Plate IX.—Tin-producing localities of the world. By James M. Hill.
Fig. 9.—World production of tin, 1913-1918, in metric tons.
Table 60.—World’s Output of Metallic Tin, 1913-1918, in Metric Tons[142]
(Metal obtainable by smelting from concentrates)
| Country | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 5,370 | 5,140 | 5,060 | 4,770 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Nigeria | 2,950 | 4,590 | 4,630 | 5,150 | 7,070 | 7,000 |
| Union of South Africa | 2,050 | 2,000 | 2,050 | 1,900 | 1,540 | 1,500 |
| Federated Malay States | 50,930 | 49,820 | 47,520 | 44,570 | 40,470 | 37,970 |
| British Protected Malay States | 1,800 | 2,700 | 4,170 | 4,450 | 4,500 | 4,500 |
| Australia | 8,160 | 5,520 | 5,680 | 5,550 | 4,970 | 4,900 |
| Total British Empire | 71,260 | 69,770 | 69,110 | 66,390 | 62,550 | 59,870 |
| Percentage world total | 52.6 | 54.1 | 53.7 | 52. | 47. | 45.8 |
| Banca | 15,940 | 14,630 | 13,660 | 14,460 | 13,540 | 11,000 |
| Billiton and Singkep | 5,300 | 6,090 | 6,760 | 6,780 | 7,300 | 9,200 |
| Total Dutch | 21,240 | 20,720 | 20,420 | 21,240 | 20,840 | 20,200 |
| Percentage world total | 15.4 | 16.1 | 15.4 | 16.7 | 16. | 15.5 |
| China | 8,390 | 7,120 | 8,000 | 7,630 | 11,800 | 12,000 |
| Siam | 6,660 | 6,740 | 8,520 | 8,960 | 8,600 | 8,600 |
| Bolivia | 26,760 | 22,360 | 21,900 | 21,330 | 28,320 | 28,000 |
| Other countries | 1,400 | 1,500 | 1,500 | 1,700 | 1,800 | 2,000 |
| Total other control | 43,210 | 37,720 | 39,920 | 39,620 | 50,520 | 50,600 |
| Percentage world total | 32. | 29.8 | 30.9 | 31.3 | 38. | 38.7 |
| World total | 135,710 | 128,210 | 129,450 | 127,250 | 133,910 | 130,670 |
[142] Knopf, A., “Tin in 1918,” U. S. Geological Survey, “Mineral Resources of the United States in 1918.”
The largest tin-smelting center of the world is Singapore, where the Straits Trading Co., and the Eastern Smelting Co., both British owned, and a Chinese-owned smelter, have a combined capacity of 58,000 metric tons of metal a year.
A large number of the Malaysian mines are worked by Chinese, though much English and Australian capital is invested in tin mining companies in the Peninsula, and the financial control of the industry is in the hands of British subjects. Political control is exercised by a prohibitive export duty ($285 per ton) on all tin ore exported for treatment except to the Straits Settlements, United Kingdom, or Australia.
As will be seen from [Table 60] the Federated Malay States produce much more tin than the Protected States. Practically all of the tin in the Peninsula is taken from placer deposits, some of which are still worked by hand methods, though part of the black tin is now being mined by dredges.
The backbone of the Malay Peninsula is composed of granite which is intrusive into limestone, shale, and quartzite. Tin has been found in place in practically all of the rock formations. Owing to the intense weathering and erosion of the tin-bearing formations great accumulations of detritus, more or less mixed with clay, all of which carry cassiterite, are found in almost all parts of the Peninsula. The original deposits are so softened by weathering that they can be worked by hydraulic methods.