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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXVI. No. 933 



sion. be reorganized to fulfill tliese require- 

 ments in a way acceptable to all photometric 

 interests. This movement is being well re- 

 ceived, both in Europe and America. Presi- 

 dent Vautier, of the International Photometric 

 Commission, has requested the sub-commis- 

 sion on photometric units and standards to 

 formulate a plan of reorganization. This 

 sub-commission was originally appointed at 

 the 1911 session of the International Photo- 

 metric Commission to consider the recommen- 

 dations of the Illuminating Engineering So- 

 ciety (U. S.) regarding photometric nomen- 

 clature and standards. The sub-commission 

 at present is composed of the following mem- 

 bers : Dr. Brodhun, Dr. Kusminsky, M. F. 

 Laporte, Mr. C. C. Paterson, secretary, M. Th. 

 Vautier, ex-officio, and a representative of the 

 United States soon to be appointed. The per- 

 sonnel of the sub-commission, composed of 

 representatives of the various national labora- 

 tories, is peculiarly qualified to undertake the 

 duty of formulating plans of reorganization. 

 It is hoped that as the outcome of the efforts 

 of the sub-commission, with the endorsement 

 of the various national technical gas societies 

 to which the International Photometric Com- 

 mission in the past has been responsible, an 

 essentially new commission will be formed 

 which will be equally representative of and 

 responsible to all national technical gas, elec- 

 tric and illuminating engineering societies, 

 and other bodies interested in photometry and 

 illumination. 



There was a decrease of nearly 28 per cent. 

 in the production of iron ore and a smaller 

 but noteworthy decrease in the production of 

 pig iron and steel in the United States in 1911, 

 compared with the production in 1910, due to 

 the large over-production of ore in 1910, and 

 to a lessening demand for iron products in 

 1911. The prospects for 1912 are encouraging, 

 according to Ernest F. Burchard, of the 

 United States Geological Survey, in a report 

 on the " Production of Iron Ore, Pig Iron 

 and Steel in 1911," but at no time since 1907 

 has the excessive capacity for manufacturing 

 iron and steel been fully utilized, and nothing 

 short of abnormal activity, which is not likely 



to occur in 1912, will result in employing the 

 full capacity of the plants. One of the im- 

 portant features of the iron-ore industry in 

 1911 was the increased attention paid to the 

 conservation of ore in the Lake Superior 

 region through beneficiation (washing, concen- 

 trating, roasting, nodulizing and briquetting 

 of ores). The iron ore marketed in the 

 United States in 1911 amounted to 40,989,808 

 long tons, valued at $86,419,830 at the mines, 

 compared with 56,889,Y34 long tons, valued at 

 $140,735,607, in 1910. Minnesota and Mich- 

 igan produced the bulk of the iron ore, the 

 former 23,398,406 long tons and the latter 

 8,944,393 long tons. During the year 159 

 mines produced over 50,000 long tons of iron 

 ore each, compared with 191 mines which ex- 

 ceeded that output in 1910. The largest quan- 

 tity produced by any single mine in 1911 was 

 1,553,510 long tons, from a mine at Marble, 

 Minn. The production of pig iron in 1911 

 amounted to 23,257,288 long tons, valued 

 f. o. b. at the furnaces at $327,234,624, com- 

 pared with 26,674,123 long tons, valued at 

 $412,162,486, in 1910, a decrease in quantity 

 of 3,416,835 tons and in value of $84,827,862. 

 Pennsylvania produced the greatest quantity 

 of pig iron, 9,581,109 long tons; Ohio was 

 second, with 5,371,378 long tons, and Illinois 

 stood third, with 2,036,081 long tons. The 

 total quantity of steel produced in 1911 was 

 23,675,501 long tons, against 26,094,919 long 

 tons in 1910. The bulk of it came from Penn- 

 sylvania, whose output was 13,207,539 long 

 tons. 



The United States Geological Survey has 

 recently published, as an advance chapter 

 from " Mineral Eesources of the United States 

 for 1911 " a report on the mine production of 

 silver, copper, lead and zinc in the central 

 states in 1911, by B. S. Butler and J. P. Dun- 

 lop. The total value of the output of these 

 metals in the central states in 1911 was $64,- 

 519,444, nearly half of which came from Mis- 

 souri, whose production was valued at $30,- 

 171,311. The value of the output of Michigan, 

 the second largest producer, was $27,743,572. 

 The production of silver in the central states 

 in 1911 was 550,184 fine ounces, valued at 



