IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17127, 23 April 1921, Page 14

IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES

DISSEMINATION OF. INFORMATION. (TOOK OT7K'OWN;'cO»RI!SPON»ENT.).'' LONDON, March 11. . In the 6ecohd annual roport of the Governors of L the Imperial ...Mineral. Resources Bureau it is mentioned that during the year considerable progress has bee;n made in the organisation arid work of this body, alike from thte general and the technical 'point -of view, while the chairman has kept in touch by correspondence with _ the ' absent Governors (one of whom is Mr T. ff. Hamer, now in New Zealand) .on ters affecting the work -,of J3ureau. When : the conference was held last February, Sir Thomas Mackenzie •' «j» presented the' Dominion Government. It was held to consider the question of contributions from the Overseas Governments to the funds of the Bureau, jftid during 1920 the sum of £IOOO was received from New Zfcafemdt .The lnvperial Government contributed £IO,OOO, Canada £2500> Australia, and India £,2000 each. "'" : ' '' " ' *' Opportunity was tSien taken to discuss very fully the Bureau and its potentialities for assisting in the development, of ;the f mineral resources of the Empire, especially' in the'light of,the view ; that had, been expressed when its establishment was under. consideration by the ' Imperial Conference, and the probable, advantages that would accrue to" the Dominions. The question of the .overlajvping in the functions of the' different Governmental and other organisations was dealt with', and the. Chairman.of the Governors (Sir Richard A. fc>. Kedmayne)! has issued a detailed statement' more especially as regards overlappiilg in the,work of collection and dissemination of information. It is hoped that means will he devised whereby existing waste of funds and energy due to overlapping of functions by variods* organisations may be curtailed without loss of efficiency. \ •• ■• It has been decided that information will be disseminated only when it has: been received from • authoritative sources. The Bureau -is, howovteiy in receipt of much*information relative to the occurrence of minerals from unofficial sources which .'it is to bring to public notice. A sys'tem has therefore been organised of registering the information by a card-index,. co that enquirers calling at the offices of. the Bureau can inspect the papers relative thereto,' though the' Bureau will not take responsibility for the correctness of the information: " ' ""

A considerable number of enquiries have been dealt with ■; from / Ovfcrseas and Home Government departments,, as well as from ilems and private -people'. A rate of fees has been set up—nominal —when information, involving -special work by the staff, is desired by private people and companies. -For an hour or less: tho charge is to be ss; a. day's work (eight-hours) will cost 305,. and every, additional day a similar amount.- No charge is to be made in respect of information supplied to the Homo and Overseas Government departments', the members of technical advisory committees, or tho technical institutions and societies which co-operate with the Bureau.' '•.. '

! It has. already been found that the appointment of. corresponding members in the overseas countries has, resulted in increased efficiency of the; Bureau. Theso correspondents have supplied the Bureau with early information as to discoveries and developments of miner T als, and they have, expedited the transmission of statistical information relative to. 'the production, consumption, and prices of minerals and metals, and of official publications and reports. Mr A. H. Kinibell (Under-Secretary for Mines) is the correspondent in New Zealand. ' The Bureau been approached by the executive* council of the British Empire Exhibition to be held' in 1923, to-'take charge of the organisation of tho mineral exhibit, which is to constitute an important feature of the exhibition, and, having accepted the proposal, the ..Governors are in process of embarking on the necessary work of making the exhibit of real practicalutility. . The Governors of the Bureau have been more and more impressed with the desirableness of the general adoption of a unified system of mining -and .metallurgical statistics, with standardisation" of weights and measures. The subject is under, investigation, and a scheme may possibly be put forth shortly. A revised memorandum will be placed before the appropriate Government departments hero and overseas with a view to obtaining the benefit of their opinion oh it, and after this it is hoped to put forward a carefully-considered scheme.' Then the Foreign Governments -will be approached through proper channels; with the object of securing their concurrence in the adoption of a unified system of mineral statistics. . * "- ' Mr JBen H. Morgan is a-member of the Publications and Libraries Co'mmit-tee-and Mr Julius L.F. Vogel is on tlje Tin arid Tungsten Committee.