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By J. A. Maritz

Since the dawn of mining, pillars have been used as primary support to ensure stable workings. Early designs were based on trial and error, after which more scientific means developed over time. A vast amount of progress has been made, especially in soft-rock room-and-pillar design methodologies, from which hard-rock design theories developed with minor changes to constant parameter values. The commonly used Hedley and Grant method for hard rock and Salamon and Munro methodology for soft rock draw on the tributary area associated with the pillar, the width-toheight ratio of the pillar, and a back-analysed strength reduction factor. In these methods, only the vertical stress, or stress normal to the pillar influences the load applied to the pillar. This investigation considers the possible influence of shear stresses on pillars in a room-and-pillar layout in single reef planes and multi-reef environments, based on elastic numerical modelling methods. The possible shear stress poses a safety and financial risk to the design process, whereby an undersized pillar would lead to unstable working conditions, whereas oversized pillars could lead to an under-utilized ore resource.

Jan 1, 2014

The Annual General Meeting of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy was held in Kelvin House, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, 27th August, 1975. Professor R. P. Plewman (President) was in the Chair. There were present 45 Fellows, 37 Members, 8 Graduates, 3 Associates, 4 Students, and 45 Visitors, making a total of 142. The President declared the Meeting open at 16h00. OBITUARIES The President: Ladies and gentlemen, it is my sad duty to announce the death of the following members of the Institute : M. Barcza, an Honorary Life Fellow and Past President of the Institute; J. A. Boyd, F. E. Keep, and J. H. Taylor, Life Fellows ; I. D. B. Corner, C. O'G. Deane, R. E. Gilmour, A. C. Hofmeyr, M. W. Howell, T. J. Robin, and F. S. Steinhobel, Fellows; J. J. Frankel, Member; and T. J. Higgs, Associate. As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and in sympathy with the bereaved, I ask you to rise and observe a few moments' silence. MINUTES The President: May we confirm the minutes of the General Meeting held on March 12th 1975 and published in the June issue of the Journal? Agreed. WELCOME The President: It is now my very great pleasure to welcome the many members of our Institute and all the distinguished guests who have honoured us with their presence this afternoon. In particular, I would like to welcome our Honorary President, Mr R. S. Lawrence, President of the Chamber of Mines, and also our Honorary Vice-President, Mr T. L. Gibbs, the Government Mining Engineer. Ons is ook besonder vereer dat dr. Naude, die Wetenskaplike Raad-gewer aan die Eerste Minister, en mnr. C. A. J. Borman, Direkteur van die Witwatersrandse Kollege vir Gevorderde Tegniese Onderwys, hier aanwesig is om die vergadering by to woon. We are also honoured by the presence of some 19 Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Chairmen of our sister scientific and technical organizations. I would particularly like to welcome Mr Gericke of the South African Council for Professional Engineers, Professor Pretorius of the A.S. & T.S., and Dr Lloyd of F.S.P.E. And then, also the Presidents of the Institute of Welding, Professor Robinson; of the Electrical Engineers, Dr Troost ; of the Certificated Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Mr Gibbs; of the Geological Society, Professor Maske; of the Land Surveyors of the Transvaal, Mr Course ; of the Assayers and Analysts, Mr Williams; of the Mine Ventilation Society, Mr Martinson; of the Chemical Institute, Mr Goodman; of the Association of Mine Managers, Mr Pretorius ; of the Institute of Foundrymen, Mr Attenborough; of the Production Engineers, Mr Duggan ; and of S.A.F.U.E.S., Mr Avalle. Then, the Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Metallurgists, Mr Snow; the Vice-President of the Town and Regional Planning, Mr Reinecke; the Vice-President of the Association of Consulting Engineers, Mr O'Kell; and Mr Cronje, who is representing E.A.S.A. Finally, the Chairman of the Southern Transvaal Section of the Chemical Institute, Mr Bloom ; the Chairman of the Witbank-Middelburg Branch of our own Institute, Mr Hosking; and the Secretary-Treasurer of our O.F.S. Branch, Mr Bird. We also have with us Mr Trueman; the Deputy Manager of Kelvin House, Mr Mrost ; our Honorary Editor, Dr Glen; Mr Walford; and also some representatives of the Press. Finally, it gives me great pleasure to welcome those who will receive Honorary Life Fellowships tonight, and also the winners of our student prizes. MEMBERSHIP The President: Ladies and gentlemen, I have pleasure in announcing the names of the following candidates, which have been published in accordance with By-Law 5.2.5., and Council has elected them to membership in the following grades: Fellows: R. G. Boswell, R. W. Chadwick, D. R. Hardman, J. A. Holmes, T. J. B. Jones, and R. P. King. Members : M. A. Bridgeford, C. F. Bonney, H. E. Bartlett, L. G. Floyd, A. K. Haines, D. Hatfield, C. G. Heymann, M. J. Howes, J. B. See, E. van Greunen, and S. P. Swanepoel. Associate Members : J. Coetsee and R. P. G. Steyn. Graduates: J. J. de Villiers and J. C. King. Associates: B. J. Bucher, P. A. Combrinck, W. J. N. Gelderblom, L. S. Halasz, J. van Wyk, C. P. Visser, and A. Veress. Students: D. J. Claasens, P. C. Crous, D. H. Murchison, P. A. Rossouw, and J. P. L. Schultz. Company Affiliates: Airco Engineering (Proprietary) Limited and Deelkraal Gold Mining Company Limited. There have also been some transfers: Member to Fellow: J. B. Nangle. Graduate to Member: E. E. Eichenbergen, M. J. Hillbeck, L. A. Melis, P. J. Venter, and R. O. Wellman. Associate to Associate Member: B. M. Williams. I welcome the newly elected members to the Institute, and I congratulate those who have been transferred to a higher grade.

