IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1921, Page 1

IMPERIAL MINERAL RESOURCES.

DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION LONDON, March 11. In the second annual report of the Governors of the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau it is mentioned that during the year considerable progress has been made in the organisation and work of this body, alike from the 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. H. Hamer, now in New Zealanl) on matters affecting the work of tho Bureau. When the conference was held last February, Sir Thomas Mackenzie represented the Dominion Government. It was held to consider the question of contributions from the Overseas Governments to the funds of the Bureau, and during 1920 the sum of £IOOO was received from New Zealand. The Imperial Government contributed £IO,OOO, Canada £2500, Australia and India £2OOO each. Opportunity was then taken to discuss very fully the position of the Bureau and its potentialities for assisting in the development of the 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 overlapping in the functions of the different Governmental and other organisations was dealt with, and the Chairman of tlie Governors (Sir Richard A. S. Redmavne) has issued a detailed statement more especially as regards overlapping in the work of collection and dissemination of information. Tt is hoped i 1 means will he devised whereby existing waste of funds and energy due to overlapping of functions by various organisations may he curtailed without loss of efficiency. It lias been decided that information

will bo disseminated only when it has been received from authoritative sources. The Bureau is, however, in receipt of much information relative to the occurrence of minerals from unofficial sources which it is asked to bring to public notice. A system has therefore been organised of registering the information by a card-index, so 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 Overseas and Home Government departments, as well as from firms 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 loss the charge is to be 5s ; a day’s work (eight hours) will cost 30s, and every additional day a similar amotint. No charge is to be made in respect of information supplied to the Home and Overseas Government departments j. the members of technical advisory committees, or the technical institutions and societies which co-operate with the Bureau. It lias already been found that the appointment of corresponding members in the overseas countries lias resulted in increased efficiency of the Bureau. These corresponlents have supplied the Bureau with early information as to discoveries and developments of mincials, and they have expedited the transmission of statistical information iolative to the production, consumption, and prices of minerals aid metals, and of official publications and reports. Mr A. 11. Kim boll (Under-Secretary for Hines) is the correspondent in New Zealand. Tim Bureau has been approached by the executive council of the British Empire Exhibition to be held in 1923, to take charge of the organisation of the 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 practical utility. 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 bo put. forth shortly. A tevised memorandum will he placed before the appropriate Government departments here and overseas with a view to obtaining the benefit of their opinion on it, and after this it ,s hoped to put forward a carefully-considered 1 scheme. Then the Foreign Governments will he approached through proper channels, with the object of securing their concurrence in the adoption „fa unified system of mineral statistl(>Mr Ben H. Morgan is a member oi the Publications and Libraries Committee ami Mr Julius L. F. Vogel is on tlu Tin and Tungsten Committee.