EMPIRE 83 



and the United Kingdom could be cheapened, our import 

 requirements of this metal could be easily satisfied by 

 the Dominions. 



For this reason and on general grounds the Com- 

 missioners very strongly recommended that the ports 

 of the Empire should be deepened. It seems that the 

 larger the ship the cheaper the transport, and large 

 ships cannot be built unless there are deep harbours to 

 receive them. At this day the cheapening of transport 

 within the Empire is impeded by the lack of depth of 

 many of the harbours. 



Copper. — At present Canada produces yearly two 

 million and Australia three million pounds' worth of 

 copper, but this is only a small part of their capacity. 

 In British Columbia, say the Commissioners, production 

 of copper is increasing rapidly and will continue to 

 increase, while in Australia the quantity produced is 

 insignificant in regard to what is available. For instance, 

 in one district of Queensland — Cloncurry — rich deposits 

 of copper are known to exist over several thousand 

 square miles. 



Canada and Australia together now produce five 

 million pounds' worth of copper, and our import re- 

 quirements are nine million pounds' worth ; the two 

 Dominions therefore could supply us with most of our 

 imports of copper, but they do not do so ; they send us 

 only two million pounds' worth, since nearly all the 

 Canadian copper and some of the Australian goes to 

 foreign countries. 



Lead. — Of the four million pounds' worth of United 

 Kingdom lead imports Australia supplies one million 

 pounds' worth, and could supply two million pounds' 

 worth if her exports of this metal to other countries 

 were diverted to the United Kingdom ; also her mines, 

 which are the largest in the world, are capable of pro- 

 ducing more than they do at present. 



In Canada, too, there is lead — a present production 



