PROVINCE OF THE TRANSVAAL
219
Production and Industry.— The Transvaal Province is in the main a stock-raising country, though there are portions of it well adapted for agriculture. The production of wheat in 1910 was 774,800 bushels ; barley, 23,800 bushels ; oats, 55,000 bushels ; maize, 10,065,000 bushels ; potatoes, 773,000 bushels ; tobacco, 5,346,000 lbs.
Live stock, 1911: Horses, 89,160; cattle, 1,339,298 ; sheep, 3,415,250; pigs, 302,882.
The mineral output of the Transvaal in 1910 and 1911 is given as folic ws : —
—
1910
1911
Fine Ounces
£
Fine Ounces
£
Gold
7,533,843
32,001,735
8,237,723
34,991,620
Silver
823,752 Carats
88,029
894,333 Carats
96,557
Diamonds
2,090,068 Tons
1,317,715
1,843,341 Tons
1,628,876
Copper ore sold
3,180
77,612*
2,090
51,675*
Tin ore sold
3,383
328,484*
3.54n
414,021*
Coal sold.
3,970,069
9S6,253t
4,343,680
1 020,539t
- Estimated value.
t Value at pit's moutli.
The value of the output of gold in 1912 was about 38,750,000/., and the total value of gold production from 1884 to the end of 1912, about 364,000, OOOZ, The number of natives employed at gold mines at the end of 1912 was about 191,000. At diamond mines the number of natives was 15,000, and at coal mines, 8,600.
In 1904 Chinese labour was introduced for mining purposes under au Ordinance with restrictive conditions. In December, 1905, the granting of permits for the importation of Chinese was stopped. The month of January, 1907, shows the highest number in the country, viz., 53,856. The last Chinese to be repatriated, left in March, 1910. The Transvaal has iron and brass foundries and engineering works, grain-mills, breweries, brick, tile, and pottery works, tobacco, soap, and candle factories, coach and wagon works, &c.
Commerce. — Since the coming into effect of the Union there are no special records of trade for each of the Provinces. The Board of Trade statistics, however, continue to give details of trade betv»'een the United Kingdom and each Province. The following figures show the value of the trade between the Transvaal Province and the United Kingdom for live years : —
Imports from Transvaal Exports of U.K. produce
and manufactures to
Transvaal .
1908 7,137
1909
305,845
3,100,032 I 4,405,369
- 910
1911
5,782,587 i 6,031,868
1912
£ £ \ £
455,180 1 302,-535
136,738 6,054,653
The more important imports and exports in 1911 were : — Imports: Tin ore, 212,989/?.; gold ore, 36,692Z. ; copper ore, 49,721/. Exports : Cottons, 520,960Z. ; apparel, 1,077,5217.; machinery, 810,01U. ; iron and steel, 742,399/.; leather and leather manufactures, 467,354/.