Jan 10, 1975

By B. X. Huang

Hydraulic fracturing technology is presented as a solution to improve permeability and thus solve the extraction problem of coal seam gas in low-permeability gas-bearing coal seams. Given an existing group of original cracks, the propagation of main hydraulic cracks and hydraulic wing cracks was simulated using realistic failure process analysis software. The process represents the structural transformation of hydraulic fracturing and permeability improvements caused by it. In addition, a field test for improving the permeability of gassy coal seams by hydraulic fracturing was also conducted. The propagation of the main cracks and wing cracks by hydraulic fracturing forms a network of original joint cracks, hydraulic wing cracks, and main hydraulic cracks, which improve the permeability of the coal seam. High-pressure water in the drill hole and in the main hydraulic cracks permeates the two flanks of the hole, forming the permeating water pressure. With an increase in drill water pressure and an extension of the main hydraulic cracks, the permeating water pressure on both sides of the main hydraulic cracks in the coal mass also increases. Hydraulic cracks tend to form connections through rock bridges. The extension of hydraulic wing cracks through connections in the rock bridges between the cracks transforms the rock mass to a fractured structure and improves its permeability. Hydraulic fracturing technology for improving permeability in underground conditions can increase the amount of gas drainage by a factor of 15. A stress relief area develops at a radial distance of 10-2.0 m from the hydraulic fracturing drill hole, while an area of rising stresses, called the pressurized area, develops a further 15 m away from the pressurized hole. Practice has proved the existence of the stress transfer phenomenon and the high stress area after fracturing. This kind of hydraulic fracturing technology is more effective in holes drilled from underground than in surface drill holes, with respect to costs and controllability, and is therefore the major trend in gas drainage development in coal mines.

