GAS MANTLES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 29, 29 October 1918, Page 7

GAS MANTLES

t ; ■__—«. . ANOTHER .MONOPOLY , LOST TO GMMANY, 1 Before the war a group of Germans ! had almost-a monopoly, of lnonazite, a 5 mineral found in tlie sand of the seii,- . shore in certain parts of the world, from • which-was obtained ".thorium imrate, ;i ; white salt which was absolutely essential. in the manufacture of gas lmmtlej. H also produced.iV .self-luminous compound for the making of watches and night L compasses, ai;<l this, in view of the great 2 raritv of radium, was of coiisKlera'rte «n----5 iiortancc. Mona*ite was found in Iravan- • core, a native Indian State under Hritish protection." in 1910. The British Governmenf decided that it could keep out the Germans by means of an 'fcnglish coin- , pa-nv, registered in London. Hie director* were 1-higlish. but the. company was capitalised 'from Germany, and in return Germany risked for just one thing-all the morrailn in Traviir.rore. Til September, 19H. a British company ■obtained the vifrht to all the moimiio. in the privately-owned'parts oi the m:h 1 coast oi Travancore. Germany had lost I Hip dominion of. the gas-mantlemark-ct, 5 and sho need never regain it if things are • properly "managed after (he war. me ' world use? 4flo million gas mantles annu- \ ally. :