Il8 A SOUTH AFRICAN IRON INDUSTRY. 



A large proportion would be steel, the remainder pig-iron. 



In short, it is estimated that material to the value of rather 

 more than lo per cent, of the imported total may be produced 

 here. 



It must be remembered, too, that these figures relate to 

 values (including packing, etc.), leaving oversea ports: the 

 value here is obviously considerably greater. 



The annual value might safely, therefore, be increased to 

 i8oo,ooo, and if to this be added increase of price directly due 

 to the war, and which must, to some extent, persist for years 

 yet, the total may, without any undue optimism, be placed at a 

 round i 1,000,000. . 



The mines alone are responsible for an enormous total : for 

 the same year, 19 13, the Annua] Report of the Government 

 Mining Engineer gives the following consumption of stores, 

 among others, by the mines of the Union : 



Tons. Value. 



Bolts, nuts, washers, and rivets . . . 2,394 ^57-309 



Iron, castings 4,248 162,863 



Iron, pig 500 4,900 



Iron, bar and angle 4>8i9 79,504 



Rails, crossings, and sleepers .... — 250,908 



Shoes and dies 7,500 ^356^^ 



Steel, hand and rock drill (Trans- 

 vaal only) 5,633 162,729 



Say . . . 40,000 and nearly £800,000 



All these are comparatively simple manufactures, and could 

 be made here, and besides these it:ems, pipes and pipe fittings, 

 rock-drills and spares, and hand tools amount to nearly 

 £700,000 more, of which, undoubtedly, a portion could be so 

 made. 



Added to this we have the requirements of the remainder 

 of the country, and particularly the very large railway require- 

 ment, so that the figure of i 1,000,000 yearly seems well within 

 the bounds of possibility. 



Now, however, another phase of the question needs con- 

 sideration. Assuming that iron and steel can be made here, 

 would the selling price leave an attractive margin of profit? 



There is no doubt that at present prices, if a works were 

 already in existence, very handsome profits would be reaHsed ; 

 but at pre-war prices — at least, for many of the lines, and par- 

 ticularly at or near importing ports — it would be extremely 

 doubtful under the existing fiscal arrangements. 



It is true that prevailing trade conditions constitute a greater 

 protection for South African industries than anything a Govern- 

 ment would be likely to enforce, but capital is very nervous as 

 to the position after the war, and, for reasons stated later, it 



