HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON MINES AND MINING

U.S. Congress House.

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTIETH CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

PART 4

PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE
TUNGSTEN AND MERCURY MINING INDUSTRIES

MARCH 31 AND MAY 20, 1948

CONTENTS

ᏢᎪᎡᎢ 4

PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE TUNGSTEN AND MERCURY

MINING INDUSTRIES

Statement of—

Page

Charles Segerstrum, Jr., president, Nevada-Massachusetts Co.,

Tungsten, Nev..

879

S. H. Williston, vice president, Cordero Mining Co., San Francisco,

Calif...

889

Letter from S. R. Smith, president, Bonanza Mines, Inc., 315 Montgomery

Street, San Francisco, Calif.

914

Letter from H. G. Walker, managing engineer, Riley Contact Mine,

Healdsburg, Calif_

916

OUTLINE OF PROCEEDINGS

MARCH 31, 1948

Domestic mining industry "going to pot" in opinion of Nevada-Massa-

chusetts Co___.

879

Tariff reduction under Geneva reciprocal trade agreements detrimental to

domestic mining industry-

880

Greatest tungsten deposits in China but molybdenum content requires

blending with domestic ores..

880

Reversal of tariff policy not anticipated-

881

Mine production incentive plan and stock-piling program suggested to save

domestic tungsten mining industry.

881

Domestic production and possibilities.

882

The tungsten stock pile...

883

884

884

Importance of keeping tungsten mines in active operation for national se-

curity...

Contemplated legislation should specify mine incentive production program

for all strategic and critical minerals and metals__

Current price of tungsten and foreign labor versus domestic labor costs__

Interior Department's tungsten ore reserve estimate criticized; unreason-

ably low...

One operator's estimate of tungsten price needed today by marginal pro-

ducers...

MAY 20, 1948

Brief historical outline of the mercury industry in the United States__

Mercury dumped on domestic market by United States Government and

European cartel since VJ-day destroys American mining industry

Comparative tungsten prices and purchase power since the year 1610

Only 2 out of 197 mercury mines in the United States remain in operation;

Government authorities indifferent...

885

886

887

890

891

892

892

Several years will be required to reopen larger mercury mines..

National security endangered by abandonment of mercury mines in the

United States---

893

893

Domestic tungsten mining industry also on verge of complete extinction..

Destruction of promising domestic antimony mining industry imminent__

Domestic tungsten production currently 50 percent of requirements.

China principal tungsten producer of world.

Nation's manufacturing capacity would be halved without tungsten for

cutting tools

4 Pt. 5