Political and commercial geology and the world's mineral resources

by Unknown

POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL CONTROL

A large share of the asbestos deposits of the world, being situated in British colonial possessions, are under the political control of Great Britain. The deposits of Cyprus are at present under British political control, but this may not be permanent. Before the war, Cyprus was nominally Turkish, though administered by Great Britain; in 1914, Great Britain formally annexed the island. Cyprus was offered to Greece in return for her assistance in the war, but the offer was not accepted.

From information available it is evident that the governments of Russia and Italy have in the past imposed no serious restrictions on the development of their asbestos properties through either domestic or foreign capital.

Below is set forth the commercial control of the asbestos deposits of the world, by countries, in the following order: United States, Canada, Russia, South Africa, Italy, Cyprus, and Australia.

In the Globe district of Arizona, in the United States, spinning asbestos is produced by the Johns-Manville Co., working the Snell & Fisk property, and by the American Ores & Asbestos Co. The Sierra Asbestos Co., near Nevada City, California, produced spinning fiber in 1918. As far as is known all the companies operating in the United States are American owned.

The asbestos mining industry in Canada is confined to the eastern townships of the Province of Quebec. The largest company is the Asbestos Corporation of Canada, Ltd., with head office in Montreal. This company operates the Kings and Beaver mines, at Thetford Mines, the British Canadian mine, at Black Lake, and the Frazer mine, at East Broughton. The company is controlled by English, Canadian, and United States capital. The Bell Asbestos Mines Co., the Asbestos & Asbestic Corporation, and the Manville Asbestos Co. are wholly or largely owned in the United States. The remaining companies are mostly controlled by English or Canadian capital, though United States interests are represented in some of them. Evidently, therefore, the ownership of the companies is divided between English, Canadian and United States capital, with British interests probably predominating.

The most important of the Ekaterinburg mines in Russia are the Voznesensky and Zoe-Anonsky, near Bazhenof. About one-third of the total output of the Urals came from these mines in 1916. It is reported that prior to the war a German syndicate controlled several Russian mines which produced in all more than 80 per cent. of the entire Russian output. Germany and Austria were the chief buyers of Russian asbestos before the war.

In South Africa the crocidolite of Cape Colony is mined largely by the Cape Asbestos Co., a British firm with mines at Koegas and Westerberg, and having factories in England, Turin, and Hamburg. A sister company in France, Compagnie Française de l’Amiante du Cap, handled in 1916 about two-thirds of the total South African production and was the chief manufacturer of blue asbestos products. In the Transvaal, asbestos is mined by three companies, The Transvaal Asbestos Syndicate, now absorbed by the Consolidated Gold Fields; the South African Minerals Option Syndicate, a subsidiary of the Bechuanaland Exploration Co., and the Anglo-Swiss Asbestos Co. British capital predominates. The Rhodesia Asbestos Co., Ltd., was the chief Rhodesian producer until recently, but in 1917 the Rhodesia and General Asbestos Corporation was organized with a capital of £400,000 to take over the operating mines. The commercial control is, therefore, British.

The chief producer in Italy is the United Asbestos Co., of London, England.

Prior to the war the Cyprus deposits were worked by the Cyprian Mining Co., an Austrian corporation. As mining concessions are obtained from the British government by lease on a royalty basis, it is probable that the lease has now been cancelled.

The deposits in Australasia are practically all controlled by English or Australian capital.

Mines that have no milling equipment can produce crude fiber which may be treated at manufacturing plants. The various grades of mill fiber may be produced only where mills are located at or near the mines. As the utilization of all grades can be accomplished only with the assistance of mills, such mills are necessary for efficient mining. Consequently, with other factors equal, mines with near-by mills have a distinct commercial advantage over mines that produce crude fiber only. Although mills are not essential factors in the asbestos-mining industry, they exert a secondary influence in commercial control through the increase in mining efficiency that they render possible. For deposits remote from centers of manufacture, mills are of little advantage, as fiber below spinning grade will not bear heavy transportation charges. Most of the United States and Canadian mines have mills for treatment of rock bearing short fiber. Several of the Russian mines are similarly equipped, but in other parts of the world little or no milling is done.

A number of important manufacturers of asbestos products in the United States are owners of or have intimate trade agreements with large Canadian asbestos mines, and also with some of the domestic mines. Hence as regards commercial control the United States is practically assured of a supply of raw material.