The Washington times., 1916-01-06
Plant viii Be Built At Perth
AmbOy, N. J., For Handling
South American Ore. 4
WILL COME FROM BOLIVIA
American Smelling Company
Notifies Department Of Com
merce Of Plans.

TIN refining industry is to be estab-
hshed IN the United States. Heretofore
all tin has been imported In a finished
state to be manufactured in this coun-
try. A tin smelter and refining plant
is being completed by the American
Smelling and Refining Company at
Perth Amboy, N j.. for the handling Of
Houth American ores. according to an
announcement today from the Depart
ment Of Commerce
All ARRANGEMENTS have hcen made for
the importation OF Bolivian tin ore The
venture is the first attempt TO establish
tho tin industry In this country
First word of the new industry was
received In a letter from William Loeb,
tr., Of the American Smelling and RE-
Inning Company to Secretary Redheld,
IN which 1t was stated that the new
plant for the smelling of tin ores and
concentrates and the electrolytiC rein-
ing ~ tin had practically been completed.
There were many difficulties in the way
Of establishment of the industry In this
country, he tod the Secretary, but
these have all been overcome.
Heretofore this country has imported
about 5000 tons of tin annually, and
ebo'lt 20 per cent of this came from the
straits Settlements, where an export
duty Is placed on ores to compel treat
ment In the Settlements.
Little Is Mined.
Although the United States is easily
the greatest user of tin. OILY a small
quantity is mined in this country. and
no smelling has been done here. Large
quantities are received indirectly by
MAY NAY OF England' ' ,BelEium: and Ger
- from the Straits Settlements and
come from the Bolivian mines, the con-
fGentTats fstter eorTtr ore being shipped from the
refining, In normal times the UnitSd
states imports. about $5O.GOO,OOO worth
OF TN. which Is somewhat more than
Q third OF the worlds production. Boz
livia produces about S25.OOO.OOO worth
annually.
The Bolivian tin. according to Mr..
Loeb's letter, contains impurities which,
with the established methods OF smelt-
Ing. do not produce a tin suitable FOR
tin plate. but the plant at Perth Amboy
proposes not only to smelt the impure
ores from Bolivia and other countries.
trolytic process. < recent analysis Of
this electrolytic tin by experienced
chemists showed It to run 1898 per cent
pure, while the base metal from which
cent. For the manufacture CT i'm plate
this tin 10 pronounced as good as the
best Straits tin.
I'm addition to building the plant and
ores" writes Mr.. Loeb. we are H.
nancing the miners by making liberal
advances Immediately on shipments
from South America. We hope event
ually to be able to extend our present
plant and increase the business con-
slderably. In the initial steps Of our
negotiations to secure these tin ores.
we were greatly helped by the co-opera-
tion OF the chief of your Bureau of For
eiRn and Domestic Commerce, the COM
mercial attache of the department In
South America, and by the State De-
partment"
There were many obsta cles in the way
of importing tin ore from Bolivia. some
Of which have been removed through
the assistance of the State Department
and some by the assistance of the De-
partment of Commerce. The whole
Loeb called at the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce and outlined the
Importance of establishing a tin-smelt.
ing industry in this country and the
difficulties in the way of getting tin
from Bolivia regularly and in the re.
~ got in touch with its commercial at.
tache at Lima, Peru, who thereupon
went to Bolivia and started negotiations
with the Bolivian government through
the United States minister. Through these
negotiations many misconceptions or
the part of the miners were removed
and most OF the troublesome points that
had prevented the drawing up OF mu-
tually satisfactory contracts were
smoothed out.
Assurances From Bolivia.
In the meantime 'the Secretary OF
Commerce had addressed letter 70 the
State Department suggesting that the
matter of Bolivian export duties bt