The Mining Magazine
M anaging Director and E d ito r : W . F . W h i t e . A ssistants : S t . J . R . C. S h e p h e r d , A.R.S.M ., D .I.C ., F.G .S. ; F . H i g h a m , A .R.S.M ., M .Sc., F.G .S. .
P u b l i s h e d o n t h e 1 5 t h o f e a c h m o n t h b y M i n i n g P u b l i c a t i o n s , L i m i t e d , a t S a l i s b u r y H o u s e , L o n d o n , E .C . 2.
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Vol. XLV111. No. 6. L O N D O N , J U N E , 1933. P R I C E O N E S H I L L I N G
C O N T E N T S
PAGE PAGE
Ed it o r ia l B r i s b a n e ... 353
N h + P Q 9 9 9 M ount I s a ; M ount Coolon ; M ount W andoo M in e;
i N U i c b o Z - i Queensland Gold D isco v ery ; M ount Morgan ;
R oyal School of Mines Old S tu d en ts’ A ssociation D inner ; R eviving Bendigo ; W estern A ustralian Leases ; In s titu tio n of Mining Engineers’ Sum m er M eetin g ; English Capital for A ustralia ; Mining a t the M alaria C ontrol ; S k in n er’s “ Oil and Petroleum G ranites ; Prospecting in Solom on Islands.
Y ear Book ” ; B irth d ay H onours ; Anglo-Persian Oil r
A g re em e n t; In s titu tio n B enevolent F u n d ; W orld V a n C O U V G r ... oQ O Econom ic Conference ; R ep o rt of the D irecto r of the Bridge R iver ; C ariboo ; Coast ; Nelson ; B oundary.
Im p erial I n s titu te for 1932. °
T h e I n s titu t io n ’s A n n u a l M e e tin g .. 322 J o ro n t° • • • •: ■ • • • : ... .. •••.•• 357
r> i , • ( ., T O ntario Gold P ro d u ctio n ; S u d b u ry ; P orcu p in e;
P roceedings a t th e an n u al m eeting of th e In stitu tio n K irkland L a k e ; N orth-W estern O ntario ; N orth- are described an d th e inaugural address of the W estern Quebec
new p resid e n t reviewed. ^
T h e N ew M useum of P ra c tic a l G eology 324 Per so n a l ... 359
T he re p o rt of th e D irecto r of th e Geological Survey of "T-d a ta t7 ’D a - d a ^ d i d u c 9GO G reat B ritain fo r 1932 is discussed and th e new I K A D E r A K A b K A r n b ... OOU building illu strated . A s k a n i a G e o p h y s i c a l E l e c t r o m e t e r ... 3 6 0
M etals in th e S erv ice of M an 324 A r e a T e m p e r a t u r e .R e g u l a t o r ... 3 6 1 A lecture delivered b y S ir H aro ld C arpenter before the R u s t o n - B u c y r u s E x c a v a t o r s ... 3 6 1 B ritish Science G uild is reviewed. E l e c t r i c W e l d i n g i n t h e M i n i n g I n d u s t r y . . 3 6 2
Re v ie w o f Min in g ... 326 Meta l Ma r k ets ... 363 . . TT _ St a tistic s of Pr o d u c t io n... 365 R u b y M ining in U p p er B u rm a
Dr. J . Coggin Brown 329 P r i c e s o f C h e m i c a l s ... 367
The a u th o r deals w ith th e h isto ry of th e in d u s try an d C n m r O r T n T i T T n M « 3 6 8 describes th e geology of th e deposits, th e m ineralogy S H A R E , Q U O T A T I O N S ...
of th e gem stones, an d b o th n ativ e an d E u ropean Mi n i m i'- T t r r v c t m ining m ethods, concluding w ith a discussion as to I V liN lN G U I G E S 1
prospects. A s h l e y G o l d M i n e , M a t a c h e w a n G o l d
T h e E le c tric a l S tu d y of D a m F o u n d a - D i s t r i c t , O n t a r i o .
tio n s. M . Lugeon and C. Schlumberger 340 „ , „ W: H ' Emens and £ ' F ' J “cks,°n ^
T he u tilizatio n of electrical prospecting m ethods in th e G r a v e l P u m p i n g ... Vv . h . S i n c l a i r 3 7 3 stu d y of d a m fo u n d atio n s an d associated stru ctu res is G e o l o g y o f t h e S w a y z e G o l d A r e a , O n t a r i o
described. ^ H . C . R i c k a b y 3 7 6
T he A p p lic a tio n of M echanical D e p a r t m e n t o f M i n e s M i n e r a g r a p h i c
E x c a v a to r s in M ining L a b o r a t o r y , O t t a w a .
W . E . Sinclair 346 I F . B . T i m m a n d M . H . H a y c o c k 3 7 9 (Concluded from the M a y issue, p. 285.) D r e d g i n g S a n d a n d G r a v e l . . 0 . E . P e r k i n s 3 8 1 L E T T E R S T O T H E Ed it o r B e n c h M i n i n g a n A l l u v i a l C o n e G r a v e l
“ T h e R o ta r y P a n for D iam o n d Con- lvT.Dep0Slt, ' ’; ' ' ' ' ' " T of!
c e n t r a t i o n ” ... C. W. Walker 350 M i n i n g a n d W a s h m g G r a v e l E . B . K e n d a l l 3 8 1
“ A v erag e W id th of O re-B odies ” Shor t No tices ... 381 E . Friedel 351 R e c e n t P a t e n t s P u b l i s h e d ... 382 Book Re v ie w s Ne w Book s, Pa m p h l e t s, e t c... 382
T h o m a e ’s “ P o w e r P l a n t s o n M e t a l M i n e s "
H u m p h r e y M . M o r g a n s 351 C O M P A N Y R E P O R T S ... 383
T p w i s ’s “ E l e m e n t s o f M i n i n g ” . . . T . P r y o r 3 5 1 B oulder Perseverance ; Fabulosa Mines ; Geevor Tin Mines ;
0 ° ' K in ta Tin M in es; Lonely Reef ; N a rag u ta K aram a A r e a s ;
Ne w s L E T T E R S N arag u ta K orot A re as; Pengkalen ; T an jo n g Tin D red g in g ; Tekka-Taiping ; W aihi G rand Ju n ctio n .
Far’tV^t^Rand^West Witwaters'rand*Areas'; 'survey 3’*>2 DIVIDENDS DECLARED ... 384 shafts'. Tw° M°re Large G°ld Mines; Three New Ne w Co m pa n ie s Re g i s t e r e d... 384
6—2 321
E D I T O R I A L
T
H E R oyal School of Mines 56th annual dinner will ta k e place a t G a tti s R e sta u ra n t, S trand, on W ednesday, Ju n e 21.E
D IN B U R G H is th is y e a r’s venue for t h e sum m er m eeting of th e In stitu tio n of Mining E ngineers, w hich is to ta k e place from J u ly 12 to Ju ly 14.A
F U R T H E R course of in stru ctio n on th e p ractical control of m alaria is to be given a t th e Ross In stitu te , P u tn e y H e a th , from Ju n e 19 to Ju n e 23, to which m em bers of th e In s titu tio n are invited.T
H E 1933 issue of th e “ Oil an d P etroleum Y ear B ook,” by W alte r E . Skinner, w hich has been published annually for th e p a st 24 years, is now available. A num ber of additional foreign oil com panies has been included, th u s m aking th e book still m ore useful.T
H E B irth d a y H onours L ist contains th e nam e of Mr. R. A rth u r Thom as, who receives th e O .B.E. for his w ork as chairm an of th e M etalliferous Mining A dvisory Comm ittee. D r. George C. Clayton, a director of Im perial Chemical In d u stries and president of th e In s titu te of C hem istry, receives a knighthood.
