268	THE DIAMOND
	The prices are the average for the output of the mines, and cover a wide range of prices for the various quali­ties. They are also the prices paid to the mines by the Diamond Syndicate, as there was little selling inde­pendent of the Syndicate until 1908. Nor do these prices give a clear idea of the value of the mines as producers, because that depends largely on the yield per load and the cost of mining. Mr. G. A. Hay, presiding officer at a meeting of the Roberts-Victor Company early in 1907, gave the value of diamonds in the blue of vari­ous mines per 100 loads as follows:
	It will be noticed that the Jagersfontein, which pro­duces the finest diamonds of any, yields a money value per load of blue much less than the De Beers and Kim-berley, which give a much poorer grade of diamonds, and only about one-seventh of the new Roberts-\7ictor, which yields a large percentage and good quality both. It is doubtful, however, if this difference will long exist, as the average yield of the Roberts-Victor has fallen fast; nevertheless, like other new mines, it can be worked at much less cost than the older ones. This mine from