The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-01-24
MINING BUREAU
IS BIG NEED
PRESIDENT SO DECLARES IN
SUBMITTING REPORT Oh con-
SERVATIoN COMMISSION UPON
MINERAL. RESOURCES.

WASHINGTON. Jan 23.-The
president in his special message TO
congress today. transmitting the re-
mort of The National Conservation
Commission. had the following 10 say
under the head of minerals:
The accompanying report shows
that the consumption of nearly all of
our mineral products is increasing
more rapidly than our population
Our mineral waste is about one
sixth of our product. or nearly ST.
900. 600 for each working day in the
wear. The loss of structural ma
terials through fire is about another
million a day. The loss of life in the
mines i appalling. The larger part
Of these losses of life and property
can lie avoided.
Our mineral resources are limited
i'm quality and can not he Increased
or reproduced. With the rapid in
creasing rate of consumption the
supply will be exhausted while yet
the nation is in its infancy, unless
better methods are devised or sub
stitutes are found. Further investi-
cation Is urgently needed in order to
improve methods and 10 develop and
apply substitutes.
II Is OF utmost importance that "A
bureau of mines be established in
accordance with the pending bill To
reduce The loss of life In mines and
the waste of mineral resources and
to investigate the methods and sub
stitute for prolonging the duration
Of mineral supplies. Both the need
aud the public demand for such
bureau are rapidly becoming more
urgent. II should cooperate with the
states In supplying data TO serve as
base for state mine regulations.
The report of the commission fol-
lows:
The mineral production of the Uni
ted States for 1907 exceeded So
900, 900. 900. and contributed 65
per cent of the total freight traffic of
the country. The waste in the ex-
traction and treatment OF mineral
product during the same year was
equivalent To more than 1000. 900
tons of anthracite coal. 5000 900
barrels of petroleum. i5.000.000
tons of high grade and 100000
tons OF low grade iron ore. 900, 900
tons of phosphate rock. and $50, 00O.-
goo pounds of copper. The values of
other mineral products during the
same year included clay products,
$50. 900; natural gas. $4,000
000; gold. $40, 900. 900; silver. $37,-
1000. lead. $39 100000. and zinc.
500, 200. 900.
The available and easily accessible
supplies of coal in the United States
aggregate approximately loo. 00O,-
000, 5000 tons. At the present in
creasing rate of production this sup
ply will be so depleted as TO approach
exhaustion before the middle of the
next century.
The known supply of high grade
iron ores in the United States APP
proximates 3 ,S40,000 tons. which at
the present increasing rate of con
sumption can not be expected To last
beyond the middle of the present cen
fury. In addition to this. there are
assumed be be $4,000. 900, 900 tons
of lower grade iron which are not
available for use under existing con-
ditions.
The supply of stone. clay, cement.
lime. sand. and salt is ample while
the stock of the precious metals and
copper. lead. sulphur. asphalt. Crap
hite, quicksilver, mica, and the rare
metals can not be estimated, but is
clearly exhaustible within one or
thre centuries unless unexpected de-
posits be found
The known supply of petroleum is
estimated 5.000.O00.00 TO 10000
000, barrels. distributed through
six separate fields having an aggre-
gate area of $500 square miles. The
production is rapidly increasing.
white the wastes and the loss through