E
A R LY th is m onth th e A nglo-Persian Oil C om pany was inform ed b y th e Persian M inistry of Finance th a t th e new concession agreem ent betw een th e com pany and th e P ersia n G overnm ent had been signed by th e S hah, afte r ratification last m o n th by th e M edjliss. The m ain features of th e new agreem ent have alread y been published and it is reassuring to learn th a t th e p aym ent of a dividend to th e ordinary stockholders is n o t expected to be affected by th e considerable sum s due in th e near fu tu re to th e P ersian G overnm ent.
A
T th e eighth annual m eeting of th e B enevolent F u n d of th e In stitu tio n of Mining an d M etallurgy th e chairm an (Mr. H . K . Picard) drew a tte n tio n to th e su b sta n tia l increase in income— actu ally it is m ore th a n double th a t of th e previous year—w hich th e com m ittee a ttrib u te largely to
th e publicity given in these colum ns serving as a rem inder to m an y who m ight otherw ise have lost sight of th e fund an d its necessities.
The need being still u n fo rtu n ately g reat, it is hoped th a t all will continue to give th e fund th e su p p o rt it deserves.
T
H E W orld Econom ic Conference, opened b y H is M ajesty th e K ing on Ju n e 12, is now in session a n d g reat hopes are centred on th e results of its deliberations. I t seems evident th a t before in tern atio n al trad e can be restored to its form er free-flowing channels th e principle of n atio n al economic self- sufficiency will have to be, in p a r t a t least, throw n overboard and tariff walls and exchange restrictions considerably modified.W h atev er opinions m ay be held w ith regard to th e resu lts likely to be achieved b y the conference, it is certain th a t its efforts are of th e u tm o st concern to th e whole of the civilized world.
I
N th e rep o rt of th e D irector for 19321 th e m anifold activities of th e Im perial In s titu te are recorded. Of principal importance is th e w ork of th e M ineral Resources D ep artm en t, w hich, in addition to a con
siderable nu m b er and v a rie ty of routine technical, investigations on b ehalf of private firms an d individuals, carried o u t certain special inquiries. N otable am ong these were th e w ork of th e Legal Com m ittee on points in connexion w ith -the d ra ft of a mining proclam ation for B echuanaland P ro tecto rate and th e issue of a questionnaire on th e subject of royalties in force on m inerals throughout th e E m pire. T he d a ta o btained in rep ly to th e la tte r is being correlated an d will be published later.
T he In stitu tio n A n n u al M eetin g According to custom th e M ay m eeting of th e In s titu tio n was reserved for subm itting th e ann u al re p o rt of th e council an d for the oth er business usually d ealt w ith on this occasion, such as th e p resen tatio n of aw ards an d th e in d u ctio n of th e new president.
M eetings of th e In s titu tio n during th e p a st session have all been well a tte n d e d a n d th a t held last m o n th was no exception.
T he retirin g president (Dr. Sydney W.
1 A n n u a l R e p o rt b y th e D ire c to r of th e I m p e ria l I n s t i tu t e t o th e B o a rd of G o v ern o rs. P ric e 2s.
322
323 Smith) was able to look back on a m ost
successful term of office. A fter m aking brief reference to th e m ain features of the annual re p o rt, he tu rn e d to th e technical sessions th a t h ad been held during th e year, recalling th a t discussions had ranged over a wide v ariety of topics of interest to the mining and m etallurgical engineer, starting w ith th e tra n sp o rt of m achinery b y air and covering m any other aspects of professional activity. Coming to th e annual awards, he reviewed th e career of Sir Jo h n Cadman, to whom th e gold m edal had been aw arded.
Sir Jo h n , who, fortunately, was present, briefly replied and Dr. Sm ith th en presented the Gold Fields m edal to Mr. Charles A. Banks.
The Gold Fields prem ium was accepted by Mr. Jo h n C. Allan for himself and Mr. Jo h n L.
Francis, while Mr. Gordon W illiam s received the W illiam Frecheville S tu d e n t’s prize.
In seconding th e resolution for th e adoption of th e rep o rt— which was carried w ithout dissent— Mr. E . T. M cCarthy briefly reviewed the sound financial position of th e In stitu tio n . Mr. R obert A nnan, in proposing a vote of thanks to th e retiring council, referred to the good papers th a t h ad been brought forw ard tor discussion, to th e w ork of the In stitu tio n in aiding m em bers to find em ploym ent, and to th e loyal efforts of th e perm anent staff, concluding by congratulating m em bers on the presence of those who, he felt, m ight be regarded as th e “ E lders ” — Messrs.
M cCarthy, M cD erm ott, an d Hooper. The vote was seconded by Mr. Llewellyn P arker and briefly acknow ledged by D r. Sm ith.
The vote of th a n k s to th e retiring president was proposed by Professor C. G. Cullis, who congratulated Dr. Sm ith on a successful year and recalled th a t he was one of a distinguished group of stu d en ts who grad u ated from the Royal School of Mines in 1899, pointing out th a t his successor, Mr. G. W. Gray, was also in th a t group. Mr. H um phrey Morgans seconded th is vote in a brief b u t w itty m anner and Dr. Sm ith having replied the new president was inducted.
In his inaugural address Mr. G ray briefly referred to th e difficulty he h a d experienced in preparing a thesis on a complex b u t extrem ely topical subject. He had set out intending to review th e progress th a t had been m ade in th e im provem ent of m ining technique and th e effect of these im prove
m ents on w orking costs. H is researches, however, had led him to consider the future. H e found th a t u n til com paratively recently th e great steps forward in th e a rts
and industries had been few and far between, while th e knowledge of th eir application h ad been th e p ro p erty of individuals. To-day things were very different. The work of th e technical in stitu tio n s and th e technical press had resulted in a world-wide dissem ination of knowledge, w ith th e result th a t th e elem ents of th e technique of organization and of th e efficient planning of industry were known to every student. At th e same tim e th e technique of finance was also more widely understood, the result being th a t th e increase in o u tp u t had been som ething enormous. As w ith individuals so w ith nations and Mr. G ray recalled th a t now adays it m ay be easier to obtain th e highest stan d ard s of labour efficiency in a co u n try or d istrict where no well-established custom s or trad itio n s exist. By the aid of curves he was able to show the tren d of events in th is direction in th e U nited States, these indicating th a t, while th e population of th a t country now approached a steady level, th e o u tp u t of commodities continued to rise enormously, although th e num ber of working- days m arked a decrease. I t will be agreed th a t th e subject chosen by Mr. G ray for his address is of vital interest and his courage in m aking th e choice is w orthy of com
m endation. The rem edies for th e solution of th is situation—which is prevalent through
out th e world— are widely sought and th a t generally recognized as likely to prove m ost effective is a reduction of working hours.
