was in this country at the be- ginning of 1928 forty-three per cent of the total produced gold supply of the world However, heavy reduc- tions have been made on this since January 1.
 In an article contributed to Ma tion's Business, John Hays Hammond. noted mining engineer, says concern ing gold production:. l
 .'The United States reached the maximum in it's gold production when 1t yielded $1O1, 100000 in 1915. Ten years later that production has run down to scarcely more than half that amount, S52, 1000. It is generally conceded that the palmy days of gold production in the United States are past. The great mass of her produc- tion has been placer and these depos- It's have been pretty we'll worked out. The United States will produce less gold in the future than in the past.
 'It has long been the habit to look hopefully to Mexico as a source of gold but that country has contributed little of the yellow metal. Her great wealth in precious metals has, in the past, been in silver and in the future will probably be the same.
 South America has been quite thoroughly prospected and has yield ed comparatively little gold. It isl not regarded as having important gold prospects.
 Australia, like the United States, is admitted to have passed it's zenith. It's production of the future is not likely to approach that of the past.
 "The Rand, time and again theI yielder of about half the annual gold of the world is a limited area that has, for decades, been very intensive ly mined. Its huge production has been holding it's own but can hardly be expected to continue to do so. The mining is now being done at great depths The falling off in the Rand is very likely to be sharp and mate rial in the next few years.
 "A bright spot on the gold map lies in Canada. In half a dozen years beginning with 1920, Canadian pro- duction increased gradually from s15,OOO,00O a year to $35,000,000. These amounts are not so large as to have a great effect on world markets but indicate possibilities.
 Siberia is probably the most promising of the potential gold fields For a long time before Russian con- ditions grew chaotic that region yielded from $20. 100000 to $30,000,- 900 a year. The region around Lena, Siberia, is most promising. When stable government is reestablished this part of the world may respond to development.
 Generally speaking, however, gold In any region yields itself up most abundantly when that region Is new. Gold rushes die out gold yields fall off. One section after another fol- lows the United States and Australia into a decline. New fields are being