Mineral Wealth of the Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 26 October 1899, Page 2

Mineral Wealth of the Transvaal.

The Investors' Eeview gays the mineral wealth of the Transvaal loea not consist in gold alone ; far from it. The yellow metal was the first to attract the attention of the foreigner, and he has pretty nearly made it his own. But for the Be public itself, it is, perhaps, the least valuable part of the riches which yp.t continue buried in the earth. \I Danie Bellet, writing in the Moniteur des Interests Materials issures us that the Transvaal is ft mining country in the largest sensa of the world. It has iron, cobalt, copper and argentiferous lead in ibundance, as well as important -teams of coal in sufficiently convenient proximity to enhance the value of these metals in the working of them. The Transvaal, therefore; may, and should, become a great manufacturing centre. Probably oot until gold's " fitful fever " has 10 far exhausted itself will other metald command the sufficient attention of commercial men, but a? they are there, and there is an iD. creaeing demand for the most im. portant of them, practical attention ■nu^t in due season be forced upon hpm, and copper ami iron esppcially tuunb hecuina leading articles of ■xportation. This will also hasten :he development of the means of transport. The coal industry in the Transvaal is already one of some

importance, though as yet young. In 1893 the total coal production of the republic was estimated at 820,-----000 tons. Next year the oulpnfc was doubled, and it hag gone on in creasing year by year, until in 1897 it amounted to 1,067,000 tons. The coal beda in the Transvaal are a continuation of the Natal seama. and the industry may continue developing at probably a greater rate than it bos hiihrrho done Already a good dor.! of ci\ p ■>- duced is exported totheC*pe mj<l the Orange Free Stute. ami gradually, no doubt, its markef range will be still further extended. It is certainly rather unfortunate that tbe Transvaal Government should hav*e begun by burdening the industry with a one per cent tax on the coal produced ; but we can hardly complain of it in this respect ; it is no wiser that Continental Governments generally, and the United States especially.