Mr. G ray recalled th a t it h ad been difficult to introduce th e 48-hour week and it was proving equally difficult to introduce the 40-hour week, b u t even th is lim it m ight have to be still fu rth er reduced. As Mr. Gray a ttrib u te d the rap id grow th of efficient industrial technique to the schools, in stitu tions; and technical press, he felt th a t we m ust look to them for th e required solution, which would necessitate a read ju stm en t of present ideas and a m odification of recognized standards. The problem can hard ly be left to governm ents for solution, for, as Mr. G ray pointed out, these are too fully occupied w ith th e difficulties of th e day to plan for th e future, an d he considered th a t, after all, changes th a t h ad taken place as th e result of technical progress should be dealt w ith by those who had really been responsible for bringing them about, a view w ith which we cannot b u t agree. The workless m an is w ith us to sta y ; he m ust be cared for and th e sooner we find out how it can best be done th e better.
324 T H E M IN IN G MAGAZINE T he N ew M u seu m of P r a c tic a l G eology
The progress of building w ork a t South K ensington, where th e new Museum of P ractical Geology th a t will house th e head
q u arters of th e Geological Survey of G reat B ritain has been gradually tak in g shape, has been w atched w ith close interest by those who know th e som ew hat restricted conditions under which this branch of th e D ep artm en t of Scientific an d In d u strial R esearch has to w ork in Jerm y n Street and th e disability under which it is placed in displaying its m agnificent collections to th e public. In August, 1930, we were able to describe the lines on which fu tu re w ork would be planned,
while in July, 1932, a description of the proposed layout of th e new m useum was given in these columns. The rep o rt of the Geological Survey ju st issued 1 shows th a t it h ad been hoped to occupy th e survey offices a t South K ensington in March, th a t th e library w ould be read y in Ju ly , an d th a t the m useum proper would have been available in O ctober n ex t, b u t, as was announced in th e Ma g a z i n e last m onth, th e change-over will have to ta k e place a t a later date, for th e W orld Econom ic Conference—to which
1 S u m m ary of P ro g ress of th e G eological S urvey, 1932, P a r t 1. P rice 2s. L ondon : H.M . S ta tio n e ry Office.
fu rth er reference is m ade elsewhere— is now holding its m eetings in th e new building, th e façade of which is shown in th e accom panying photograph. The edifice, w ith its front of P o rtla n d stone, m akes a pleasing addition to th e m an y notable buildings in th e neighbourhood an d those who are to occupy it, although th e y m ay feel im patient a t th e delay, will probably agree th a t, in choosing it as an assem bly-hall for the delegates to th e largest and, it is to be hoped, th e m ost im p o rtan t conference th e W orld has ever seen, our num erous visitors will have received an in troduction to one of th e m ost imposing an d pleasant p a rts of London.
In terest in th e fu tu re hom e of th e Survey and in th e use to which it is now being p u t, however, should n o t be allowed to disguise th e fact th a t several of th e activities of th e Survey are w o rth y of m ention. The geophysical w ork in th e field has, tem porarily a t any rate, been suspended, as was recorded last year, th e S urvey’s in stru m en ts having been handed over to th e new geophysical d ep artm en t a t th e Im perial College, b u t the p reparation of reports on surveys already m ade has been continued, while, a special investigation on th e m agnetic properties of certain igneous rocks as bearing on anom alies observed in th e field has been carried out. A joint investigation in to the properties of B ritish building stones is being carried out w ith th e officers of th e Building Research S tatio n an d is a t present concerned w ith th e oolitic secondary limestones, especially P o rtla n d stone a n d others of a sim ilar ty p e, a n d w ith th e m agnesian lim estones. A new field of in terest has, it is stated , been opened up by th e discovery th a t certain slates have properties th a t m ay m ake them useful in directions h ith e rto unexplored. The w ork of m ap revision, collection of d a ta an d specimens, an d careful surveying of little-know n areas goes on and it is a source of satisfaction th a t th e Survey’s activities are conducted w ith every sign of efficient organization.
M etals in th e S e rv ice of Man In th e preface to his book “ Man and M e ta ls” D r. T. A. R ickard recalls the publication in 1920 of th e “ O utline of H isto ry ,” by H . G. Wells, expressing th e opinion th a t Mr. Wells had paid too little a tte n tio n to th e effect of m etallurgical discoveries on m a n ’s progress th ro u g h the years, and he endeavours in his own w ork
325 to show how th e advances in civilization
have followed on such progress. Something of th is history of m an in relation to m etallurgy is known to m ining m en—indeed to all m en—for th e term s “ stone age,”
“ bronze ag e,” and “ iron age ” are fam iliar as m arking epochs in th e history of m ankind.
Last m onth, in a lecture delivered under the auspices of th e B ritish Science Guild, Sir H arold C arpenter traced some of the m ain tren d s in this fascinating history, the title of his discourse, “ Metals in th e Service of H um an Life and In d u s try ,” being self- explanatory. The subject is so full of interest th a t it seems well w orth while to refer to this lecture a t some length.
There can be no question of th e tr u th of Sir H arold C arpenter’s assertion th a t m etals have co n trib u ted m ore th a n any other product of m a n ’s effort to th e m aterial comfort of th e hum an race, th e m ost striking engineering achievem ents having followed rapidly on m etallurgical discoveries. W hen reviewing m etallurgical research in these columns it has often been observed th a t the engineer w aits on th e m etallurgist, ever eager for th e b e tte r m aterials which will help him in carrying out his more am bitious projects, while th e construction of the m achinery on which so m uch of our present- day stan d ard s largely depends m ay w ith equal tr u th be called th e finished products of com bined engineering and m etallurgical skill. Sir H arold, pointing out the ingenuity w ith w hich th e engineer fastens on to each new discovery, quotes th e m odern m otor
car as a good exam ple of th e focussing of num erous industries on one product, for it contains nearly every kind of m etal in common use, including different varieties of steel and cast iron, brass, bronze, bearing m etals, alum inium , nickel, chromium, tungsten, and copper, while the ores from which these m etals are prepared are scattered all over th e world. I t m ust be realized, however, th a t m etals have con
trib u te d as m uch to m an ’s m en tal progress as to his m aterial com fort, th e applied sciences having th eir roots in th e old-time m etallurgy of th e alchem ists, while engineering has developed w ith them .
In p u rsu it of his n arrativ e Sir H arold first dealt w ith th e com position of the e a rth ’s crust, pointing out how geological processes have concentrated certain quantities of m etals here and there into economically workable deposits, although th e m etals them selves can only be ex tracted by th e application of elaborate m etallurgical
processes. The evidence available indicates th a t m an has only known th e use of m etals for some 5,000 to 6,000 years, so th a t he spent some 99% of his existence in ignorance of m etals, while for 98% of the rem aining one per cent he only used them scantily.
