SHORTAGE OF TIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24827, 29 January 1942, Page 6

SHORTAGE OF TIN

AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES REVIVAL OF INDUSTRY LIKELY (Air Mail) SYDNEY, Jan. 21. The loss of the Malayan and Thailand tin mines may give a stimulus to the stagnant tin mining industry in Australia. Thousands of tons of tin, easily accessible, can be recovered, but because of the low grade ore in which it is to be found it cannot be economically mined at the present fixed price of £320 a ton. Imported stocks to-day would cost about £370 a ton, and at a slightly higher price than that Australian ore and alluvial deposits could be worked profitably, overcoming the shortage. The price would give a steady livelihood to many individual gougers and permit small' companies to carry on. Moreover, the revival of the industry might lead to the discovery of richer deposits. Tin will be in increasing demand while the war lasts, and is bound to be required in large quantities during the post-war reconstruction period. A leading Australian authority on metals. Mr O. T. Lampriere, said that, apart from aluminium, the shortage of which might be overcome by the Federal Government's proposal to treat mineral bauxite, tin was the only metal which Australia now seriously lacked. He hoped that the Government would consider augmenting production. Mr Lampriere said that Australia was now fortunately self-contained so far as antimony—ah important non-ferrous metal for munitions, bearings, paints, ceramics, and other vital uses—was concerned. As for iron and steel, the Broken Hill Proprietary Company had foreseen the need for large and increasing outputs and the establishment of large ancillary industries. The problem of increasing the output of vital metal"supplies in Australia was tied up with labour and finance.