C—2

During 1948, 183 mines were in operation. Of these, 66 mines operated wholly or principally on freehold land and the remaining 117 wholly or predominantly on Crown land. Output from freehold land was 1,083,277 tons (39 per cent.) and output from Crown land 1,692,609 tons (61 per cent.). Imports of coal in 1948 amounted to 54,211 tons, as against 93,411 tons in 1947 and 27,185 tons in 1946. Coal was imported from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and India, the greater proportion coming from the United Kingdom. All this coal was used by the railways. During the current year imports of coal have continued to be made from the United Kingdom and South Africa. Exports of coal in 1948 amounted to 18,913 tons, as compared with 28,035 tons in 1947. In 1948, 2,099,158 tons were produced from underground mines, compared with 2,107,033 tons in 1947, and from opencast mines 676,728 tons were produced in 1948, as against 644,692 tons in 1947. The output per miner employed underground was 546 tons, a decrease of 18 tons as compared with 1947. The production per man on the pay-roll of underground mines—i.e., both underground and surface workers —was 409 tons, a decrease of 12 tons on the previous year. Production per man employed in opencast mines was 1,487 tons, a decrease of 5 tons as compared with 1947. The over-all production per man employed in the industry—i.e., combined underground and opencast mines—amounted to 497 tons, a decrease of 9 tons as compared with 1947. 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 1"940 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 1948 2,099,158 3,842 546 1,285 409