As Dr. R ickard has pointed out, th e out
standing step th a t has rendered our m odem civilization possible was th e finding of a process of sm elting m etal from a stone, an invention which Sir H arold ranks with th e discovery of artificial m ethods of producing fire. From the earliest use of sm elting th e a rt of m etallurgy progressed b u t slowly u ntil th e nineteenth century, th e advance being particularly rapid during th e last 70 years. I t is h ard to realize th a t m ore m etal has been used during th e 30 years ju st past th a n in all previous tim e. Turning to the influence of science on the m etallurgical arts, Sir H arold regards th e existence of alum inium as an industrial m etal as the m ost conspicuous illustration of this, con
sidering th a t it is not too m uch to say th a t to-day iron and alum inium are the two m ost valuable m etals we know, th e one having been in use for 3,000 years, th e other for less th a n 50. I t is notable, however, th a t, although alum inium is so young a m etal, our scientific knowledge of it is, in the lectu rer’s opinion, as complete as th a t of iron. The mere discovery of a m etal and its uses, however, has never contented m ankind ; his research on alloying has been constant and fruitful and now even more discoveries crowd upon us. New carbide tools, for example, are rapidly coming to th e fore to revolutionize m achining, while m any alloys have solved w hat seemed once to be insuper
able engineering difficulties. Take m anganese steel—which afforded Sir H arold an oppor
tu n ity of paying a trib u te to Sir R obert Hadfield—here is a m aterial th a t will stand up to intense wear, which is an im portant factor as much in railw ay and tram w ay trackw ork as in crushing m achinery linings, and which saved m any lives in th e W ar when it was used for th e well-known " tin h a t,” although the lecturer did not refer to this la tte r usage. I t will be realized th a t tonnage produced can hardly be reckoned as a satisfactory indication of th e usefulness of a m etal, for m any—such as chrom ium , tungsten, and cobalt—are now con
sidered indispensable adjuncts to m odem civilization. I t is, in fact, a story w ithout an ending, for, as Sir H arold has pointed out, no one can imagine w hat th e next tw en ty years will bring.
R E V I E W O F M I N I N G
In tro d u ctio n .—T he chief event to be chronicled is th e W orld Econom ic Con
ference, to w hich reference is m ade elsewhere.
P erh ap s n ex t in im portance is th e all-round recovery shown b y th e la test em ploym ent figures, all industries a p a rt from coal m ining p articip atin g in th e im provem ent. As to m etals, th e prices of these also have generally m oved in th e upw ard direction.
T ran svaal.—The o u tp u t of gold on the R an d for May was 893,464 oz. and in outside d istricts 51,140 oz., m aking a to ta l of 944,604 oz., as com pared w ith 895,097 oz. in April. The num ber of n atives em ployed in th e gold mines a t th e end of M ay totalled 227,178, as com pared w ith 225,279 a t the end of April.
R um ours as to th e likelihood of the Union G overnm ent increasing ta x a tio n so as to secure a considerable p a rt of th e prem ium now enjoyed b y th e gold m ining in d u stry were confirmed a t th e end of May, when Mr. H avenga, th e Finance M inister, in introducing his budget, sta te d his intention to tak e £6,000,000 of th e gold prem ium by special ta x a tio n on th e actu al profits m ade over a calculated s ta tu ta ry stan d ard . Owing to th e am biguous n a tu re of th e budget sta tem e n t a good deal of u n c e rta in ty arose as to th e effect of th e new tax atio n proposals, the contention of th e T ransvaal C ham ber of Mines being th a t th e increased am ounts to be ta k en b y th e G overnm ent w ould be g reatly in excess of th e figures quoted. A subsequent announcem ent of th e M inister of Mines, however, is to th e effect th a t a n y excess above £6,000,000 will be refunded.
I t is still an ticip ated th a t as th e resu lt of the increased ta x a tio n th e contem plated tr e a t
m ent of a lower grade of ore and th e opening up of new areas will be seriously affected.
Considerable progress has been m ade in th e boring w ork being carried out b y W est W itw atersran d A reas and it was sta te d last m o n th th a t th e V enterspost bore-hole No. 11 h ad entered th e W itw atersran d Series a t a d e p th of 3,098 ft.
E ncouraging developm ents on th e L u ip aard ’s Vlei p ro p erty have, it is stated , resulted in a decision to increase th e com
p a n y ’s tre a tm e n t p lan t.
I t was announced la st m o n th th a t the G overnm ent h a d in v ited ten d ers for the leasing of areas totalling 2,594 claim s on
th e E a st R and, on farm s adjoining the properties of th e B rakpan, New K leinfontein, E a st R an d P ro p rietary , and V an D yk com panies.
The rep o rt of G lynn’s L ydenburg for the three m o n th s to April 30 last sta te s th a t the loan from th e C entral Mining and In v e st
m ent C orporation has been rep aid and the corporation has exercised its option to take up 5,000 reserve shares a t par.
The W elgedacht E xploration Company has announced its in ten tio n of und ertak in g an aerial survey of its properties w ith a view to selecting boring sites.
In order th a t th e m oney required for the sinking of a new sh aft on th e southern section of th e New K leinfontein p ro p erty m ight be available an issue of £250,000 6%
convertible debentures was provisionally u n d erw ritten for th e operating com pany last m onth.
A t a m eeting of th e 6% d e b en tu re holders of th e Pigg’s P eak D evelopm ent Company held th is m o n th th e sale of certain assets to South A frican H .E . P ro p rie ta ry was approved.
A t a m eeting of th e A frican Asbestos T ru st to be held n ex t m o n th it will be proposed th a t th e com pany should go into v o lu n tary liquidation.
The accounts of th e G eneral Mining and Finance C orporation for 1932 show a profit of £229,378, m aking, w ith th e balance b rought in, an available to ta l of £244,175.
Of this am ount £126,458 was absorbed in th e p ay m en t of a dividend, equal to 10%, and, afte r allowing for ta x a tio n , there rem ained £110,740 to be carried forward.
The rep o rt of th e A frican an d E uropean In v estm en t for 1932 shows a profit of
£10,394, against £2,831 in th e previous year, th e am ount carried forw ard now am ounting to £23,838.
D ia m o n d s.—T he rep o rt of th e Con
solidated D iam ond Mines of South-W est Africa, L td ., for 1932, shows th a t m ining operations were suspended as from J u ly 1, 1932, an d lim ited prospecting w ork has since been carried out on th e m arine deposits directly n o rth of th e Orange R iver m outh, w ith, it is sta te d , satisfacto ry results. The accounts show th a t th e u n ap p ro p riated balance of £372,196 a t th e end of 1931 has been decreased to £277,406, a fter allowing for deb en tu re in terest and depreciation.