Jan 1, 2012

By L. Lorig

"Two types of extreme event, earthquakes and rainfall, potentially affect open pit slope stability. In the case of earthquakes, there are rather well-developed analysis procedures and acceptability criteria. The analysis procedures relate mainly to selection of the dynamic loading either through design earthquakes and/or pseudo-static seismic coefficients. The acceptance criteria are typically expressed in terms of a minimum safety factor in pseudo-static analyses. The acceptance criteria are often promulgated by governments despite the fact that no open pit slope has ever been adversely affected by an earthquake. This paper explains why open pit slopes are seemingly more resistant to dynamic loads than natural landforms, which can experience catastrophic landslides.Extreme rainfall events are much more likely to cause open pit slope problems than earthquakes. Two types of problem are common – slope erosion and slope instability. Slope erosion is often mitigated by appropriate surface water controls. Slope instability due to elevated transient water pressures is more difficult to mitigate. Analysis procedures and acceptability criteria are rare. This paper will discuss the mechanisms for rainfall-induced slope instability, as well as analysis methods. Examples will be discussed and analysis methods are proposed. IntroductionTwo types of extreme event, earthquakes and rainfall, potentially affect open pit slope stability. In the case of earthquakes, there are rather well-developed analysis procedures and acceptability criteria. The analysis procedures relate mainly to selection of the dynamic loading either through design earthquakes and/or pseudo-static seismic coefficients. The acceptance criteria are typically expressed in terms of a minimum safety factor in pseudostatic analyses. The acceptance criteria are often promulgated by governments (e.g., Peru, Chile) despite the fact that no open pit slope has ever been adversely affected by an earthquake. This paper explains why open pit slopes are seemingly more resistant to dynamic loads than natural landforms, which can experience catastrophic landslides.Extreme rainfall events are much more likely to cause open pit slope problems when compared to earthquakes. Two types of problems are common – slope erosion and slope instability. Slope erosion is often mitigated by appropriate surface water controls. Slope instability due to elevated transient water pressures is more difficult to mitigate. Analysis procedures and acceptability criteria are rare, but do exist. In Peru, for example, slopes are required by law to be designed for a 100-year storm."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. M. Engelbrecht

Paper written on project work carried out in partial fulfilment of B Eng. (Chemical) Membrane processes are vital to a diverse range of technical and biological systems, which also feature in mineral processing applications such as the treatment of mine effluent and extraction of metals. In this study, the use of cellular automata to model a semi-permeable membrane that separates two compartments is considered. Cellular automata are simple models that enable the analyst to represent well-understood local effects, such as the chemical or steric interaction between molecules themselves and between molecules or particles and their environment, which can lead to very complex behaviour on a macroscopic scale. Various physical phenomena, including reverse osmosis, were simulated. Initial results for the effect of temperature, membrane structure and chemical properties of the solutes on the performance of the membrane appear promising. Keywords: cellular automata, dynamic modelling, filtration, membrane fouling, osmosis.

Jan 1, 2007

By Y. J. F. Haven, G. H. J. Kitson, D. G. Beadle

I have read this paper with considerable interest. By using an automatic instrument to assess the dust samples taken in South African collieries, the authors are ahead of the gold mining industry, which still uses the laborious method of microscopic assessment, with its limited accuracy, of the half-a-million dust samples taken each year. As the authors state, the result obtained from the photoelectric assessment of the samples is approximately proportional to the surface area of the respirable dust. However, modern theory is that, in assessing coal dust, it is the respirable mass which is important in determining the danger to health. Thus Table II of their paper is of considerable value in showing the relationship between the P.E.R. value and the mass concentration measurement. Unfortunately this table only gives the mean relationship. The important point is to know the scatter around this mean. If the scatter is small, then this mean value (for different operations) would have considerable value in converting from respirable surface area to respirable mass, but if the scatter is large, then such a conversion, using a fixed factor, will have little value. In the text the authors mention the range of values as being between 3 to 24, but without a statement on the number of samples used to determine this range and their distribution, this is a rather nebulous statement. I hope, in their reply, that the authors will give, in statistical terms, some statement on the overall correlation between these two parameters. I might add that at present a member of my staff is working on similar relationships for dust samples taken in gold mines. Another factor which may well be most important in determining the danger of dust levels in coal mines is the composition of the dust, specifically its quartz content. I understand that the authors have some information on this point, and to make their results of greater value in International comparisons of dust levels and the concomitant development of pneumoconiosis, it will be extremely useful if they could place this information on record. Even though, as I have said above, modern theory postulates that respirable mass is a better parameter to use than respirable surface area, the problem remains of how to measure this parameter with short time sampling, which, as the authors point out, is their preferred strategy for dust sampling and dust control. I know of no easily portable instrument, independent of external power supplies, which can, in 5 to 10 minutes, collect sufficient dust to enable it to be weighed accurately. Thus the authors' implied intention of continuing to sample by their present techniques and using their present parameter to report the results is, in my opinion, an entirely valid decision.

