The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-14
.SOUTH'S MINERAL
 WEALTH IS GREAT Potential Energy Is Immense
 and Is UndeveIoped WEALTH MUST BE UTILIZED pr. c. Willard Hayes Speaks of the Geological Distribution of Minerals
 and the Economic Handling
 of the Vast Properties.
WEALTH MUST BE UTILIZED

Washington, December 13.-(Sp ecialO Following is the abstract of a paper by Dr. c. W. Hayes. chief geologist, i the Southern Commercial congress at Washington:
 In the mineral wealth of the south ern states lies great potential energy and the south is rapidly awakening to l the fact, but throughout most of its 1 broad domain only the initial stage of 1 development is being sought. Mining activity, with the production of raw material and its shipment abroad or to i other parts of the country brings in i immediate riches; but mineral wealth 1 is exhaustable and it is only through the home utilization of such wealth that the greatest prosperity can be att i tained.
 1 In an address before the Southern Commercial congress in Washington, December 8, Dr. c. Willard Hayes, chief geologist of the United States geological survey. gave some striking illustrations of the manner in which the south in It's present mining activity and shipment of ores is in a large measure selling it's birthright for what is little more than mess of pottage
 Geologic Structure.
 The geology of the southern states, said Dr. Hayes, constitutes a wide diversity in character of the rocks and geologic structure and a correspond ingly great variety of economic min erals. Nor are the minerals distributed at random, but in accordance with well recognized principles of geologic asso- citation and genesis. Each kind of min- eral deposit is found only in certain associations and need not be sought elsewhere. In the determination of such basic facts, of importance alike to the prospector and the operator lies the value of systematic geologic study and investigation.
 Thirty-four different minerals of economic importance are produced in the south in commercial quantities and of several of these the southern states produce the total supply, in- cluding aluminium ore, sulphur, phos-
 
 and manganese, and more than one third of the total production of na- tural gas, petroleum, fuospar. pyrite. barytes, asphalt, mica, tale and soap stone. While the deposits of these minerals are very large they are not inexhaustible and in many instances are mined and mark eted under excess cfx- efn nfr,I hA1s N4,p tc examples of inexcusable if not crimi- nal waste in the development of cer- tain valuable deposits, such as natural gas, phosphate rock, and bauxites could be cited; but they are due large ly to absence of local industries for proper utilization of the raw materials.
 National Production.
 As a people, we are prone to speak with pride of our huge figures of na- tional production. The development of great transportation systems and un- restricted markets throughout the United States have resulted in the building up of wonderful internal and interstate commerce; yet the really far-sighted policy is that under which each locality fully utilizes its own mineral resources. For instance, the south mines 3,50o,000 tons of iron ore, or 1-14 of the total for the United States, and 9s ,000, 900 900 tons of coal, or 1-5 of the total coal mined and locally utilizing these two natural products, her furnaces produce 2,500,- 900 tons of pig iron, or 1-10 of the whole, and valued at $53, 900, 900. But there are other instances where the production and shipment of the crude mineral are the only advantages en- joyed by the region of production, and indeed the majority of the souths min erals are mined and shipped to dis tant points. striking case in point Is seen in the production of mineral bauxite, which is the ore of aluminium and which is produced only in the south. One ton of this ore, having a value at the mines of s4 yields metal worth at least SITS, and the bulk of the raw material Is shipped to distant points. This increment in value of over 4000 per cent benefits the locality at which the metal Is produced and not that from which the ore Is obtained.
 Economic Waste.
 Serious economic waste, not only from a local but a national standpoint is involved in this development of mineral deposits when the raw ma terial is shipped to a distant market. The freight is very likely to equal the value of the average run of the product at the mine, hence, only the highest grade of the product can be shipped. This involves the loss of the lower grade material which is thrown into the dump or left where 1t can be recovered with difficulty if at all.
 Mineral deposits are potentially rather actually valuable and their full value is secured only insofar as they form the basis for local industries. Natural conditions in the south are most favorable for the building up of many industries based upon mineral deposits, particularly chemical indus tries. by which cheap raw materials are converted into high grade products, the entire return from production and manufacture thus remaining in the locality and contributing to it's enrich ment and prosperity. Until these in- dustries are established at the point of production of the minerals on which they are based the south must con tlnue to be exploited and Impoverished for the benefits of other parts of the country or worse yet. of foreign coun- tries.
 Will you go to Atlanta; will