Notes. 



583 



is under consideration at present, and it is hoped to have this informa- 

 tion at no distant date. While no definite figures, therefore, can now 

 be given, this much may be said that it is the opinion of those who have 

 devoted much thought to tlie subject, that our agricultural production 

 is of greater value than either our minerals or factory output. "We 

 have statistics to show that the value of our mineral products during 

 the past decade has fluctuated between the vast sums of forty-three 

 and fifty-three million pounds sterling per annum. But the value of 

 the third source of productive enterprise in the Union — that of our 

 manufacturing industries — was unknown until a few years back, when 

 the first industrial Census was carried out by the Director of Census. 

 This revealed a source of wealth not fully realized until then, as will 

 be seen by the statistics given hereunder for the three years 1915-16 to 

 1917-18,* In studying these figures special attention is directed to 

 the secoud statement, and the column showing the value added by 

 manufacture to the materials used, a sum rising from eighteen 

 million to twenty-six and a half million pounds sterling, this being 

 the true indication of the value of our manufacturing industries. It 

 must be borne in mind also that the materials used are not all of 

 South African origin, to what extent will be gauged by the fact that 

 of the value of all materials used in 1917-18, £34,248,000, slightly 

 over half only was the produce of South Africa. A gratifying feature 

 in this respect, however, is that the proportion of South African 

 materials used is steadily rising. 



Manufactuhing Industbies in the Union. 

 /. — Gross Value of Ouffnit. 



Quarterly Abstract of Union Statistics. No. 1. 1920, 



