The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-08-31
Gold ExDortation


 The Delegates office has been deluged with questions from Alaska about the new Treasury regulations regarding the exportation of gold
 Last week the Treasury an- nounced that unsmelted ore, con- centrates, precipitates and unre- torted amalgams might be ex- ported. eJf t.t
 It was said in this column last week that no definitions of those terms has been made, and it was very difficult to tell just how far the new ruling goes. That state ment still holds good
 No exact information is obtain able from the Treasury. It has been hinted here that the courts may possibly be called upon to establish definitions.
 It may be said that several of the larger mining companies have asked the Treasury to make the situation clearer Those companies, with representative in direct con- tact with Washington officialdom, arc apparently in the dark no less than the isolated Alaska miner.
 If definitions commonly employed in the mining industry were used, it would seem that about the only gold not exportable would be that obtained from smelling processes. However, the question is whether such definitions are to be made.
 -.-.. Secure World Price
 It was learned today that the Canadian Cabinet can be expected to issue an order within the next day or so allowing importation of gold ores, etc, mined in the United States, which means American min CTS will be able to obtain the going world price for their products. Of course if that ruling is made Am erican producers can ship ore to Canada for smelling. That would seem to be discriminatory against American smelters and subject to correction.
 As the situation now stands, it would appear that a dredge op- orator who puts the mercury, sand and gold through retorting pro- cess to refine the gold to a more or less pure state could not then export 1t because it would be a retorted amalgam as
 But the individual or company operating a quartz mine where the ore was free milling could ship l out the concentrates for export without question. W sas
 That, again, would seem to be unjust discrimination.
 In view of that this question was put to responsible Treasury official on behalf of the Delegate Would not the word concentrates be applicable to sand, quicksilver and gold, or sand and gold, .ob- tained as a result of placer opera tion fully as much as to concen- trates derived from processing free milling ore?
 The official declined to commit himself officially, but he did say he saw no reason why the above Construction should not be good.
 Placer Shipments
 If that interpretation is follow ed, then, the placer operator could place himself in the highly favor able position of exporter merely by shipping the clean-up as taken from the boxes without separating the gold from the sand or quick silver.
 Because of the present uncertain ty, 1t is advised, if some clarifica- tion is not made within a short time, that Alaska miners apply to the Collector of Customs for exact rulings. In that event the Treas ury Department would probably have to make exact definitions, something which it appears loath to do now. Its present attitude is taken, not because it wishes to raise uncertainties, but because it wishes to test each step carefully and view each operation with the idea of the good of the entire