The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-04-03
ROBERTS ON GOLD PRODUCTION


both countries.
ROBERTS ON GOLD PRODUCTION.
We note the position taken by Mr.,
George F.. Roberts, Director of the U,
S. Mint. with respect to the gold pro.
duction and the improbability of an in
crease in that production, as printed in
The Tribune yesterday morning. The
first report of Mr.. Roberts s taking the
position that any material increase IN
the production Of gold is improbable,
was received with some incredulity, In
asmuch as reports of that kind have
been made from time to time for the
last forty or fifty years. and promptly
upset. In fact, every time that there
is rich increase in gold production
from a new discovery, this IS ac-
companied by a prediction that there
is not likely ever again to be any great
gold discovery. A special example OF
this sort of prediction was in the case
of the great European scientist who had
the misfortune to utter the prediction
that the sources of new gold had been
practically exhausted, and Immediately
following that prediction, the great
gold reef Of the Witwatersrand in South
Africa was found And the produc-
tion of gold throughout The world IN
the last ten years has increased so
enormously as to give the laugh to all
predictions Of exhaustion Of the gold
supply.
We do not see any reason to give
greater weight to Mr.. Roberts's pre-
diction than to other predictions of the
like sort that have gone before. and
that have been so signally overturned,
The fact is that there are immense
areas of the world that are yet unex-
plored, so far as prospecting for cold
ls concerned Undoubtedly the great
Himalayan range Of mountains will be
found to be immensely productive IN
gold when their northern slopes are
fully prospected. Siberia is known to
be rich in gold, but the production there
has been small heretofore, because OF
the remoteness OF the gold fields and
because of the restrictions of the Rus
sian government, which looks to the
control of that production by the gov
ernment Of Russia, Just as the produc"
tion of the Ural range has always been
la government monopoly. The great
mountainous hinterland Of China IS
probably rich in gold There is also
large region in Africa along the Aam-
besi river (where old gold workings
are known) and to the northward be-
yond Rhodesia that is understood to
afford fair prospecting ground for gold,
and there is no reason to doubt but that
considerable gold discoveries will be
made in that region. There is also
the vast region in South America from
Venezuela to Argentina along the east
slope Of the Andes and along the con-
Meeting ranges Of mountains, many OF
them undoubtedly rich in gold. The gold
placers of that region have been worked
to sufficient extent to establish the
practical certainty Of immense gold
lodges somewhere in those mountains.
We do not believe, either, that the gold
fields of North America have been ex.
hausted. There are yet many gold
mines to be discovered, some Of which
have been discovered years ago and
have been lost. These will be discovered
again. There is a great region also
between the northern boundary of the
United States and the known gold
fields of Alaska which has been prac'
tically unexplored so far as close
prospecting for gold is concerned. That
is a region Of more than a thousand
miles in length with a width of two
hundred to FIVE hundred miles, where
the indications for gold are found
scattered broadcast, and undoubtedly
great gold finds will be made there some
day. We do not forget either, that
there is a recent report of An Immense
gold ledge found on the south Of the
Himalayas in upper India, and that the
mountains of Mexico are not half
|prospected nor that rich finds In the
United States are yet possible.
The upsbot of it all is, that we do
not attach the slightest importance to
pessimistc forecasts such as this from
Mr.. Roberts. which indicates the ex-
haustion of the gold fields Of the world
and prospective gold famine. On the
contrary, we believe that the gold finds
Of the future will equal the gold finds
of the past, and may, perhaps, exceed
them; and that as long as the gold
production continues, as it does con
tinue, on the upgrade, there is no
cause for uneasiness.