president's address SECTION B, 51 



bought lesson is this — that it is impossible for men who lack 

 the necessary training in metallurgy to embark in adventures 

 which, if attempted in other walks of life, would be con- 

 sidered madness. Yet the non-fulfilment of the expectations 

 of those who invest in mining properties is ascribed to any 

 cause but the right one. 



The easy-going nugget- finding days are past, and have 

 become a matter of history, while modern mining demands, 

 more than ever, a larger share of skill, perseverance, and 

 hard work. Smelting and reducing operations must neces- 

 sarily become increasingly difficult as the richer ores become 

 exhausted and new difficulties present themselves. 



The problems of to-day are : — 



1. Treatment of the so-called refractory ores. 



2. Winning the precious metals from low-grade ores 



carrying but a few ounces to the ton. 



3. The extraction of the metals from minerals holding 



some objectionable metal, or rather a metal that at 

 present embarrasses the smelter — such, for instance, 

 as the presence of zinc and sulphur in the Broken 

 Hill ores. 



To presume to deal with anything like a solution of these 

 difficulties is quite beyond both my province and intention ; 

 but I would like to remind you of the sort of difficulty that 

 blocks the way to success in many mines throughout Australia, 

 and I moreover desire to point out some course of action that 

 may probably be adopted in the near future (if I may make 

 use of the expression) while social and labour difficulties stand 

 like lions in the path whenever these problems are broached. 

 However, come when it may, I foresee a time when other 

 processes will supplant the expensive and crude methods 

 hitherto attempted. Already there are companies and mine 

 proprietors who perceive the want of processes better adapted 

 to meet particular cases, and we hear a good deal about 

 chlorination and Avet methods for the separation of gold and 

 silver. 



The principle underlying all wet methods whatsoever is 

 the chemical action of the electro-negative molecules, oxygen 

 or chlorine, rightly and economically applied to suit the par- 

 ticular kind of ore to be treated. 



Where sulphur is the hhe noir, oxygen may be advan- 

 tageously used if the metal be convertible into a soluble 

 sulphate. Sulphur being absent, or easily removable by 

 prehminary roasting, as in a great number of cases, then we 



