The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-08-25

We nave great stores OF manganese
in this country which have been largely
untouched because it is somewhat in
ferior in quality. To bring this home
supply into use means merely adop-
ton of methods for its publication,
which are known and can be success
FULLY used, and then we can continue
making manganese steel without re-
gard to foreign wars or sources of ma
terial. There are other international
contributions, though, in the steel in
dustry. We have depended largely
upon the island Of Ceylon for the
graphite used In the manufacture of
the crucibles in which crucible steel
for edge tools and small firearms is
made. Or to take another metal,
European shelters, using in part Chi
nese and Mexican ores, have in late
years furnished much of the worlds
supply of anthony, which is used In
the manufacture OF type metal, and
also incidentally War has paralyzed
the production of anthony in England
Cat Newcastle), and prices have gone
up. Anthony, however. is easily ex-
tracted from many low grade ores
which we have in great quantities in
at least seven states, and there is no
reason why we should not make this
extraction and be independent of other
countries both as to,supply and prices.
Similar conditions hold In the case Of
arsenic
"A large tonnage of ferromanganese
alloys comes from Germany and Eng
land. 1t is only in the last ten years
that we have freed ourselves from
Sicily's monopolistic control of the
sulphur supply. Flint pebbles are COM
mon and the supply large enough in
the United States, but for such an ap-
parently unimportant product as this,
used in the fine grinding of cement
and ores, we have been depending upon
the chalk cliffs of England, Denmark
and France. Ores and mineral freight
depend almost wholly upon the tramp
steamer, carrier of foreign parent
age. Now the tramp steamer has taken
to cover, and all kinds Of ocean
freight, especially low grade freight,
will be held up and it's carriage al
most entirely suspended during the
war"
interruption for Industries.
''Will this suspension mean disaster
to our INDUSTRIES
Not disaster, but Inevitable inter
ruption to some extent" replied Mr..
Lane. sIt means that suddenly ma
terials upon which great industries de-
pend must be obtained from other
sources. Importers, consumers and
manufacturers are making anxious in
quiries as to where they may find in
the United States supplies of crude
materials to replace the foreign sup
plies now shut off. This is the oppor-
tunity of the United States to free it
self from dependence of its industries
upon other countries, and business men
are awakening to this fact They look
to the government for aid In finding
new sources of material with which
to keep the factories open and in op-
GRAFTON. When they have found the
domestic supply and begin its use,
they will not return to dependence
upon the foreign supply, and there
after good or bad times In the United
States, SO far as the maintenance OF
industries is concerned, will be more
independent OF foreign complications.
What is the government doing to
aid industry in these matters?"
''All it can do under present laws,
| replied the secretary. The nation
| greatest natural resources are part
of the public domain, and under the
| charge of the interior department The
annual reports on the mineral re
sources of the United States, published
| by the United States geological sur
vey for the last 80 years, contain not
| only statistics of yearly production
of all commercial minerals, but also
useful facts regarding the occurrence
exploitation and application in the arts
| and sciences of the mineral wealth Of
the country The geological survey haf
| been instructed to furnish upon re
| quest the addresses of producers from
whom buyers can supply their wants
| if the mineral is produced at all II
this country or information regarding
| the localities where reported deposits
are undeveloped. In some instances
| large deposits remain undeveloped sim
| ply because Of the fact that distance
from market has given to the foreign
sources of raw material with the low
| err ocean freights an advantage over
| domestic producers shipping by rail.