FAMINE PRICES IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7469, 7 February 1890, Page 2

FAMINE PRICES IN THE TRANSVAAL.

»»r«a steam UooncmejI s!?te?s ernijo.ent of the ASeSS'ft fyiff Vt-he whole of the indaatrt-. » sioppiy apparent for more *» Spirits seem the only there are unlimited •upSff? JjS materials are nearly all ffi L Bb PK workmen who were doing Vr come to a stand and fjJL*! find everything at famine nfip»9« Transvaal Government h J /e P te well in these difficult Mm"£ gg-M taken off the duties fro™i n«3* *8 a J% °* f ood « ana ha ™ pn mfartiL , ** of *» Per wagon on the&j 3SJj9«B th ,?. R « d *° the extent .of £&%«« will stimulate the tranffMrtrt*7 will not make the imp J Railways only can t»rev3* k P°*»»k culties; and though (S?t.reLfr ** ceptionally dry seluson, V °'*f mining towns tfae lanSi iKSI* with transport wUI be * eonff* and hindrance to every J dff!r£w« sides, It is a tax far £<*& m?** * country suffers from. 'NWi* J** B 19 used in trade-i™- Sf'IJSSS whether in mining,? facturing, must come (j vet "hf bZS®*' mne-tenths of the a* deles J '^ &t *& tion. The cost of traf Stft is now £25 per ton; 3ou C ?S how large the tax I a and JSi* 8 * o *'** maintained by thelfc '£&% , th?h,i? % the farmers , people? who SlTf? l * themaelves, asd wi 0 *3L£L mouslv by the vasij.y inCTeSSfeM extent of the plw , c . Th n e e d ™ °| h labor is of course rfdecked for but the raine, w^ J, I trust sonn end to the trouble. Meantima«,£r* a sufficient contnwte iThaidto everyone here for twelvemonthsT Ws9, wrote about the demand tor »™wf¥ the buudin X ff^SLT2S3SLS at the wages I were paia, I proved I was ft any ttroTead TtaS some men who q an make «lb pet w<£k fc ordinary hours. I sea plMteSng, <S| and in, Is Rettiiw very much the fti*S and there will be a demand fot that trade. . : "^β^

The miners are suffering very baafrfo* want of water. There has been aajffl to lower the w«igeeof the Kaffir* consequence in they are off Eoa» 6 thousands: an?d when the rain ooaafii want of Kaffi\r labour will aga/.n ffi the productlora and development aHta mines, And keep the share markatiiu fe pressed condition, causing losses to raaEt s and great hindrance to all work. ' People wl*o buy eharea in mines tHak they should get quick returfaa of a>ll This is a mistaken notion, and «» "Jumpers" is a good example. Thisjti one of the oldest mines on the Rand, and the 20s shave has been cold fw £22, y e & this company has not been develop till the last month, and though very esc*; ceseful in, producing gold and edliM] shares at high premiums, tfcus glvisif'< ample capital, han till now required &Urn gold it produced to pay for the extewfsa of its wolrke. Time, skilful andjmucb. more capital than the mosfc oftbr companies start with are necessary tor success. With these amply eufitafeal there a»e enough good calaea la this country to pay good dividends on an nolimited amount of capital, and pro# employment for many bowdrods sandsp£ people. ..;,., The 'Murchfepn Range, where I .'fef \ been twice; willt&rn out well. Theutgjjjr; immense extent of such raefs dlgoovsifeP Wheci they have a railway framJJSbgEP Bay—!-aad they will have Ct •vesf.wmm will hs very easy of access; and evasytfej will be cheaper than on the Hand, '.This will contribute to the success of this mi field*. I had some valuable mines ia'this ranoe, but being unable to come htm with them I put them into who have so mismanaged them 1 ksfiv much to my disappointment, lost ell wf interests. The Murcbison Ranged already sufficient reef discovered to 0C4535? 20C» companies with work effldeatly. M ca-n think how many people aad ho\?i»M material that would employ. went down there was only one and no house whatever. There are n<w tliree towns laid out, hotels being buSt, and a coach-road made: and the jotumer, which I made in two and a-half days wits* out food, can now be done in one &? b; -coach. . People are asking great prices f« their properties. I heard & G&tWS* missionary on the route, who asked £75,000 for his farm, which was bought a few years ago for £50. I wonder if the missionary society will gsi a share of that sum? New discoveries are made everyday«B| in every direction, all of which was benefit and find work for iudswtrte people if the gamblers in shares wcaSofe content with a moderate proprtlon, M their greed is insatiable. I kaaw cai company which cost J820.000 appesringg two millions; another, which cost m same price, was to be floated as acossses? for ,£176,000, but so many ap^^ ,l^ came in for the shares the capital w®W up to £285,000, moat of thadifieresidflff? ing into the vendors* pockets. Tfiesai ttr the difficulties investors h&wtowmf' with. Experts are coming frem Aostrauj and America, and very soon eS^. 1 ?' proveiinent in the productico wi" »»• place. Everyone must be disapse&p 3 » the small extent of the incr^efftiseßi'f of production this year, but It is rae stt ?jf be accounted for by the scarcity ol water*. and the fact that the mines ree,elre.m«» time to develop than feney were C6S«!BS^ calculated to require. Tlalthw* «»5 a great production is without doso*,***, when railways are made the j«onsQau«? mines will be greatly enhanced. ~»._,* Delays are caused for the most WfJ® things. For instance, my powder fej&g was stopped for fourteeu days V O ;T breaking of a wire rope aad soma pm» —a trifling matter at home, bat * cause of serious delay. ■ Thatalofiaes^ frequently from similar delays. Oje"** lem connected with has waited «f» months for pumps, and they are 3 handyt'fc. The eharea are beicg co»,» nominal price* because people Res a {n £ v something ia wrong, whereas y&taP*'': proved tobe better than expected la »««- respects. When shares begin to Sβ OP^S the moneyed men here aregenw&ujJ^Si to give them a kick dowowartts, as can get them at nominal prices as« run them up again. ...... hssi Banking Is a wonderful They charge 10 per cent, and pound interest by char«ißg«j month; and the banks allow no i«**:S cept on a fixed depoeit. The ptam be very iarge, and from what I ««* "gj their losses have been very $»a«»* attention of some of the SsgKfS »« who have an abundance of «*"»«"> tjfe profitably be directed her©. "eftfcSS* the banking company are W?hfil*but they don't attract so tionof epecQlatore as mining ike**"™: to the fluctuations less. / ™ l ,.&jjsßf I trosfc I may be home about and find you and all my frienee w» will be a great change srom and cloudlese country to come s " s lgSi in the *Inter.~With kind regard * tf faithfuUy.

OEO.ICSS o*'0*'