Jan 10, 1968

By I. J. Barker

This paper argues that the scale up of furnaces and the supply of electricity are going to be two major issues that will affect the ferro-alloy industry in the near future, and that economic factors will drive this development. The most common type of furnace for producing ferroalloys at present is the submerged-arc furnace with three electrodes, fed from a three-phase AC electrical supply. The scale up of this technology has now reached a fundamental constraint, which is caused by the electrical reactance of the secondary circuit. If the economy of any further scale up is to be achieved in the future then a different technology will have to be used. The supply of electrical power in future is likely to become amore complex issue than it is at present. Existing submerged-arc furnaces tend to run at fairly steady loads, but the ability to swing the load under demand-side management may offer advantages, and may allow a furnace to obtain cheaper power from the organizations that supply this power. This will have to be counterbalanced against the nuisance factors incurred by having a varying load in the operation of the furnace. Various options are therefore discussed in this paper. The possibility of scale up of Søderberg electrodes is discussed, as well as the use of DC power and multiple electrodes. Some of the issues with load swinging are also examined. A particular scenario is also briefly presented to show that considerable further scale up of ferro-alloy furnaces is still possible.

Jan 1, 2011

By P. J. D. Lloyd

This fascinating paper deserves study by all who are interested in the economics of gold production. The argument in the paper that price is determined by the balance between supply and demand may be thought to be obvious. However, correlation analysis presumes causality, and there is some evidence in the paper to suggest that causality is absent in this market.

Jan 1, 1984

By G. Y. Nisbet

The contribution made to the economy of South Africa by the-minerals industry is discussed according to four of its aspects. Firstly, the industry supports both students and lecturers in technical and academic institutions. This support covers virtually the whole range of courses available at the universities and technikons, although most is obviously devoted to the engineering and science faculties. Secondly, the industry makes a direct financial contribution to the State in that it contributes about40 per cent of the State's receipts from direct tax paid on incomes and 30 per cent of the contributions to the total State revenue. It provides employment for 28 per cent of the total active labour force, and contributes 24 per cent directly to the gross domestic product. Thirdly, the industry is responsible for over 65 per cent of the country's foreign earnings in spite of the significant rise in exports from the manufacturing sector. South African minerals are of crucial importance to the word, since the country has the world's largest reserves of seven minerals and features very prominently in many others. Finally, the industry makes an indirect contribution, referred to as the multiplier effect. This is the ripple effect on the economy made by a large injection of momey by which that money acquires an added effective value. A study made of the total production of the mining industry in 1978, for instance, showed this multiplier to havea value of 1,5. Thus, if this effect is included, the industry's contribution to the gross domestic product is 44,S per cent. Similarly, the industry is responsible for the creation of jobs both within itself and in other industries, which could amount to 100000 for the period 1981 to 1935.

Jan 1, 1981

By A. Bain

The use of plastics in the coal mining industry is making slow progress whereas these materials could make a greater contribution to safety, to a reduction of working costs and to the higher productivity of mine workers. Possibly the reluctance to experiment with the new material of our age is due to the low profit margin of coal mining. This note has been prepared to present a brief survey of what has been done in the last few years and to mention some of the investigations the author has made and is making in an attempt to develop more use of plastics in the industry. Some of the plastics used on the mines have taken their place in the industry in the same manner that they are used in everyday life while others have been introduced because there has been a need for them. New uses and applications are being developed and these are the ones that are most interesting. The plastic that is specially developed to give the maximum benefit and not the one that is a modification of some other everyday product is the next development in the field. Many manufacturers are keen to promote such investigation but are not aware of the problems the mines wish to solve and therefore it is only through management itself that this development can be carried out. This note deals with plastic material under three headings: (a) Plastic as the superior material, and briefly describes how plastic has replaced a few major items which are better when made from plastic. (b) Plastics of necessity, being a short summary of how plastics had to be introduced because of laws and conditions making it a necessity. (c) Development of new ideas, being briefly some of the ideas being developed overseas and some of the ideas being tried by the author. Plastic items in common use such as in housing, electric cables, laboratory equipment, awnings, nylon bearings, locomotive brake linings, etc. being well known are not discussed. PLASTIC AS THE SUPERIOR MATERIAL Plastic belting underground Following a fire in a belt road in England resulting in the deaths of many workers, and subsequently a fire accompanied by fatalities in a belt road in a mine in this country, a law was introduced which states that only flameproof belting is to be used underground. This ruling forced the mines to use P.V.A. belting as no other was available. This belting has non-inflammable characteristics that are superior to rubber. Due to the high tension on long-distance belts used today the need for stronger belting material called for something better than cotton and the answer to this was nylon. Nylon also has the ability to withstand dry-rot which reduces the life of a belt very quickly.

