IRON AND OTHER ORES OF ONTARIO. 191 



but these testimonies are scattered tluoughout a long and tedious re- 

 port, which few are likely ever to read and they appear to me so im- 

 portant that I venture to submit them to your consideration. 



Mr. Hamilton Mkrkitt said if he understood Mr. Ives aright, he stated 

 that all the iron deposits were archean and none of theui Silurian. There was 

 no question, however, that there were large deposits of iron ore in the 

 Silurian in the other Provinces. Mr. Merritt then alluded to the difficulty of 

 obtaining information in regard to mines and minerals. Tt was necessary to 

 travel round the country, and obtain the required information from personal 

 inspection. The importance of collecting this information was recognized by 

 every civilized couutr}', as it was of the greatest value to the projectors, the 

 investor, and the man of science. In England this information was collected 

 under a statute. In the United States it was chiefly collected by the Central 

 Government, though in many of the States there were mining bureaus. It 

 was a matter of great regret that there should be such a great disparity in the 

 amount of capital invested in mines in Canada and the United States. The 

 e.^cess in favor of the latter country was enormous. It was not correct to say 

 as Dr. .Selwyn had conclu led, that we had not the minerals, as was abun- 

 dantly proved by the different exhibitions. No country showed a more 

 creditable display of large masses of ore than Canada had done at the late 

 exhibition. Government supervision in the matter was greatly needed. Not 

 merely mining statistics, but every kind of infoi'mation should be collected 

 that would be useful to persons working in the locality. This valuable 

 information that other countries had seen the necessity of collecting, would 

 give us the same advantages that they enjoy. 



Mr. A. Blue was sure that the views just presented by Mr. Merritt, would 

 commend themselves to the attention of all. Few were aware of the extent 

 and value of the mineral deposits of this Province. He called attention, 

 especially to the petroleum deposits, anl the copper mines. He was strongly 

 in favor of steps being taken to collect statistics, and to present the informa- 

 tion to the public from year to year. 



Mr. SnuTT knew from his own experience that Mr. Miller had collected very 

 much valuable information respecting the phosphates, some of which had been 

 preserved, but much was lost beyond recovery. 



Mr. Boyle asked how the information had been hitherto collected. He did 

 not think that persons owning mines would give the required information, and 

 he did not see how the Government could compel them to give it. He could 

 not see how a law could compel a man to divulge knowledge that would benefit 

 others and injure himself. He thought that other means could be employed to 

 obtain the information required. 



Mr. NoTMAN in reference to the discrepancy between the favorable show that 

 Canada had made at the different exhibitions in mineral products, and the 

 little that had been done in developing them, said that it should be recollected 



