Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1915-03-23
MINING CONDITIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

Following is a synopsis Of a discus
sion by George Otis Smith, director,
United States Geological Survey, be,
fore the New York Section of the
American Institute of Mining Engin,
GERS, New York, March 5, 1915:
For more than half a year We have
watched the adjustments and readjust,
ments of American industries to meet
new conditions. Six months ago the
United States Geological Survey sug.
gested by the publication of Bulletin
500, the extent to which Americas
mineral reserves could be drawn upon
to meet the emergency and indeed to
strengthen the position of the United
States as a world power in industry
and commerce. Today, as 2 nation, we
face an even greater crisis in our com
mercial relations, so that n discussion
of national independence is especially
onportune.
a d nation we began with q dec
lacatior of independence leading to an
experiment in statecraft-popular gov.
eminent on n large scale in a string of
colonial settlements connected only in
a crude way by post roads and coast.
wise sailing vessels. and perhaps even
more fee5ly united by bonds of com
mon race or creed. Yet that political
independence was the breath of life in
the new nation, and the ideal then set
up attracted the best human material
from all lands. Thus we may say was
developed Americas greatest resource
"a progressive %citizenry.
The other element necessary to
make American great is material re.
sources-the earth and the fullness
thereof. l do not discount the wealth
of our forests, which have contributed
so largely to Il foreign and domestic
trade since colonial days, nor do dis.
regard the bounty of our soil, which
enables us in these days of waste and
war to feed the peoples OF Europe as
well as ourselves, yet / believe the
4 "NdiNh vi INT ChllSu States
is in largest measure the foundation
of the marvellous growth of the last
few decades. Industrial America!-
think TO what degree the industries of
America are based on our ores and
mineral fuels, or figure, If you will,
the percentage of railroad tonnage
that originates at the mine.
Not only is our country q world
leader in the output of such essential
minerals as coal, petroleum, copper
zinc, iron, lead, phosphate-and in
three of these it exceeds all other
countries put together-but as far as
such things car be measured or esti-
mated we are blest in the possession
of the largest reserves of many OF the
more important of these minerals. no
other country can, in any sense, com
pare with the United States in the de-
gree { industrial independence afford.
ed by the possession of these mineral
to enable Us to win and maintain gu
prenaey as a manufacturing nation.
".Yet under this most favored ma.
ton clause the catalogue of our min
eral esources is not The complete list
Of minerals essential to modern civili-
cation; a few items are missing, others
are present apparently only in insult.
hcient quantities, and the quality or
locality Of the deposits of still other
minerals may be unfayorable to pres.
ont-day utilization. Thus II happens
that the nation Is not wholly independ,
ent in Its mineral industry, and no
problem better deserves the attention
OF the American mining engineers than