WORLD’S SUPPLY OF TIN

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1928, Page 4

WORLD’S SUPPLY OF TIN

BECOMING DEARER THAN GOLD. M Tin is more precious to the human race than silver, more useful than gold, and in 20 or 30 years it is more than probable that tin will he almost as expensive as either or Dorn," said jjorrt Askwitii, at a luncheon of the Royal Colonial Institute in London.

Mhile world supplies of tin were limited and could not appreciably ho .increased. Lord Askwith said, the world was using every year nearly 150,000 tons of the existing irreplacahle reserves. Fifty per cent of the world’s I in was consumed in the United States, which last year paid for it to the British Empire not less than £20,009,000.

In 1914 the .United States imported 43,000 tons of metallic tin. and in 1926 77.009 tons. The metallic tin consumption of the vast canning industry alone has nearly doubled itself in five years, and that of the automobile industry had more than doubled in the same period. Demand for bin had increased Si per cent. Yet supply, with every price inducement and with all the help of heavily-' subsidised scientific assistance, had increased oulv bv 30 net' cent.

Lord Askwith emphasised the urgent necessity of conserving tin supplies within the Empire, which produced 42 per cent of the total world output. He suggested as one means the merging and trustification of all the existing British tin-producing companies, together with the chief smelting interests. This would enable them to obtain direct contact with the world's chief customers. Another method which was receiving care ful examination was co-operative selling.