MINING.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 14930, 28 November 1918, Page 7

MINING.

DECREASED COAL PRODUCTION,

In. the Financial Statement, Sir Joseph V/ard stated that the value of minerals produced in the Dominion during 1917 was £2,589,817, and the yaluo of minerals exported during the same period was £2,496,870, these figures being respectively £297.,018 and £432,105 less than those of the previous year. Taking into consideration the great disadvantage under which the mining industry-has heen carried out during 1917, the fourth year of the war, the production of minerals has heen well maintained. The decline is chiefly due to the shortage of labour and the cessation, of operations at many small golclmiriing claims owing to the increased cost of everything employed in the production of gold, vdiile the value of gold has remained stationary. The State collieries produced 265,267 tons of coal, as against 277,845 tons during the previous year; Svhile the profit on State coal business v/as £2-1,460,1 ns against £18,521 for the previous financial yeait These results are very satisfactory in view of the low rater, at] which the coal is supplied to the public The proportion of deaths from accidents at ..coal-mines during. • 1917 was "j lower than during am- year,, with two j exceptions, since' cor^l-mining jnomme'nced in the Dominion, the proportion of deaths being 1 per 1000 persons employed and 1.93 per million' tons raised. The total output pf coal from the DoTi'inio.n. for the year 1917 was 2,0.68,-' 419 tons, a decrease of 188,716 tons ns compared with the previous year.