I.TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.")
Briz,—As you so courteously allowed me on a previous occasion to express my views on the above subject, I trust I may be also permitted to comment upon the letter signed "R. H." which appeared in the Spectator of October 31st. Your corre- spondent in a general way compares Australian mines with South Africa, and affirms that in the first-named countiy, where white labour alone is employed, mines of a lower grade than those in South Africa (" also with a more refractory quartz to deal with ") "make large profits." In support of this statement he quotes the quarter's returns of a particular mine, between 10 dwt. and 11 dwt. per ton in value, which cost only 17s. 9-65d. per ton to work, and therefore gave a profit of rather more than 4 dwt. to the ton. He, however, gives no details -whatsoever as to the situation of the mine, the width or nature of the lode, the depths of its workings, the number of stamps employed, &c. Without these it is impossible to ascertain whether the property in question is an excep- tional case like Mount Morgan, for instance, or a typical Australian mine. Unrelated figures of this sort are purpose- less unless supported by full information about the property itself, as well as by statistics showing the average value of lodes and working costs in other parts of Australia. It is only fair to your readers that your correspondent should pro- duce these facts, and when he has done so, his personal state- ment "that low-grade mines in Australia make large profits" will be worth consideration.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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