MINING RECORDS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1937, Page 12

MINING RECORDS

GOLD WON FROM SOUTH AFRICA. ASTON1SHING PROGRESS MADE. The December gold • production of the Transvaal of 970,030 ounces brought the total output for 1936 to 11,339,411 ounces which is only 214,153 ounces short oi the record of 11,553,564 ounces in 19o2, the last year of operation before the suspension of the gold standard. The figures for the last five years are:Oounces. iqyo 11,553,564 "" 11,017,495 iq-U • ••"■' 10,486,393 ^ 10,776,684 1935 n'339'411 The explanation of the sharp fall in 1933 and again in 1934 was, of course, the reduction in the grade of ore milled, encouraged by the rising currency price of gold before extensions of milling and I plants could be brought into effective operation. . The reduction in grade has continueU until the average yield is now less tlian 41dwt compared with nearly 6Adwt 111 1932, but with the expansion of plants, milling has increased from less than three million tons a month to over four million. According to tlie latest available returns, the direct eniployment by the mines has increased from 24,000 whites and 225,000 natives at the end of 1932 to over 37,000 whites and about 313,000 natives. Witwatersrand Industry. Several i"ecords were broken by the Witwatersrand gold industry during the past year. Milling reached the record hgure ot 48,610,620 tons. an increase of 4,112,570 tons over 1935, and the average yield per ton declined from 4.728dwt to 4.568 dwt, tthe lowest since lowering of the grade as a mining policy was initiated 111 1933 following the suspension of the gold standard in South Africa. In 1932 tlie average yield on a milling of 35,209,650 tons was 6.471dwt. Working revenue in 1936 totalled £77,829,915, averaging 32s a ton, also a record total. which compares with £74,790,876 (33s 6d a ton) in 1935, and £4.8,587,782 (27s 6d a ton) in 1932. Working costs were £45,775,622 (18s lOd a ton), also a record figure. The total in 1935 was £42,209,110 and in 1932 £33,876,218 (19s 3d a ton). _ Showing a decrease for the first time since 1933, the working profit last year was £32,054,293 (13s 2d a ton). 1935 had produced a record profit of £32,581,765, while the 1932 total was £14,711,564 (8s 4d a ton). One of the most significant records of the boom year 1936 are the dividend contribut.ions, which totalled £17,296,439 compared with tlie previous record of £16,437,264 in 1935, and with £8,993,294 in 1932.