By L. A. Vermeulen

A simple argument shows that it is impossible for the flight of a rod in contact with a litter bar in a rotary mill to be initiated at that point on the upside of mill rotation when all the forces acting on the rod are in equilibrium. The argument was confirmed experimentally in a study showing that the lift of litter bars is a function of their height, that the rod velocity at the point of departure has a significant radial component, and that the subsequent flight of a rod is along a parabolic trajectory as predicted by elementary mechanics. A quantitative account of the observed effects, which is based on a dynamic theory of the sliding interaction between rods and litter bars, revealed interesting properties of the motions of rods down the surfaces of litter bars when the latter are in uniform circular motion during the rotation of a mill.

Jan 1, 1985

Prediction of the performance of explosives In bench mining by C. M. LOWNDS, B.Se. Hons (Rhodes), Ph.D (Cape) (Visitor) Some of the problems encountered in the calculation of the relative weight strength of explosives are discussed, and a realistic model of the behaviour of explosion products in a borehole is proposed. The heat flow from condensed to gaseous products is calculated as a function of time, and the relationship between the pressure and the volume of the product gases is found by a consideration of the compression of the rock between radial cracks. Work done on the burden is assumed to cease when the cracks first appear at the face. Reasonable values of burden and crack velocities are obtained from the model. Calculations of the relative weight strengths of aluminized mixtures of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil show that the increased density resulting from the addition of aluminium is the main advantage to be gained.

Jan 2, 1975

By K. Barlow, J. M. W. Mackenzie

Trochem (pty) Limited, which is jointly owned by Chemical Holdings Limited and Henkel Corporation of America, recently commissioned the first fatty amine plant to be built in Africa. The plant is capable of producing primary, secondary, and tertiary fatty amines with varying hydrocarbon-chain lengths. Process control Sponsored by the South African Institute of Measurement and Control, the Instrument Society of America is bringing a short course in process control to South Africa. This will be the first in a series of courses in instrumentation and process control.

Jan 1, 1982

By A. van den Berg

Mining of sand in South Africa is rapidly growing to sustain an increasing demand for sand for building purposes. Although mining of sand is regulated by environmental legislation, such as the National Environmental Management Act 107 of 19981, previous bad mining practices have left areas of land degraded and vulnerable to erosion. This study was conducted in the Seringveld Conservancy, where mining of sand has left the landscape with a degraded and unsightly appearance, and where little rehabilitation of the original vegetation has taken place. The aim of the study was to develop rehabilitation techniques for the degraded mined soils on two sand mines, Boekenhout Sand and Krokodil Sand, and to develop an overall strategy of revegetation by regenerating key plant species. Techniques for regenerating indigenous tree species cover, using modified mined sludge if topsoil is not available, were used to develop a practical and cost-effective strategy to be used in revegetation. A comparative trial was used to cultivate indigenous tree species in different soil mixtures. The study is important as it provides new information on the rehabilitation and revegetation of sand mined areas in the Seringveld Conservancy. This study will determine if alternatives could be used to replace topsoil on mined areas where none is available. The study is needed to determine whether revegetation of the mined areas would be possible using indigenous plant species that are difficult to grow. The overall results indicate that replacing topsoil was successful for various modified soil mixtures that could sustain the growth of indigenous vegetation on the sand mines. Different indigenous tree species require different modified soil mixtures for successful propagation. A revegetation strategy was developed to complement and enable the rehabilitation of the mined areas in the Seringveld Conservancy. Keywords Rehabilitation, revegetation, Seringveld, sand mines, Burkea africana, topsoil, germination trials.

