Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-11-27

1919 inclusive, according to the United States Geological survey, attained the grand total of $5S,555 ,094,000.
 Of this huge sum $23,5l6,O47 ,OO0 was metallic product; 34,95S, ,923,0 ,000 non-metallic and $SO,124,OOO is listed as unspecified. The increase in both metallic and non-metalic mineral pro- ducts since 1880 has been of an amaz- ing character, the metallic production in 1880 being S1S7 ,SS0,SS9, the non metallic $173,5S1, ,917, unspecified $6,- 00O,000 or a total $367,462, ,797, that rapidly rose year by year until the high peak of production was attained in 1918 with production of $2,152,019,- 900 metallic, $3,379, ,OSO,OOO on-metal- lie and $6,7OO,OOO unspecified or tot al of $5,53S, ,699,OOO.
 Statistics for 1919 reflect the reac- tion from intensive production for war purposes and the unsettled state of industry in general, the total value of all mineral products for the year a. mounting to about $4,653, 100000, a decrease of 16 per cent but it is esti-. mated that the value of mineral fuels and other non-metallic products de- creased only 3 per cent. This small decrease for non-metals was due to higher prices in 1919, instead of strictly to maintenance of the high quantity output of the previous year.
 Of striking importance in the de- crease of production in recent years has been the falling off in the output of gold and silver, due to curtailment of operations because of the increased cost of labor and mining and milling supplies. From the high mark of $101 ,035, 700 in gold production in the United States in 1915, the output fell to $5S,4SS,S00 in 1919, and prelimin- ary estimates place it at about $50,- 000,000 for 1920.
 The output of silver in 1915 was 74,- 961 ,075 ounces and it fell to 55,2S5,- 196 ounces in 1919, and the production Aoi IoNo iS cotiiHdleu dI dDoul OA,UOO,- 900 ounces.
 Gold has of course, remained at fixed value of $20,67 per ounce, while operating costs have practically doubled, and this has resulted in the closing down of at least 50 per cent of the gold mining operations in the United States since 1915.
 Silver producers have been some- what benefited and assisted in meet ing the higher costs of operation by an increase in the price of metal from an average of $0.507 per ounce in 1915 to an average of SLIP per ounce in 1919 and about the same in 1920. Due to immense Oriental demand at that time, the price of silver reached a high mark of $L3S12 for a couple of days last November, and then de- clined steadily until it went below 90 cents per ounce last June, when pro- visions of the Pittman Act for pur- chase of 207,0OO,OOO ounces of silver at $1 per ounce was brought into ac- tion and the price of American pro duced silver restored to $1.
 Shortage Critical
 The result of this decrease in pro- duction is steadily growing and even menacing shortage of the worlds sup ply of these metals, which, it is be- lieved, will force some kind of remed ial legislation to insure increased pro- duction in the future. In the case of gold, this may possibly be accom- plished by providing for a bonus of the new American produced gold pur- chased for use in the arts, as pro- vided in the so-called "McFadden" bill introduced several months ago in congress, which will stimulate the mining of gold and not disturb the present monetary system.
 The outcome of the silver situation is problematical, but it is believed that the law of supply and demand will eventually adjust it at higher price, or the decrease in the supply of both gold and silver as q sound InoItN DdSlS dlll lol III eiS Si eo may result in the remonetization of sil yer at the same ratio as prevailed prior to 1873, or $1.291s per ounce.
 U. s. Gold Output.
 Official estimates of the produc- tion of gold in the United States from 1792 to 1S47 places it at 1,1S7,170 troy ounces, valued at 24,573,OOO; from 1S4S to 1872, 58,279,77S ounces, valued at $1,2O4 ,75O,O 1S73-1919, 135,96O,- 756 ounces, valued $2,S10, 0,56O, 400, or a total of 195, ,427, ,7O4 troy ounces of a total value of $4,O39, 9,S43, 400.
 The production of silver in the United States is estimated at: l792- 1S47, 3O9,500 troy ounces, valued at S4O4 800 1S4S-1S72, 119,56S, 200 ounces valued at $157,749, 300; 1S731919, g. 883, 755, 5,O74 ounces, valued at $1,S65,- 81O,S41, or total value of $2,O23,- 5,241.
 The worlds production of gold has decreased from total of $460, ,49H H204 for 1913, to $3S0, 1924, 800 for 1918. The worlds production of silver for