FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 41 



purposes. The last week of the year was utilized in consultation 

 work at Baguio in connection with the Northern Luzon Fair. 



Mining legislation. — The past year has been marked by much 

 interest in legislation concerning mining. The tax placed on 

 the gross output of mines has not affected the mining industry 

 as much as was anticipated by those interested in mines. No 

 company was forced to stop operation because of its applica- 

 tion. The Bureau of Science has furnished information during 

 the year on the wharfage tax. There can be no doubt that this 

 tax holds back mineral exportation, and it remains for the Legisla- 

 ture to decide whether the mineral resources of the Islands 

 should be developed or should be conserved. The division of 

 mines of the Bureau of Science is in a better position to know 

 the needs of the mining people, the mineral possibility of the 

 Philippine Islands, and the defects and needed changes in the 

 mining laws than any other department of the Government, and 

 any proposed changes or new laws should be referred to the 

 Bureau of Science for study. Some of the old Spanish laws in 

 regard to locating and working claims could be adopted to 

 advantage. Under the present system a great deal of ground 

 is being held for speculation, and development is retarded. 



Publications. — The papers that the scientists of this division 

 have contributed to the Philippine Journal of Science are included 

 in the list given on page 45. Numbers 3, 4, and 5 of the 

 Philippine Journal of Science, Section A (1915), Volume X, 

 were devoted entirely to geologic papers. The Mineral Resources 

 of the Philippine Islands for 1914 has been printed and distrib- 

 uted. It contains the following articles: 



Staff, division of mines. Bureau of Science. 



Review of Philippine mining in 1914, by Wallace E. Pratt. 



Statistics of mineral production in the Philippines in 1914, by Victor E. 



Lednicky. 

 Gold production of the Philippine Islands in 1914, by Wallace E. Pratt. 

 Gold mining in the various districts in 1914, by Wallace E. Pratt. 

 Production of iron and nonmetals in 1914, by Wallace E. Pratt. 

 Copper deposits in Zambales Province, by Victor E. Lednicky. 

 Notes on the mineral resources of Surigao Pi'ovince, by Wallace E. Pratt. 

 The Lubang gold district in southern Benguet, by Victor E. Lednicky. 



In spite of the general unsatisfactory economic conditions 

 throughout the world Philippine mining has made much progress, 

 and during the latter part of the year a decided boom has been 

 apparent. There remains a great deal of work to be done along 

 geologic and mining lines in the Philippine Islands, and it is 

 to be regretted that the personnel of the division of mines of 

 the Bureau of Science is so restricted. 