Jan 1, 2011

By H. E. Cross

Metallurgical considerations in the automation of gold-recovery plants By H. E. CROSS. Pr. Eng., B.Sc. (Eng.) Hons. (Fellow) The advantages of the automation of gold-recovery plants are examined. The various sections of a gold-recovery plant are analysed, and the extent to which instrumentation can usefully be employed is described. INTRODUCTION The scope of this paper is restricted to the ore-treatment and recovery plants on Witwatersrand gold mines. To extend the field to plants that process base metals and industrial minerals would result in a paper that would be too lengthy. However, the subject matter of this paper is applicable to most mineraldressing and recovery plants and will, it is hoped, be a foundation on which to build somewhat more sophisticated control systems required in the base-metals field.

By J. N. Van der Merwe

The South African coal-mining industry uses a uniform safety-factor formula for non-squat pillars, incorporating a coal-strength constant that was derived empirically by Salamon and Munro in the 1960s. The constant is 7,2 MPa. Since that time, collapses of pillars at relatively high safety factors have occurred in the Vaal Basin. Analysis of the post-1960s' collapses indicated that the strength constant for the Vaal Basin is 4,5 MPa. A crude method for the prediction of the minimum life span of pillars in the Vaal Basin is presented.

Jan 1, 1993

By S. M. Graham, G. Mellis

"The determination of the oxidation state(s) of an element present in a solid sample may be required for a number of reasons, including the assessment of the degree of reduction which has taken place during a multi-step production of a metal. In addition, possible flaws in a metal may result from small amounts of oxides included in the solid. The analyte of interest may be present as a major component of a sample of interest, or as a minor impurity - beneficial or requiring removal - in another matrix.Numerous methods have been established for the analysis of species in solution samples - for example, Fe2+ and Fe3+ by titration, Cr6+ by colourimetric means, etc. With appropriate knowledge of the solution being analysed, many of these methods are fairly straightforward, extremely reproducible and accurate. In those instances where the analyte in a solution is known to be in only one form, the analysis is even more straightforward, since it can be achieved instrumentally (by AAS, rCP-OES or rCP-MS, for example).However, the situation with respect to the analysis of solids is not as simple. Various techniques - such as X-ray diffraction - are routinely used by our mineralogists to obtain information about the various minerals present in solid samples, and thus about the oxidation states of the analyte elements present. However, these techniques usually give results that are qualitative, or semi-quantitative at best. They are also usually time-consuming and expensive. One of our colleagues at Mintek, Deshenthree Chetty, has done extensive work in developing a method for the quantification of manganese species in solids using mineralogical methods, and this is no small achievement."

Jan 1, 2014

By T. Groenewald

Potential applications of thiourea In the processing of gold by T. GROENEWALD, Ph.D. (Rand), D.I.C. (Imperial College) (Visitor) The aqueous chemistry of gold(l) that has found practical application is mainly the chemistry of the anionic complexes involving ligands such as cyanide. sulphite, and the halides. The one potential exception is the cationic gold(I)-thiourea ion. While many laboratory studies have been made during the past decade. the application of thiourea in the processing of gold is only now reaching the development stage. While thiourea is relatively inexpensive. recent interest has probably been spurred mainly by the novel technology that could arise out of the cationic properties of the gold-thiourea ion. This review outlines the chemistry of gold and thiourea. and discusses the possible use of thiourea in the processing of gold with respect to dissolution. solvent extraction. ion exchange, electrowinning. electroplating. electroless deposition. electro-etching, and electropolishing.

