THINGS WE SHOULD MISS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 226, 24 September 1927, Page 27

THINGS WE SHOULD MISS.

WORLD'S GREATEST VALUABLES.

Suppose tfjat an the cotton plant* in •e world were wiped out by a sudden fanes* of til* cotton boll weevil or •we other deadly pert. About fourMtfci of all the clothes won by man are made of' cotton, and for a time there Jfculd be no end of trouble, but euflbetitrtgi would be found, and in a little j™ we should go on much aa Tieitame wHh gold. If the produom VMjnAtedj came to aa end •B values would be upset for a time, »*.*• L *e»» of Nation* would get JWr* •** nx a new etandard--PHaem, perhaps, or one of the other aTaiiatl<m wonld •"'Vive » would to a different thing if iron *•"•» i* ,0 *" ,1 n>«n depends upon iron eae oteel. Hβ might get on without JMlweyi, motor-care end steel ships, but ■e could not do without ploughs, spades, •ad hoes, and though the ancient, made »e«e things out of bronze, the supply SWf •■* tin ie not •uffldeni to 25*7,™? Beed> of the present populaJ* <* t*e world. Wfthout irWthe w£E Irf^!!? 0 ?. *• it4Mrvin *' •»* the ™» of civilisation m we know tt would eramblo to duet. A Worli Without Salt »«t to iron, the substance most valu•W* to man is probably salt. Apart from its use as a condiment, salt is UtSmtL Ti???** fOOd "' and M « uueeptie. Salt being found even in the J"" 0 " /■•entiaf to '**• he » lth *nd Whefag of man, and without it the *2JT*? § other than w»Vthe most 2? «!«*?* fa fTP"' 6 ' w «» known !!Lw thou * l } di o f ye*"- It is a good rf*ctricity, and without it «?««.. d J , */* no " ectric K 8l»t, telePaenes, or telegraphs. emount of copper is JonJSLSf B *^ ,, * 1, Ji "quired in the ZEST** ,0 *" - • lo «Mnotive or marine w V er 'P , P"» drain-pipes, *,' Md *» on » eoPPe' *m ••> •joraoue value because of iUpower of misting rust or decay. wbTtlSEi" I**1 *** 1 ,or whidl we h * ve no •ÜBrtitute is mercury, or quicksilver. It Li«!» n ! y nietal whlch w MqnM «t wjinanr temperature, and this is what lriL?«fl T 1 ! velne ta the making of jewntifle instruments, such as baroSmLw It is also ?«.«'-!? the P rodu c«on of detonators JuLl Ll for «nti-fouling paint t£?o? the *»H e of ships. TheeArac•hU °L?° ] $ Ir Z m ite or e» i* made poswM? ■ P rofeM, °n would be lost wiinout mercury. Dyteand Drugs from CoaL Tie everincreasing use of mercury has Wto a rapid increase in its price. In im*V fla « of mercury (751b) could be llfniS 15A production is UMWO flasks yearly. mT«°C?f* ' übet *»«> for which we have J* 'S* 4, * o**0 ** » coal. So far ae power tM^^* raed : man deprived of coal might totli 0 r l ™*' ■»* eun » or even to the volcanic heat of the earth. But coal V Ot i the « onl y ***** we get from «el. Nearly all our dyes, and most of akL 5' i" well M man 7 other valuta? from coal w«; M i " I 0 "^"" 1 how long civilisation » iii BUpply °' ~ al canie *°