326
327 F or the six m onths ended Decem ber 31
last th ere were no productive operations on the p ro p e rty of the De Beers Consolidated Mines, which has decided to change the end of its financial year from June 30 to Decem ber 31. R evenue on diam ond account was only £429, as against £307,822 for the preceding twelve m onths.
A new agreem ent for the diam ond industry has been concluded as the result of the conference betw een the Union Governm ent and the producers held last m onth.
S ou th ern R h od esia.—The o u tp u t of gold from Southern Rhodesia during April was 53,559 oz., as com pared w ith 49,929 oz.
for the previous m onth and 46,487 oz. in April, 1932. O ther o u tp u ts for April were : Silver, 8,619 oz. ; coal, 43,594 tons ; chrome ore, 5,377 tons ; asbestos, 3,664 tons ; iron pyrites, 812 tons.
The arrangem ent for the purchase of the mineral rights of th e B ritish South Africa Company in S outhern R hodesia for
£2,000,000 was approved by the Assembly of Southern R hodesia early this m onth.
In order th a t the com pany’s liabilities be liquidated and working capital for developm ent provided, it is proposed to increase the capital of the Sherwood S tarr Gold Mining Com pany to £125,000 by the creation of 100,000 new 5s. shares, to be offered to the present shareholders at 10s.
N orthern R h od esia.— I t was announced last m o n th th a t the Roan Antelope Copper Mines is arranging to replace the existing
£1,500,000 7% debenture stock by a similar am ount of 6% stock. A t the same time 431,716 shares are to be offered to existing holders a t 21s. The proceeds of the new issue will be available for sm elting p lant extensions as soon as these are required.
The rep o rt of th e R hodesia-K atanga Company for 1932 shows th a t work a t the K ansanshi mine, where there are estim ated to be 10,925,000 short tons of ore averaging 4-34% copper and 0-4 dw t. gold, was suspended in N ovem ber last. The com pany is at present interested in the developm ent of the K akam ega goldfield, Kenya.
The accounts of Rhodesian Anglo American for th e year to March 31 last showed a revenue of £80,643, against £25,733 for the previous year. A fter adding the sum brought in and m aking various allowances there was an unapp ro p riated balance of
£154,559 to be carried forward.
The rep o rt of Mr. Ju stice M augham on th e re-opened N orth C harterland inquiry states
th a t charges of bad faith having entirely failed th ere is no reason to revise th e findings of his first report.
G old C oast.—A new com pany, known as Gold Coast B anket Areas, having a capital of £500,000 in 2s. shares, has been formed to tak e over various properties in th e Tarkw a district from F a n ti Mines, E ffuenta Mines, and the F an ti Consolidated Investm ent Com pany in re tu rn for shares.
An arrangem ent was concluded last m onth betw een th e W est African Gold Corporation and Gold Coast Selection T rust w hereby th e assets of the form er com pany were merged w ith those of the latter. An extensive program m e of exploration is in hand.
N igeria. — The accounts of K aduna Syndicate for th e year to O ctober 31 last showed a profit of £6,992 and including a profit on the realization of investm ents and the sum brought in from the previous account there was an available total of £13,091, from which various allowances were made, leaving £8,079 to be disposed of. A fter paym ent of a dividend equal to 10% there rem ained £4,079 to be carried forward.
D uring th e year 206 tons of tin concentrates was produced, against 256 tons in the previous year.
D uring the year to October 31 last the K aduna Prospectors, L td., m ade a profit of £1,188, which, added to the sum brought in and including sundry profits, gave an available to ta l of £4,748. A fter allowing for depreciation and other item s there rem ained
£3,942 to be carried forward. The o u tp u t of tin concentrates for the year was 93 tons.
The report of Ex-L ands N igeria for 1932 shows a profit of £1,960, increasing the credit balance brought in to £30,601, which it is proposed to carry forward. The o u tp u t of tin concentrates totalled 365 tons, against 592 tons in 1931.
The report of Associated Tin Mines of Nigeria for 1932 shows an operating profit of £7,565, increasing the sum brought in to £90,485, of which £41,522 has been appropriated for depreciation and non
recurring expenditure, leaving £48,963 to be carried forward. U nder restriction conditions the com pany’s o u tp u t of tin concentrates was lim ited to 1,621 tons, a reduction of 1,022 tons on the figure for the previous year, operating costs increasing, in consequence, to £68 17s. per ton f.o.r.
Bukeru.
The profit of th e Nigerian E lectricity Supply Corporation for the year to
328 T H E M IN IN G M AGAZINE F e b ru a ry 28 last was ¿19,521. I t is proposed
th a t certain assets of th e corporation should be w ritte n down by £171,002 and to effect this m eetings are to be held la te r this m o n th a t w hich it will be proposed th a t th e ordinary share capital should be reduced from
£200,000 to £50,000.
A u stralia.—A circular to shareholders of the Lake View and S tar, issued last m onth, sta te d th a t th e o re-treatm en t p lan t was now com plete, over 40,000 tons being tre a te d in M arch and April. The new pow er p lan t is estim ated to have resulted in a saving of
£5,000 per m onth.
A t th e annual general m eeting of G reat Boulder P ro p rie ta ry Gold Mines, to be held this m onth, it will be proposed th a t the capital of th e com pany be increased to
£250,000 b y the creation of 750,000 new 2s. shares, 583,333 of w hich are to be offered to existing shareholders a t 5s. per share.
The erection of a new tre a tm e n t p lan t is under w ay and recent developm ents a t the m ine are sta te d to be favourable.
I t was announced early th is m o n th th a t in order to provide a reserve which will enable th e com pany to p articip ate in any prom ising ventures th a t m ight be offered Gold Mines of A ustralia, L td ., propose to m ake an issue of shares a t p ar to existing holders, three shares to be offered for every two held.
The profits of th e Kalgoorlie E lectric Power and L ighting C orporation for last year were slightly higher a t £22,500, th e dividend being m ain tain ed a t 6% . The com pany continues to im prove its p lan t, additions to properties and p la n t last year being estim ated a t £19,500.
B u rm a .—D uring 1932 T avoy Prospectors, L td ., suffered a loss of £472, increasing the d eb it balance brought in to £1,811.
M alaya.—The profit of Sungei Besi Mines for 1932 am ounted to £83, increasing th e balance b ro u g h t in to £22,108. U nder restriction conditions the y e a r’s o u tp u t of tin concentrates to ta lle d 314 tons.
A rrangem ents have been m ade to re -s ta rt th e Tem oh com pany’s dredge on Ju ly 1.
C hina.—The re p o rt of th e P ekin S yndicate for th e y e a r to Ju n e 30 la st s ta te s th a t th e W ang Feng Colliery is now producing and th a t an a d m in istra tiv e agreem ent has been reached w ith th e Chung Y uan M ining Com pany.
M exico.—The rep o rt of th e M azapil Copper Com pany for 1932 shows a loss of
£69,353, increasing the d ebit balance to
£162,026. The directors have g ran ted an option to purchase th e p ro p erty , excluding th e in tere st in th e New Sabinas Com pany for a lum p sum pay m en t of £150,000.
