FINAI, ACT OF SECOND PAN AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS. 125 



The value of such uniform standards was brought out with reference to 

 commercial requirements in buying and selling ores, minerals, and chemi- 

 cals. The discussions of mining in the various American countries 

 showed the need of the unification of the laws relating thereto as far as 

 practicable, with special reference to the importance of securing statistics 

 of the mineral industry. The lack of uniformity of mineral statistics 

 makes it impossible to bring together, for comparative purposes, the 

 figures of production of different countries, as well as figures relating to 

 labor and accidents in mines. 



Another important topic considered at length was the conservation of 

 petroleum and of the gas resources of the Americas, together with 

 methods to be devised by means of which better and more economic 

 extraction and utilization could be made. With reference to petroleum, 

 it was brought out by the discussion that the production of gasoline 

 from petroleum, which is now from 25 to 30 per cent, could be increased 

 to approximately 50, or possibly 60, per cent. 



The conservation of iron and copper ores of the United States was also 

 discussed, with special reference to improved methods of mining and 

 practices in metallurgy as an aid in conserving the resources of the 

 country. It was shown that under the present methods of mining and 

 metallurgy much ore, considered absolutely worthless ten years ago, now 

 pays handsome dividends. 



The. public interest in mineral resources and the cost of geological 

 surveys were also treated in various papers on the topics relating to 

 economic geology. 



The question of dyestuffs and of tanning materials coming from Latin 

 American countries was also presented and discussed, as became its 

 importance, as indicated in the list of topics under applied chemistry. 



Passing now to the recommendations of the Congress dealing with the 

 Section on mining, metallurgy, economic geology, and chemistry, it will 

 be observed that, although they are important, they nevertheless give no 

 adequate idea of the value and far-reaching nature of the papers and 

 discussions of the Section. 



The study of mining laws was one of the important topics suggested as 

 a Pan American subject to be discussed during the Congress, as the 

 mining industry is of prime necessity to the majority of the American 

 countries. Because of the lack of uniformity in their mining laws, the 

 Section adopted a resolution forming the first paragraph of Article 37. 

 and which, if carried into effect, will undoubtedly be of great service. 

 Neither the Section nor the Congress ventured to suggest the plan to be 

 followed, as this must be the result of careful thought and reflection and 

 of comparison with different methods of training in the different coun- 



