The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-08-15

cially a relatively young metal? The
ancients did not know 1t at all. The
Chinese had it. probably in only a
small way. several hundred years
ago, but the production In Belgium
was not begun until 1907. Then for
many years the industry was only a
trifling and struggling affair There
was no broad market for the metal.
The people did not know what to do
with 1t. 1t was not until Dominique
Mosselman. a man Of vast energy, en-
tered the business in 1918, just 100
years ago, and devoted himself to es-
tablishing a market for zinc by edu-
eating the people in it's uses, that the
industry could be said to have its
commercial birth, and even at his
death. in 1887, it could scarcely be
said to exist in the west of Europe
fore confronted now with the same
problem as Mosselman and his sue
cessor-the Vieille Montague company
viz, the creation of new uses for
the metal
The promotion Of the use of zinc, is
in my mind, the main thing for an
American Zinc Institute to consider
do not want you to be under any il
fusion that great accomplishments
are to be expected overnight 1t is. on
the contrary, an enterprise that
should be entered upon only with pa
thence and broad perspective and not
too rosy expectations that 1t will make
you everlasting fortunes. 1t may, it
probably viii, be slow in showing re-
suits. The results may be obscured
Iby offsetting adverslties. The results
try from passing into a worse state
than it is in now. About the only
test Of results will be what is shown
lby the statistics of production and
consumption, and even they will not
, be infallible induces. 1t is going to re-
quire lot OF hard work. lot of time
and a lot of money, but nevertheless
: 1t Is going to be a good thing to do.
AS TO the time and money that ought
to be contemplated, I shall revert sub
sequently.
But while this proposed promotion
is being instituted and Is going on, ]
can think of some other things that
may beneficially be undertaken, some
Of which will have earlier results, and
not by any means results that will be
only small. One of these is better sta
tistical service.
Now, the zinc industry has not
been destitute in the past of knowl
edge of what has been going on with
In itself, as revealed by statistics. on
the contrary, I think that this indus
try, thanks to the cooperation Of all
the producers and their appreciation
Of the benefits accruing, has been
rather better served in this respect
than other metal Industries have. But
even at the best, our statistical reports
are only imperfect pictures and they
are capable of great improvement, to
the great advantage Of everybody in
mining and manufacturing, in buy
ing and selling.
We have been hearing recently
lot Of talk of how the Germans cap
tured the metal business of the world;
Of how the British and lately our
selves have broken their hold by the
seizure of their concerns. There has
been a. lot of buncombe in this. The
Germans may have captured the met
al business of the continent but Of
the world they never did. Such a
charge is too absurd to talk about. Yet
it is true that over long period of
years the Germans have bought Am
erican copper more cheaply than have
our domestic consumers 1t is true
that previous to the war on those oc-
casions when we have had surplus
of speter and have had to export il,
| the sales could Orly be made at a