U n ited S ta te s.— I t was announced last m o n th th a t th e tru stees of th e M ountain Copper Com pany are to redeem by draw ing a t p ar £40,000 of th e o u tstan d in g £77,675 of debenture stock.
Y ugoslavia.— The directors of T repca Mines have declared an in terim dividend equal to 6% , as com pared w ith an interim p ay m en t equal to 3% a y ear ago.
H ollan d .—The operations of the Billiton Tin Com pany for 1932 resulted in a small loss—£270— against a loss of £130,000 in th e previous year.
P o rtu g a l.— Shareholders of B eralt Tin and W olfram , L td ., have been inform ed th a t a co n tract has now been arranged for the sale of ferro-tungsten and o th er alloys.
C h em ica l and M eta llu rg ic a l C or
p o ra tio n .—A circular to shareholders of the Chemical and M etallurgical Corporation sta te d la st m o n th th a t negotiations were in h a n d for th e sale of th e whole of th e issued share capital.
B r itish -B o r n e o P e tr o le u m .— T he report of th e B ritish-B orneo P etroleum Syndicate for th e year to M arch 31 la st shows a profit of £26,991. A fter p ay m e n t of a dividend equal to 7 |% th ere rem ained £20,738 to be carried forward.
T in.— The price of tin during th e past m o n th has steadily increased an d it is now well over £200 per ton. D em and from th e U nited S tates h as been p artic u la rly good, a rem arkable upsw ing in tin p la te dem and in th a t co u n try having b ro u g h t th e o u tp u t u p to 90% of capacity. T he re p o rt of th e Tin P roducers’ A ssociation for 1932 sta te s th a t th e In te rn a tio n a l Tin R esearch and D evelopm ent Council is busily engaged in exploring such im provem ents as will lead to an increased dem and for th e m etal.
C opper.—T he Copper D evelopm ent Association, form ed la st m o n th , has, u n d er th e chairm anship of Mr. A. C hester B eatty , speedily got dow n to w ork and is inviting applications for th e post of general m anager.
In A m erica th ere has been m uch ta lk of a copper agreem ent and it is ex p ected th a t th ro u g h th e A d m in istratio n ’s In d u stria l Control Bill a plan will be evolved b y w hich some m ines will be closed down com pletely and others lim ited to an o u tp u t equal to 10% of capacity.
RUBY MINING IN UP P ER BURMA
By J. C O G G IN B R O W N , D.Sc.,
T h e a u th o r d eals w ith th e history of the in dustry and d escribes the geology of the deposits, the m ineralogy of the gem stones, a n d both native and E u ro p ea n m ining m ethods, concluding w ith a discussion as to prospects.
In t r o d u c t i o n.— Gem m ining in B urm a, in areas which have been notified as “ stone tracts, is not governed by the rules applicable to ordinary minerals, b u t by the provisions of th e U pper B urm a R uby R egulation of 1887. There are four of these stone tra c ts in B urm a proper and three in the F ed erated Shan S tates. The former include th e Mogok T ract and areas w ithin the T habeitkyin tow nship of K a th a district (22° 53' : 96° 1') ; around Naniazeik in M yitkyina (25° 37' : 96° 37'), and near Sagyin (22° 17' : 96° 7'), 16 miles n o rth of M andalay (Fig. 1). Besides th e ruby, sapphire, and spinel, for which th e country is renowned, Burm a produces m any oth er precious and semi-precious stones, including th e gem varieties of th e following m inerals :— Q uartz (am ethyst, etc.), ap atite, beryl (aquam arine), chrysoberyl, epidote, garnet, iolite (water sapphire), jadeite, lapis lazuli, felspar (moon
stone), olivine (peridot), phenacite, tourm aline (rubellite), topaz, and zircon (jacinth).
Th e Mo g o k St o n e Tr a c t.— The
observations which follow refer entirely to conditions in th e Mogok Stone T ract, for no m ining has been a tte m p te d in any of the others for m an y years and th eir exploration has n o t been p articu larly encouraged.
The Mogok T ract occupies an area of over 600 square miles of m ountainous, deeply- dissected, and for th e m ost p a rt forest-clad country in th e Mogok Township of K ath a D istrict, on th e east of the Irraw addy.
Geographically it forms p a rt of th e Shan H ighlands. Geologically it is m ade up of gneisses and associated rocks of Archaean age, am ongst which are th e bands and masses of crystalline lim estone from which some of th e gems have been shed into th e detrital and valley deposits whence they are now won. These Archaean rocks probably e x ten d through th e M ongmit S tate on th e n o rth and join w ith sim ilar s tra ta known to occur in the hills which form the B urm a - China frontier region between Bhamo and Teng-yiieh.
Mogok (22° 55' : 96° 33'), a tow n of about 10,000 in h ab ita n ts, all of whom are dependent on th e gem industry, is connected
by a m otor road, 60 miles long, w ith Fig , T habeitkyin, a riv er port, 70 miles n o rth of
329
M andalay. From T habeitkyin, a t 200 ft., the road gradually rises in an easterly direction, attain in g an elevation of over 5,000 ft. above sea-level before descending to th e Mogok valley at approxim ately 4,000 ft.
This is a picturesque locality, surrounded by lofty m ountain ranges, culm inating in T aung Me, 7,544 ft., to th e north. The clim ate is good, m alaria and th e tropical epidemic diseases are rare, and the rainfall averages about 100 in. per annum . The local labour forces are augm ented by ab u n d an t transfrontier M aingthas and Y unnanese Chinese during the open season.
Mining in recent years has been restricted to an area in th e east of th e tract, approxi
m ately 20 miles across from east to west and 10 miles from north to south. Im p o rtan t
- Sk e t c h Ma p o f Up p e r Bu r m a t o Sh o w Ru b y Lo c a l i t i e s.
330 T H E M IN IN G M AGAZINE subsidiary centres in this are K ath e, 8 miles,
an d K y atp y in , 10 miles w est of Mogok on th e m ain ro ad (Fig. 2).
Ea r l y Hi s t o r y.— The earliest reliable
Burm ese reference to th e m ines is in a royal edict of th e contem porary m onarch d ated a.d. 1597, w hich proclaim s th a t Mogok and K y atp y in , u n til th a t tim e p a rt of th e territo ries of th e Shan S tate of M ongmit, should th e re a fte r be included in th e Burm ese realm , th e Shan S tate being gran ted th e tow n of T agaung in exchange.
The docum ent naively adds— " The officials concerned m u st ta k e over th e rubies, w ith a list of all descriptions, big an d small, and pay into th e T reasu ry .”
It is evident from this edict th a t at the tim e ru b y m ining was an established industry an d th e d a te of its foundation is likely to rem ain unknow n. Many of th e early E uropean ad v en tu rers in th e E a s t knew of B urm ese rubies an d interesting historical details occur in th e w ritings of Santo Stefano (15th century) ; Ludovic di V arthem a, who visited Pegu in 1496 ; D u arte B arbarosa (1501-16) ; Caesar F redericke (1569), an d th e London m erchant R alph F itc h (1586).
