36 



settled on a commercial scale, and the smelting of iron established in 



the district. 



The apatite ia the raw state is largely shipped to Eurape, but the 

 home demand for the superphosphate of lime for fertilizing purposes 

 can be sup])lied from the works of the Brockville Chemical and Super- 

 phosphate Co. The pyrites used b} this company for the last few 

 years, for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, have been imported from 

 New York State, but ores from the County of Hastings have been in- 

 troduced to them, and the supply in future will be procured from local 

 ores. The extended mining of the pyrites ore of the district is a ques- 

 tion of much importance to the City of Ottawa, with its cheap water- 

 power for dressing ores, and grinding apatite. The sulphur is used for 

 treating the apatite in the form of sulphuric acid, and it would, if all 

 we exported was shipped as superphosphate of lime, form an important 

 industry. The residue of the ]iyrite.s ore can be most successfully 

 treated after roasting, along with the lead ores, which we also have, 

 and the coppei-, gold and silver extracted. Our lead ores are too poor 

 in silver (about 5oz. or $5 per ton silver) to pay to work for silver and 

 lead alone, but when smelted along with tlie residue of the sulphur ores, 

 holding copper, gold and silver, the question of working both is 

 settled. 



The more extended production of gold also requires attention. No 

 man has ever possessed too much of it. and no country has produced 

 too much. Its value increases with the cost of getting it, and the 

 want of it. It is oir highest standard of money and exchange, and is 

 therefore, when found in workable quantities, the best investment for 

 surplus labor and capital. The discovery of gold in California and 

 Australia produced periods of great world-wide prosperity. All classes 

 and conditions of men were drawn to a new occupation and country by 

 the high wages earned in the mines. A laborer who had been working 

 for a farmer or a tradesman, for $1.00 or $1.50 a day, could wash out 

 gold to the value of $10 or $20 a day. Can a wise adjustment of our 

 mining laws be made to have this effect, if only on a much smaller 

 scft^e, by granting free-grant miniqg claims in districts were gold is 

 known to exist? 



In iron alono, had such measures been adopted, there would to-day 



