530 Editorial Notes. 



of the Journal, Mr. L. J. Spencer; Ordinary Members of Council, 

 Mr. H. F. Collins, Mr. J. P. De Castro," Professor H. Hilton, 

 Mr. Arthur Kussell, Dr. A. Holmes, Miss M. W. Porter, Mr. R. H. 

 Kastall, Sir J. J". H. Teall, F.K.S., Mr. A. F. Hallimond, Dr. F. H. 

 Hatch, Mr. J. A. Howe, and Mr. W. Campbell Smith, AI.C. 



The Committee appointed by the Board of Trade to consider and 

 report on non-ferrous mining in the United Kingdom has apparently 

 lost no time in getting to work. It was decided to deal with the 

 tin-mining industry first, and a good deal of expert evidence has 

 already been taken. The general opinion of mine-managers from 

 Cornwall, with one or two notable exceptions, seems to be in favour 

 of the policy of amalgamation and concerted development with 

 a view to the reduction of costs and increased production. Several 

 witnesses expressed the view that some form of Government subsidy 

 was highly desirable, and the advance of £1,000,000 to the Anglo- 

 Persian Oil Company was quoted as a precedent. Nevertheless, the 

 idea of nationalization did not seem to receive much sympathy. 

 The Cornish tin and wolfram mining industry rendered signal 

 services to the country during the War, and this should make the 

 Government and the nation all the more inclined to afford assistance 

 towards the development of this important branch of our mineral 

 resources. The geological evidence appears to be all in favour of 

 the existence of rich deposits of tin at deep levels, both in hitherto 

 unworked areas and in districts where many shallow mines have 

 been abandoned: it is much to be wished that opportunity should 

 be given to test the validity of the conclusions largely founded on 

 scientific reasoning. 



The Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau has issued a kind of interim 

 Progress Beport showing the steps that have already been taken. 

 The Charter has now been received and numerous committees are 

 already formed, consisting of experts in each branch together with 

 representatives of technical and scientific societies dealing with that 

 special subject. It is satisfactory to find that arrangements have 

 been made with the Imperial Institute by which duplication and 

 overlapping Avill be avoided and a harmonious co-operation assured. 

 Similarly the Home Office has handed over to the Bureau certain 

 duties hitherto performed by it in connexion with the Annual 

 General Beport of the Chief Inspector of Mines. The compilation 

 of part iv of that Beport, British Empire and Foreign, will in 

 future be undertaken by the Bureau. Two lists are appended to the 

 report showing the countries with which the Bureau is in active 

 correspondence, eitber directly or through diplomatic and consular 

 offices. The present writer is not aware of the geographical position 

 of the state of Latvia, nor is it clear why information as to the 

 Dutch East and West Indies and Guiana should be obtained from 

 the Colonial Office, Copenhagen, or as to Nicaragua from the Central 

 Statistical Office at Christiania. 



