C—2

It will be noted from the table above that, while production has been sustained at an appreciably higher level than that of the pre-war years, there has been a gradual decline in output from the peak year of 1945, when the record production of 2,833,576 tons was achieved. However, this decline has definitely been arrested during the current year, and production for the six months ended 30th June, 1948, shows an increase of approximately 100,000 tons over the similar period in 1947. During 1947, 173 mines were in operation. Of these, 60 mines operated wholly or principally on freehold land and the remaining 113 wholly or predominantly on Crown land. Output from freehold land was 1,020,554 tons (37 per cent.) and output from Crown land 1,731,171 tons (63 jjer cent.). Imports of coal in 1947 returned to somewhere approximating the pre-war level and amounted to 93,411 tons, as against 27,185 tons in 1946 and no importations in the years 1945 and 1944. All of the coal imported in 1947 came from Wyoming, United States of America, and all of it was used on the railways. A further shipment from Wyoming arrived early in 1948, making a total of some 125,000 tons received from this source. It was then found necessary to seek an alternative source of supply and two shipments, amounting to some 18,000 tons, were obtained from the United Kingdom, and later trial shipments were imported from India and South Africa. While the coal from India proved disappointing, the South African proved to be suitable for railway use. Unfortunately, owing to internal transport difficulties in South Africa it has not been possible to secure as much of this coal as is desirable, and imports of coal for the current year will probably show a substantial reduction. Exports of coal in 1947 amounted to 28,035 tons, as compared with 27,366 tons in 1946. In 1947, 2,107,033 tons were produced from underground mines, compared with 2,265,170 tons in 1946 ; and from opencast mines 644,692 tons were produced in 1947, as against 528,700 tons in 1946. The output per miner employed underground was 564 tons, a decrease of 29 tons as compared with 1946. The production per man on the pay-roll of underground mines—i.e., both underground and surface workers —was 421 tons, a decrease of 20 tons on the previous year. Production per man employed in opencast mines was 1,492 tons, an increase of 248 tons as compared with 1946. The overall production per man employed in the industry—-i.e., combined underground and opencast mines—amounted to 506 tons, an increase of 3 tons as compared with 1946.

Comparative figures for the years from 1930 onward are given in the tabulation below :

5

Year. Output. Men employed Underground. Tons per Man Underground. Men employed on Surface. [ Tons per Man on Pay-roll. Underground Mines 1930 2,530,661 4,430 571 1,409 433 1931 2,143,023 4,331 495 1,375 376 1932 1,826,110 3,379 540 1,214 398 1933 1,797,869 3,194 563 1,134 415 1934 2,042,228 3,249 629 1,172 462 1935 2,098,904 3,104 676 1.083 501 1936 2,108,238 3,154 668 1,040 503 1937 2,238,651 3,288 681 1,074 513 1938 2,180,122 3,368 647 1,142 483 1939 2,296,007 3,542 648 1,164 488 1940 2,465,336 3,769 654 1,241 492 1941 2,585,324 .3,633 712 1,325 521 1942 2,624,267 3,659 717 1,291 530 1943 2,725,831 3,999 682 1,329 512 1944 2,609,516 3,958 659 1,395 489 1945 2,380,896 3,932 606 1,328 453 1946 2,265,170 3,819 593 1,313 441 1947 2,107,033 3,739 564 1,271 421