COMING SHORTAGE OF TIN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20312, 21 January 1928, Page 13

COMING SHORTAGE OF TIN.

Several times within recent years we have been warned that the world would soon bo faced with a serious shortage of tin, and within the last few weeks various authorities have been predicting a positive famine of that vital metal within the life time of the present generation (writes Mr William Graham, M.P., to the Manchester Guardian). I have just been privileged to see a report made by. one of the most eminent mining experts in the world, who has recently returned from Bolivia, on mining conditions in that country. The following extracts throw a vivid light on the subject:—“There can be no doubt” (writes this authority), “ that the tin output of Bolivia will begin to decline seriously within a short time, and within a few years must decline very considerably indeed. The reason for this is that the majority of the tin mines in Bolivia are nearly worked out. Despite the intensive prospecting that has gone on in Bolivia for over 20 years, especially in regard to the search of tin, it is not surprising that even, with the highly developed scientific instruments of to-day-no additional tin supplies have been fount! in Bolivia for over 10 years. The last Bolivian mine to be developed was just over 10 years ago. In considering the exhaustion of the world’s tin reserves (he goes on), as Bolivia contributes approximately 25 per cent, of the world’s total output of metallic tin, a rapid decline in the output of Bolivian tin, which will inevitably take place within a short time must be considered o! outstanding mportance.” These few sentences fully confirm the warnings given by other observers. They emphasise afresh this necessity for the utmost economy in our usft of tin,- a product which, in its many varied forms, affects us all very materially in oa# homes and at our work, and which, with ft fteckless disregard of consequences, wd waste in enormous quantities every day.