Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources

by Unknown

COMMERCIAL CONTROL

It is safe to say that the aluminum industries of the various countries control to a large extent the bauxite deposits of the world. The principal aluminum companies are as follows: Aluminum Company of America, British Aluminum Co., L’Aluminium Française, Aluminum Industries A. G.

It is commonly known that before the war agreements between these four companies stabilized the prices of aluminum throughout the world. At present (1919) the outlook is that the Aluminum Company of America should be in position to dominate the aluminum industry of the world for some years through the expansion of its electrical plants and its initiative in acquiring newly discovered deposits of exceptionally pure bauxite in South America. It seems quite conceivable that the British and French and possibly the German interests may seek to adjust their relations so that they can offset the American dominance.

United States and Canada.

—The great bulk of the bauxite deposits of the United States seems controlled by the Aluminum Company of America, through its subsidiaries, the American Bauxite Co. and the Republic Mining & Manufacturing Co. There are small holdings of bauxite lands controlled by the National Bauxite Co., a subsidiary of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co., and by the Norton Co., of Worcester, Mass., makers of artificial abrasives. Aside from these more important holders, there are a few independent operators of bauxite mines, but their combined output is so small that it can be disregarded.

All of the aluminum works of the United States and Canada are controlled by the Aluminum Company of America, which is dominated by the Mellen banking interests, of Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Guianas.

—It is reported that the Aluminum Company of America controls about 2,030,000 acres of bauxite land in the British and Dutch colonies. In British Guiana the ownership is seemingly in the Canadian Bauxite Co. Associated with the Aluminum Company of America in the British Guiana holdings is the Merrimac Chemical Co., of Boston. It is also reported that the Norton Co., of Worcester, Mass., has acquired in Dutch Guiana small holdings of bauxite lands. There are no works utilizing bauxite in Dutch Guiana.

France.

—Prior to the war, some of the large deposits of high-grade bauxite in the Province of Var were controlled by the “Bauxites de France,” a German enterprise, but this control was naturally suspended at the beginning of hostilities, and it will probably not be resumed. The French bauxite industry is largely in the hands of the French producers of aluminum mentioned below, though some deposits are said to be controlled by the British Aluminum Co. through its control of the Union des Bauxites company.

The French aluminum industry is centralized under one selling agency, L’Aluminium Française, in which the following five companies participate:

Compagnie des Produits Chemiques d’Alais et de la Camargue, Société Electro-Metallurgique Française, Société d’Electro-Chemie, Société des Forces Motrices de l’Arve, Société Electro-Metallurgique de Pyrenees.

It is said that the stock of the selling company is owned by participating companies in proportion to their output of aluminum, which would indicate that the control of l’Aluminium Française rests with the first two companies above.

Great Britain.

—The bauxite deposits in County Antrim, Ireland, are seemingly controlled exclusively by the British Aluminium Co. The British Aluminium Co. is the sole producer of the metal in England, operating plants at Foyers and Loch Leven, in the British Isles, and plants in Norway.

Norway.

—All the bauxite used by the aluminum works in Norway is of French or British origin. There are no deposits of bauxite in the country. The British Aluminium Co. controls the aluminum plants at Higeland and Strangfiord through the Anglo-Norwegian Co. The Compagnie des Produits Chemiques d’Alais et de la Camargue (French) largely controls the Société Norvegienne des Nitrures, which operates aluminum works at Arendal and Tyssedal. A Norwegian company, the Norske Aluminum Co., has been recently organized to make aluminum.

Italy.

—There is little information concerning the ownership of the Italian bauxite deposits, but presumably they are controlled by the producers of aluminum. The principal aluminum manufacturer is the Societa Italiana per la Fabricazione dell’Alluminio, which is under Italian-French control.

The new aluminum company, L’Allumino Italiano, recently organized in Italy, if reports are true, may be in part controlled by German and Swiss interests. As the company was organized during the war, it does not seem reasonable to suppose that German participation would be permitted.

Central Powers.

—Apparently most of the aluminum industry of these countries is controlled by a German-Swiss company, Société Swisse pour l’Industrie de l’Aluminium, or Aluminum Industrie, A. G., which operates plants at Neuhausen, Chippes, Navisance, and Borgne, in Switzerland; at Rheinfelden, Germany, and at Lend and Rauris, in Austria. A small quantity of aluminum is also made by the German firm, Gebrüder Guilini, at its plant at Martigny. It is reported that the Aluminum Fabrik-Martigny, A. G., has recently been formed with G. Guilini at its head, which is possibly a reorganization of the former concern.