SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau: Action Taken 
in Australia. 
In April, 1916, the Imperial War Conference passed a resolution 
emphasizing the importance of establishing at London an Imperial 
Mineral Resources Bureau, the main objects of which would be— 
(a) to collect and disseminate information regarding the mineral 
resources, methods and treatment, consumption and require- 
ments of the Empire of every mineral and metal of 
economic value; and 
(b) to advise regarding action to be taken for the development 
of resources. 
An Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau Committee was established 
by the Minister for Munitions to draft a constitution and a scheme for 
establishing the Bureau. A copy of the report of this Committee was 
sent in October, 1917, to the Commonwealth Government. It was first 
transmitted by the Prime Minister’s Department to Sir John Higgins, 
who strongly supported the proposals to establish a Bureau, and recom- 
mended affiliation between the Bureau and the Commonwealth Institute 
of Science and Industry. The papers were then sent on by the Prime 
Minister’s Department for the consideration of the Executive. In the 
meantime, Mr. W. S. Robinson had been appointed to represent the 
Commonwealth on the Bureau. 
In April, 1918, a recommendation was sent by the Executive Com- 
mittee to the Prime Minister’s Department, stating as follows :— 
(a) The Executive considered that the Institute of Science and 
Industry should actively support and assist the Imperial 
Mineral Resources Bureau. 
_(b) With that object in view, the Executive contemplated the 
appointment of a fully qualified mining engineer, with 
metallurgical experience, to collect and co-ordinate all in- 
formation available regarding the mineral resources, metal 
requirements, and metallurgical processes of the Common- 
wealth. 
(c) The Executive stated that, before taking any active steps in 
the matter, it would be desirable to ascertain whether the 
Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau had any suggestion 
to make with a view to increasing the value of the data by 
collection and compiling it on some uniform plan. 
(d) The Executive recommended that it should be in direct com- 
munication with the Commonwealth representative on the 
Bureau (Mr. W. S. Robinson). 
Since that recommendation was made, the matter has been discussed 
by the Prime Minister with the Imperial authorities in London. The 
scheme for the establishment of the Bureau was unanimously approved 
by the Imperial Conference, and the Bureau has now been established 
by charter. 
Recently a cablegram has been received stating that the Imperial 
Mineral Resources Bureau requires, as early as possible, a report show- 
ing Australian resources, with detailed information relating to location, 
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