Fredericke, who resided in th e Burm ese capital for some tim e, states th a t one of m any titles of th e king was “ Lord of th e Mines of R ubyes, Safyrs and Spineles,”
while his account of th e m ethods of th e ruby brokers m ight have been w ritte n of th e n ative gem b azaar in Mogok to-day.
According to Fitch, rubies were so ab u n d a n t in Pegu “ th a t th e y know n o t w hat to do
F i g . 2 . — S k e t c h S h o w i n g t h e E a s t e r n E n d o f t h e M o g o k S t o n e T r a c t .
w ith them , b u t sell th em a t m ost vile a n d base prices.”
The kings for obvious reasons shrouded the m ines w ith th e g reatest secrecy possible and it was n o t u n til 1833 th a t Pere Guiseppe d ’A m ato was th e first E u ro p ean to visit them . A t K y a tp y in he found square shafts, 20 or 30 ft. deep, sunk to th e gem -bearing gravel below th e valley floor, late ra l galleries being som etim es m ade from them , b u t th e influx of w ater soon caused th e ir aban d o n m en t an d th e sinking of new ones. Besides rubies and sapphires, topaz a n d oriental em eralds were th en being found a n d spinels were ab u n d an t.
A proclam ation b y a la te r king, d ated 1783, exists. I t ex tended th e boundaries of th e tra c t an d th e y continued to be enlarged u n til a t the tim e of th e B ritish A nnexation in 1886 th ey enclosed th eir present area.
The best stones were alw ays regarded as th e perquisite of th e kings. T hus F a th er Sangerm ano, an Ita lia n p riest who lived in A va betw een 1783 an d 1806, w rote as follows :— “ I t is th e rubies of th e Burm ese E m pire which are its g reatest boast, as both in brilliance an d clearness th e y are the best in th e world. The E m peror employs inspectors and guards to w atch th e mines and ap p ro p riates to him self all th e stones above a certain weight an d size ; th e p en alty of d e ath is denounced against anyone who conceals, or sells, or buys an y of these reserved jew els.”
D uring th e reign of K ing M indon Min (1855-1898) th e governorship of th e Stone T rac t was auctioned to th e highest bidder and th e la tte r ’s pay m en t in silver to th e royal tre a su ry gave him th e sole rig h t to purchase gems. A race of h ered itary m iners had in th e m eantim e evolved, p a rtly from prisoners of w ar banished to th e m ines by various kings. T heir descendants, carefully enum erated an d registered, are th e only natives p erm itted to m ine in th e tr a c t a t th e present tim e.
I t is necessary to describe v ery briefly th e conditions ruling a t th e tim e of the annexation, n o t en tirely as a m a tte r of history, for, modified in accordance w ith B ritish ideas of equity, th e y form ed the foundation on w hich th e U pper B u rm a R uby R egulation of 1887, th e existing law, was laid down. T he Stone T ract th e n form ed p a rt of th e p riv ate e states of th e Burm ese kings, m anaged directly on th e ir behalf a t first an d a t a la te r d a te farm ed o u t for w hat it would fetch. K ing M indon is
JU N E , 1933 believed to have received about one lakh of rupees per annum from this source of revenue.
King Thebaw , th e last of the Burmese m onarchs, u n d oubtedly obtained a larger sum, b u t his a tte m p t to raise it to two and a half lakhs of rupees nearly ruined the industry.
The local officers, or “ so-thugyis,” as th ey were called, were given a free hand b o th as to the to ta l revenue raised and th e m ethods employed in its collection, so long as th e lessee’s dem ands were m et. T he la tte r possessed an option to b uy all gems found by th e m iners, except those reserved under the ro y al prerogative. In cases of disagree
ment regarding valuation th e stones were
sent to th e ru b y m art a t M andalay to be sold for the owner. He in the m eantim e had to pay th e “ Seal T a x ,” buy an export perm it, deposit 25% of th e estim ated value of the parcel—which, needless to rem ark, was pocketed by th e lessee—an d ru n th e risk of the gems being stolen on th e ir w ay to the capital. The lessee also collected a house tax from th e m iners and levied an irregular cess a t tim es suitable to himself. In addition to all th is he augm ented his income by monopolistic m oney lending, by imposing rates on th e local produce m arkets, and by auctioning out th e gam bling saloons at the mines. E x o rb ita n t ta x a tio n of every conceivable form and perpetual harassm ents of th e kinds described could have b u t one end, expressed in a few words m any years ago by a B ritish officer who was well acquainted
with the situation in the following sentence :—
“ H ad it not been for th e annexation taking place about th a t tim e th e Stone T ract would have been alm ost deserted.”
Eu r o p e a n De v e l o p m e n t s.— Mogok was occupied in December, 1886. In October, 1887, th e R uby R egulation came into force.
I t empowers the Governm ent to notify the boundaries of th e stone tra c ts and to m ake rules regarding th e mining, cutting, possession, buying, selling, an d carrying of precious stones. U nder one clause, 5 (2), a licensed m iner is compelled either to (a) sell a t his own valuation to th e lessee all the gems he m ay find or (b) pay on th a t valuation to th e lessee such d u ty as the
Governm ent m ay direct. H ere we find em bodied th e chief privilege of th e lessee under th e Burm ese regime.
F rom th e com m encem ent of th e B ritish era registration of the mines was adopted to prevent illicit working and annual fees of Rs. 50, 25, and 12 were levied according to th e character of th e operations. In 1889 Messrs.
S treeter an d Co. were recognized as the lessees, b u t before th e lease was granted to them Mr. B arrington Brown reported on th e industry for th e Secretary of S tate. H is specimens were exam ined by Professor Ju d d and formed th e basis of his classical petrological studies of th e area.
The first lease embodied Clause 5 (2) of the Regulation m entioned above, th e am ount to be received under th e second option being placed a t 30% of th e valuation which
Fi g. 3 . — Vi e w Lo o k i n g So u t h- We s t d o w n t h e Mo g o k Va l l e y.
332 T H E M IN IN G M AGAZINE th e m iner placed on th e stone. I t was also
provided, however, th a t th e G overnm ent, in concurrence w ith th e lessee, could issue licences to th e m iners a t fixed fees and th a t th e lessee could ta k e these as ro y alties in lieu of th e oth er privilege. In practice, except for a very sh o rt tim e, th is la tte r altern ativ e has functioned, for w ith o u t the a rb itra ry compulsion of th e Burm ese officialdom it proved impossible to force the m iners to ad o p t th e oth er course. The lessees th en collected th e re n ts brought in by th e m iners and organized th eir own staff to supervise them . The lessees were also g ran ted an exclusive rig h t to mine for gems b y any m ethod th ey liked to ad o p t in u n occupied lands not reserved by th e G overn
m ent for th e n ativ e m iners. T heir hered itary rights, th e n as now, have always been rigorously safeguarded. F o r these and other privileges th e lessees agreed to p ay a ren t of Rs. 4 lakhs per annum an d a fu rth er sum of one-sixth p a rt of th eir n et annual profits to th e Secretary of S tate for India.
