The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-30
SCOT SEEKS TO GUST
US. CYANIDE FIRMS
Trade War In Canada Is
Possibility of the Near
Future. Il
Special Correspondence to the corod,s

Special Correspondence to the C1nddte1
Section Of THE SUN.
CoBALT, Ont. Sept 29.-A cyanide var
is pending in Canada between British
and United States manufacturers The
outcome will depend in a large measure
on the decision as to whether high grade
or low grade cyanide is best for mining.
For the most part In the past the
mines OF northern Ontario have had to
get along with low grade cyanide manu-
featured in the United States and also
by the American Cyanimid Company rt
Niagara Falls At times certain amounts
of high grade has been procurable from
Scotland. This, however. was almost
impossible to be had during the war,
when the Cassel Cyanide Company de-
voted Its full attention to the great
struggle.
1t is the Cassel Company that now
threatens to bring about the war It's
managing director, Mr.. McNeill has lust
returned to Scotland after a tour of the
Dominion, and he has sent word back
to w. f. Simpson, the company's ensi-
neer with Offices on Broadway, New
York;. that as result Of his recon-
| mendations his firm will locate large
cyanide.
Up to the present time the cyanide
manufactured in Canada has been con-
siderably below that of the United States
and was used chiefly for fumigation and
as fertilizer.
However the American plants are
making a strong bid to cinch the trade of
| the Canadian mines, and of late quite a
| controversy has waged on the feasibility
nj ttctfa he lou ID ID, ,s,,t,, ~,
| erations. owing to the large amount of
| impurities 1t contains. The leaders in
| this industry in the United States put
| forth the claim that the impurities are
! really beneficial. and that the only differ
| ence in using the low grade is that a
| larger amount Is necessary. The ,ex-
pense of the low grade, they declare,
4 even after using the larger quantity, Is
| lower than the cost of the high grade
cyanide necessary to get corresponding
| results
| The experience of most miners, how
| ever, is that the high grade gives the
| best results and an indication OF this is
| that the high grade gets the preference
when it is procurable. However, TO
bring this phase of the question to a
head the Haileybury Mining School is
making a careful test of the Scottish
product, in comparison with the Ameri-,
conditions similar to those existing at
the mines.
| Mr.. Mcneil OF the Scottish company
writes that he has not decided on the
location OF the Canadian plant as vet.
He says a subsidiary company viii be
formed so as to take advantage OF the
! splendid opportunity that exists for the
industry in Canada. He expresses the
opinion that the new company will bring
touch with the Canadian mining inter
ests. with a view to general metallur-
gical and allied industrial development.
Three famous members OF the Glss-
gov directorate will be on the Canadian
board. Each Is a specialist in the -As,-
ton OF the organization to which he has
given a lifelong study.
4 Sir George Beiby. who twenty-seven
years ago invented the cyanide process,
will be one. During the war he devoted
his whole attention to developing meth
DDS of extracting oil from coal to render
the British navy less dependent on other
countries for the fuellng of oil burning
high speed naval vessels He has de-
voted much OF his spare time to a study
OF radium, and is especially Interested
In metallurgical extraction and its appii-
cation to the treatment of diseases lie
is president OF the British Radium in
stitute.
Sir Edward A. Brotherton, another d.
rector. Is a chemical manufacturer. own
ing several acid plants in England
A unique feature in the operation of
the Cassel company. as regards gold and
! silver mining. has been the acquiring OF
interests in properties OF potential merit
and OF helping mines which may be aln-
able to reach the profit earning basis
for no other reason than that OF lacking
} a treatment plant This work has fallen
to the lot Of Mr.. Simpson, the company
New York engineer, and for the past
seven years he has been attending to
this phase OF the work, examining prop
srties and installing plants.