The Washington herald., 1919-05-07
AMERICAN TIN
MINE BIC NEED
British Control of Worlds S
Deposit Hampers U. S.
Industry.

Some twenty years ago a group of
New York men. who were politicians
by profession and had ventured into
the mining business as a side voca-
ton. were persuaded that they had
become the owners of mining prop
erty in the Far West which promised
10 yield large gains. and in fact would
make each one of them rich. They
were told by experts that mines con-
= taining tin had been discovered in
the Northwest. and as there were no
other mines of that character in the
United States they would come into
possession of a monopoly II they Sc
cured title. They did buy the prop
erty but were doomed to disappoint-
ment- There was enough tin in the
mines to justify the hope that the prop
critics would be profitably exploited.
However it was soon discovered that
the mines could not be worked to
commercial advantage, for the tin
which they contained was small in
amount.
At that time there was no hint
p that Alaska might be found to pos
sess rich tin deposits. Not yet have
deposits of that kind been discover
ed in Alaska or if prospectors have
ed But if it should happen some
day that Alaska is found to be
yielding tin in as large measure as
the territory yields copper then it
will be possible to assert that the
only important mineral which there
tofore the United States did not pro-
duce. namely tin. was at last dis ,
covered in commercial quantities in
Alaska
Tin Important Metal
Tin has always been regarded as
the humbIest of metals yet those
who are of expert authority say that
II ranks next to iron and copper in
Importance to the world industries.
How great is the worlds Consump-
tion Of tin and the alloys with which
il is associated was made clear after
the so-caIled Mckinley tariff bill be-
came a law. In that bill tin plate
was granted protection.
: Before the bill was enacted almost
all of the tin plate made use of in
American industry was imported from
England. The protective tariff speed
lily caused a development of the tin
plate industry in the United States
until at last in the capital invested
ucts it ranked very high. After
awhile instead of importing tin plate
the American manufacturers were
able to export more and more OF it
The American manufacture Of tin
plate made possible the great devel-
oGment of the canning industry. But
IL England lost the greater part of
her trade with the United States rep
resented by tin plate. nevertheless
that country controls the tin produc-
ton of the world. 1t has held that
control with masterful grasp. The
United States has been until recently
entirely dependent upon England for
the supply of pig tin. Our importers
were compelled to bend the knee to
Great Britain. asking for favors
which sometimes were granted and
sometimes refused. Even the BOliv-
ian tin was controlled by Great Brit
ain and a considerable part of the
revenue received by the Bolivian gov
ernment came from the exporting of
tin to the English smelling plants.
War Opened Bolivian Field.
The European war changed the re-
Iation of EoIiviSn tin to American in
dustriaI interests. II was impossible
for a long time to export much. II
any. tin orc from Bolivia to Great
Britain. Therefore American capital
began to establish smelters and to
import Bolivian tin. The result has
been sfactory. and the chances are
that the time is not distant when
much of the Bolivian tin (the tin re-
sources of that country, if fully de-
veloped, being equal to those of the
Straits Settlement which England
controls), will be exported to the
United States
The government stood in great need
of tin while the war was in progress. !
and the War Industries Mission began
negotiations with the British govern
ment authorities in the hope that an
international agreement a could be !
reached so that the world supplies |
of tin would be controlled and dis |
tributed to the allied nations in such |
manner as to secure adequate sup
plies OF this commodity for use in |
the war industries.
International ALLEGATION.
Agreement was reached between |
he United States. Great Britain,
France and Italy whereby the
worlds supplies of tin were aIIocat-
ID to each Of the countries in ac-
-ordance with the necessities of /
Zach one.
The War Industries Board being
aware that there was need of large |
financing in the United States so |
hat the tin furnished for consum-
srs in the United States could be
paid for. arranged with the United |
states Steel Products Company to
perform this function. 1t was ve-y
gratifying to tin consumers in the
United States, for it gave confidence
n
upplies of tin could be obtained at
1 lower cost than that paid by any
rtheT consuming market.
Now that the war is ended and
he government is no longer in need