The B urm a R uby Mines, L td ., was floated on F eb ru ary 27, 1889, w ith a c ap ital of
£300,000, am idst scenes of e x trao rd in ary enthusiasm in St. S w ithin’s Lane, b u t th e usual crop of unforeseen difficulties, inherent in th e introduction of W estern m ethods into E astern jungles, was encountered and it was n o t u n til 1895 th a t profits were m ade and 1898 th a t th e first dividend of 5% was paid. Meanwhile, in 1890, im p o rta n t changes affecting th e native m iners were introduced.
In stead of th e ro y alty charge levied on th e mines a m o n th ly fee of Rs. 20 per w orkm an em ployed was now adopted, payable, of course, to th e com pany.
R estrictions on sales were also rem oved and an open gem m ark et was institu ted . B oth these arrangem ents persist to th e present time.
A second lease was g ran ted in 1897 for a period of 14 years a t an annual ren t of Rs. 3,15,000 plus 20% of th e n et profits, b u t this was again modified in 1899, w hen th e ren t was reduced to Rs. 2 lakhs, th e share of the profits payable to th e G overnm ent raised to 30% , and certain outstandings rem itted . A new clause in th is lease granted an absolute rig h t to a m ining licence to any m em ber of a fam ily resident in th e tr a c t before th e advent of the com pany. In 1897 th e capital of the com pany had been reduced to £180,000.
R uby m ining by E uropean m ethods now entered a profitable phase. F o r th e six years 1898 to 1903 inclusive th e average
annual value of th e stones ob tain ed was
£89,345 an d th e average an n u al dividend ju st over 11%. R o y alty receipts from th e n ativ e m iners, th e value of whose o u tp u t is n o t included above, varied betw een £12,765 and £23,460 per annum in th e same period.
A th ird lease was g ran ted for 28 years from April, 1904, on m uch th e sam e term s as the 1899 arrangem ent. P rosperity continued u n til th e au tu m n of 1907, when th e dem and for rubies tem porarily ceased following a severe financial crisis in Am erica. During these tim es th e com pany found em ploym ent for over 2,000 w orkers. R oyalties fell from
£19,340 in 1907 to £8,050 in 1908, a striking testim ony to th e effect of th e depression on th e n ativ e in d u stry . This slum p w as long continued and its effects were probably accen tu ated by th e com petition of synthetic stones in th e jewel m ark e ts of th e world.
I t has been sta te d th a t th e com bination of these tw o circum stances caused th e price of fine tw o-carat rubies to fall from Rs. 200 to Rs. 60 per ca ra t, while th e lower grades showed a greater fall. Slightly b e tte r trading conditions resulted in sm all dividends to the shareholders in 1911, 1912, a n d 1913 a n d had n o t th e G reat W ar th e n in terv en ed the in d u stry would probably have flourished again. The value of th e co m p an y ’s finds, which averaged over £84,000 per annum during th e period 1904-1908, fell to £63,272 betw een 1909 an d 1913 an d th e n to £41,817, th e average am ount for th e years 1914 to- 1918.
The accum ulated ren t arrears due to the G overnm ent to talled nearly £24,000 in 1909 and in th a t y ear th e S ecretary of S tate sanctioned th e p o stponem ent of th e ir p ay m en t an d agreed th a t th e com pany should henceforth m ake over th e royalties, collected from th e n ativ e m iners instead of th e fixed annual re n t, less 10% commission.
In 1913, on th e u n d erstan d in g th a t £20,000 should be expended on th e developm ent of new areas, th e G overnm ent agreed to rem it th e debts, w ith th e stip u latio n th a t if and w hen profits exceeded 10% on th e paid- up capital half th e excess should go to w ard s th e ir liquidation.
A t th e com m encem ent of th e W ar th e E uropean and A m erican gem m a rk e ts closed down an d th e E a ste rn dem and slowly fell
aw ay. The officers of th e com pany to o k u p m ilitary duties and in 1914 th e G overnm ent m ade fu rth e r rem issions. The y ears 1915, 1916, an d 1917 all registered losses an d th e sta te of th e Burm ese in d u stry is seen from
the ro y alty retu rn s, which dropped from
¿23,000 in 1914 to ¿4,000 in 1916, rising again to ¿8,000 in 1917. In 1918 the com pany paid its th en outstandings and in 1919 a profit of over ¿30,000 enabled a small dividend to be paid. The situation, however, never recovered and nothing is to be gained by enum erating th e various steps ta k en in the a ttem p t to retriev e it. In 1925 th e com pany went into v o lu n tary liquidation, unsuccess
fully offering th e m ines for sale in 1926. A skeleton organization continued to work, however, u ntil the lease term inated. O pera
tions finally ceased a t th e end of June, 1931.
The end of the B urm a R uby Mines, L td., if no steps had been tak en to m eet th e position,
would have left th e large native industry uncontrolled, for th e com pany h ad m anaged it on behalf of the G overnm ent from th e early days. The a u th o r was deputed to investigate the in d u stry in 1927-28 and form ulated plans for its control an d future developm ent.
At his suggestion a new large-scale topographical survey of the eastern p a rt of the T ract was undertaken, to form the basis of a m odern geological survey, which the w riter com m enced on th e existing maps an d handed over to others in 1930.
This survey is still in progress. Its objects are twofold. F irst, to subdivide th e crystalline complex into its various sub-groups, to m ap them separately, to unravel their exceedingly com plicated structure, and to come to some conclusion about th eir origin. The general relationship betw een th e Burmese Archaean rocks and those of Peninsular India will
be revealed in th e process. Secondly, to m ap th e tru e distribution of those m embers of the complex which are gem-bearing.
Once th is is accurately known, it will be a com paratively simple m a tte r to delineate those portions of the Stone T ract th a t are favourable for the accum ulation of secondary gem -bearing deposits of d e trita l and alluvial origin. This inform ation is needed for the future guidance of the industry as well as for its adm inistration. Sufficient is already known to w arran t th e assertion th a t, im p o rtan t though th e ruby and spinel-bearing crystalline lim estones are as sources of these stones, the whole story does not end there.
The ru b y is not entirely confined to the
limestones and it is doubtful if the sapphires, of increasing im portance in recent years, are derived from them a t all. Many of the other valuable stones th a t the area produces also come from different rock groups and not from the limestones.
Ge o l o g y.—The rocks around the Mogok
valley are typical m em bers of the Archaean complex, which occupies th e whole of the Stone T ract. Looking dow nstream tow ards th e south-west from the high ground a t its head (Fig. 3), both the K yini Taung-Myo Taung ridge on th e left and th e two outer ranges on th e right, are built up of members of the Mogok Series, a highly metam orphosed, strongly-folded group of sedim entary origin in p a rt. Its commonest representatives are garnet-biotite gneisses, w ith or w ithout sillim anite, an d garnetiferous granulites.
The la tte r are widely spread about Mogok
Fi g. 4 . — Vi e w Lo o k i n g No r t h a c r o s s t h e Va l l e y, Mo g o k.
