Il6 THE RAND COLD MINING INDUSTRY. 



But even if this were the case, the experience of CaUfornia and 

 AustraHa has shown that the influx of an enterprising population, 

 and the money rendered available by the exploitation of the 

 natural capital wealth of these countries in the shape of gold 

 reefs, has so stimulated permanent agricultural and pastoral 

 production that the annual value of these latter products now 

 far exceeds that of the gold output at any time. The maximum 

 gold production of California for one year was during 1852. 

 and amounted to £17,000,000, whereas the annual value of farm 

 produce at the date of the last Federal census was £27.500,000. 

 The gold output of Australia for 1853 was £12,757,000 (mainly 

 from Victoria), and for 1903 was £16,295,000 (mainly from 

 Western Australia) ; whereas in 191 1 the value of agricultural, 

 pastoral, and dairy products w^as £108,606,000. The present 

 paramount importance of the mining industry to South Africa, 

 and the equal necessity for stimulating permanent agricultural 

 develoj^ment, are emphasised by the members of the Dominions 

 Royal Commission, who, in their Third Report (p. 11). pub- 

 lished in 1914, formulate the following conclusions: — 



(a) That the purchasing power of South Africa, under existing con- 

 ditions and pending more complete development of its agricul- 

 tural resources, is dependent to a peculiar extent on the produce 

 of its mines ; 



(/') That the prosperity, the maintenance, and llie development on 

 economic lines of the mining industry are therefore not merely 

 matters of importance to the shareholders, or to the population 

 of the mining centres in South Africa, or even to the Govern- 

 ment of the Union, but concern the Empire as a whole; and 



(c) That as mines are of the nature of wasting assets, the permanent 

 prosperity of the country also demands urgently the further 

 scientific development of its agricultural wealth. 



Since the white population of the Rand is about one-sixth 

 of the white population of South Africa, the importance of the 

 mines as employers of labour is very great. Broadly, the mining 

 industry spends yearly seven million pounds for white labour, 

 five millions for coloured labour, and ten millions for supplies. 

 In addition to the above, about three millions are expended 

 yearly on head office costs, mining taxation, claim licences, 

 directors' fees, etc., so that nearly 15s. out of every sovereign's 

 worth of gold extracted is spent locally. The rates of pay on 

 the mines, as compared with other parts of the country or of the 

 world, are high. In the reduction works probably a majority 

 of the workers have been brought up in South ^Africa, under- 

 ground a great deal fewer, but all except a very small perceiv 

 tage of the mechanics are from oversea.* Various causes have 



* In his recent report to the National Advisory Board for Technical 

 Education in South Africa, Mr. Percy Coleman states : — 



'■ The aim of all organisation of technical education in this country 

 must be a very great increase in the employment of South African born 

 white labour. To a remarkal)le extent constructive work of all kinds is 

 carried out under the direction of foremen and managers from overseas by 

 coloured and native labour, whose ability and quantity are rapidly 

 increasing. In many towns one is assured that no skilled mechanic can be 

 found who has been trained in South Africa, and yet the returns which 

 employers and others have been good enough to send to the National 

 .\dvisory Board show that openings are abundant and prospects excellent 

 for workers who are prepared to undergo the necessary training." 



