September 12, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



247 



tion of the TJnited States in 1918 for the pur- 

 pose of making public as soon as possible the 

 statistics collected by the U. S. Geological 

 Survey for that year. The statistics given for 

 most commodities are final; those for a few 

 are only estimates based on incomplete re- 

 turns; but on the whole the report gives a 

 fairly complete record of the mineral output 

 of the country during the year. 



The total value of the minerals produced 

 was about $5,526,000,000, more than half a 

 billion dollars in excess of the value recorded 

 for 1917, but the total quantity produced was 

 less. The output of fuels was greater than in 

 1917, though somewhat less anthracite coal was 

 marketed. The increase in the quantity of 

 coal marketed was about 5 per cent, but the 

 increase in value, due to higher prices, was 

 more than 17 iier cent. It is significant that 

 though the increase in the quantity of petro- 

 leum marketed was only a little more than 

 4 per cent, the increase in value was over 32 

 per cent. 



The value of the metals produced was about 

 3 per cent, greater in 1918 than in 1917. The 

 figures show that less iron ore and steel were 

 produced, but here again values were higher. 

 A little more pig iron was made, though the 

 quantity shipped was less. Copper and zinc 

 not only in themselves but as the components 

 of brass are perhaps next in importance to 

 iron in the world's industry to-day, and in 

 1918 they stood high on the list of war metals. 

 A little more copper but less zinc was pro- 

 duced, and the values of both were lower, that 

 of zinc falling about 25 per cent. The output 

 of the war metals manganese and chromite, 

 used in hardening steel, was greater than in 

 any preceding year. Chromite increased 88 

 per cent, in quantity and 275 per cent, in 

 value over 1917, and the increases in man- 

 ganese ore were 136 and 100 per cent., respec- 

 tively. Less gold and silver were mined than 

 for many years. Though the price of silver 

 rose from 81 cents an oiuice in 1917 nearly to 

 97 cents in 1918, the increase was not enough 

 to cover the increased cost of mining. 



The output of building material — clay prod- 



ucts, building stone, cement, lime, gypsum — 

 showed a great decline. 



The domestic productions of x>otash in 1918 

 was 54,000 tons, an increase of 68 jier cent. 

 over the output in 1917. 



FIFTH NATIONAL EXPOSITION OF CHEMICAL 

 INDUSTRIES 



The forthcoming National Exposition of 

 Chemical Industries at the Coliseum and First 

 Regiment Armory, Chicago, during the week 

 of September 22 to 27, inclusive, promises 

 great benefit to American chemical industry as 

 in the past during the war period when it con- 

 tributed so directly to the advance of chemical 

 industry in this country. The meetings of the 

 societies which are being held in conjunction 

 with the ex'position are as follows: 



American Institute of Mining and Metallurg- 

 ical Engineers, September 22 to 27. 



American Ceramic Society, September 24. 



American Electrochemical Society, September 

 24 to 26. 



At the opening exercises on Monday Gov- 

 ernor Frank O. Lowden, will make the address 

 of welcome, to which Dr. Charles H. Herty, 

 chairman of the advisory committee will reply. 



John W. O'Leary, president of the Metal 

 Trades Association of Chicago, will give an 

 address on " The relation of the chemist to the 

 manufacturer." On Tuesday there will be a 

 symposium on " America's case in chemis- 

 try," in which the speakers will be : 



Teehnieal Association of the Pulp and Paper 

 Industry, September 24 to 27. 

 Chairman's address, Ellwood Hendrick. 

 "Dyestuffs," J. Merritt Matthews, editor, Color 



Trade Journal. 

 "Glassware," E. C. Sullivan, of Corning Glass 



Company. 

 "Optical glass," Harvey N. Ott, of Spencer Lens 



Company. 

 ' ' Chemical porcelain, ' ' Herman S. Coors, of Herold 



China and Pottery Company. 

 ' ' Essential mental minerals, " J. E. Spurr, of the 



War Minerals Relief Committee. 

 "Laboratory supplies," C. G. Fischer, of Scientific 



Materials Company. 

 "Laboratory supplies," J. M. Roberts, secretary, 



Apparatus Makers Association of United States. 

 "Fine chemicals," H. T. Clarke, of Eastman Ko- 

 dak Company. 