Jan 6, 1977

COUNCIL The following served on Council during the year under review: Office bearers: Messrs V. C. Robinson (President), Prof D. D. Howat and Dr J. P. Hugo (Vice-Presidents), J. K. E. Douglas (Immediate Past President) and D. G. Maxwell (Honorary Treasurer). Ordinary Members of Council: Dr M. G. Atmore, Dr J. M. Bereza, H. P. Carlisle, W. W. Malan, C. E. Mavrocordatos, Prof R. P. Plewman, Dr R. E. Robinson, Dr M. D. G. Salamon, P. W. J. van Rensburg, L. W. P. van den Bosch, P. A. von Wielligh. Branch Chairmen: J. Meintjes, J. M. Meyer (Acting), J. N. Saunders (Retired). Past Presidents serving on Council: R. J. Adamson, M. Barcza, H. Britten, R. C. J. Goode, P. Lambooy, Prof J. de V. Lambrechts, Dr J. T. Mclntyre, J. F. Reid, H. Simon. Ten Council meetings were held during the year with an average attendance of eighteen and the standing committees held forty-six meetings. FINANCE The annual accounts, which are attached to this report, show an excess of income over expenditure of R5 051 compared with an excess of expenditure over income last year of R4 608. This major reversal of fortunes is due in the first instance, of course, to the increased subscriptions. There were, however, other important contributors, particularly sales of the Proceedings of the Symposium on Open Pit Mining and profits on the operation of symposia and colloquia. It would appear from a study of the accounts that there has been a substantial drop in expenditure on secretarial fees. In actual fact, however, our total expenditure on secretarial fees was higher. A portion of this expenditure was charged against the administration of the Symposium on Open Pit Mining and, in addition, the charge against the Journal accounts for secretarial fees was increased. It will be recalled that in last year's annual report it was mentioned that subsequent to the new arrangement for publication of the Journal, the expected improvement in the finances of the Journal had been slow in materialising. After a total period of 18 months there was still no sign of improvement and it was accordingly decided to end the arrangement. As a result, the drain on the finances of the Institute was considerably lessened in the second half of the year. During the course of the year Council became concerned about the rapid depletion of our accumulated funds and gave careful and detailed attention to all aspects of the Institute's financial affairs. Particular attention was given to: 1. The fact that the Institute does not have a solid financial backing and must appeal for funds every time any special event such as a symposium is held. 2. The responsibilities of the Institute to the profession and the community, with particular reference to the desirability of establishing Institute bursaries and participating in other educational activities. 3. The rapidly rising cost of living. 4. The immediate financial position of the Institute. 5. The rapidly increasing cost of publishing the Journal due to the increasing number of papers available. In the meantime the immediate financial position of the Institute has improved but as this is due largely to non-recurring or irregular items of revenue, it should not be given undue weight. After careful consideration it was decided that an appeal should be made to industry for financial assistance, which would be used to cover the cost of symposia and other unusual expenditure and also, if possible, to build up the capital resources of the Institute so that there is a solid foundation for the future. Before appealing to industry, Council wished to be quite certain that there could be no criticism of the Institute for not having done our best in a personal capacity. Furthermore, Council examined many comparative statistics, including those circulated to members, which showed that, while expenditure per member has risen at an average annual rate of 7,5% over the last fifteen years, subscription revenue per member has risen at only 3,4% per annum. It was with this background that your Council decided to raise the subscriptions. Initial approaches have been made to the big mining groups and there has been a very generous response, although the details of how financial assistance will be provided have not yet been worked out. It seems likely that some form of affiliated company membership will be the most suitable method of achieving this. When these details have been fixed, it is the intention to extend the appeal to all corners of the mining industry as well as manufacturing and metallurgical industries. It is believed that these measures will ensure that the finances of the Institute are placed on a firm foundation on which the expanding activities can be planned. The MacArthur Forrest Memorial Fund shows an excess of income over expenditure of R73 and the total fund was, therefore, increased by this amount to R4 411. The balance sheet shows that the market value of quoted shares and debentures increased during the year fron R6 540 to R9 160. The market value is now almost exactly the same as the book value. Accumulated funds now amount to R23 010 compared with R17 959 a year ago.

By A. A. Oakes, P. M. C. Wilson

This paper describes some aspects of the planning of a new colliery which commenced production in the Middleburg district in 1966. An account is given of some of the problems encountered in the early years of operation and of what was done to solve them. The conclusion is reached that design of plant and machinery should be flexible to permit multiplication of units.