Minerals

Title

Minerals

Creator

Mitke, Chas. A.

Language

English

Source

The American Chamber of Commerce Journal Volume XXIV (Issue No. 8) August 1948

Year

1948

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

August, 1948 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 295 as authorized. He may do this with a part of his fleet and with the rest invade the lines of other operators where business is more profitable. He ceases to render a public service and operates without regard for laws or regulations, to the detriment of the public and that of his more responsible competitors who make every effort to follow fixed schedules and to conform to regulations as set forth in their certificates of public convenience. The Public Service Commission has authority to deal drastically with operators who fail to observe the provi sions of their certificates, but it has been unable to enforce this authority due to lack of funds with which to pay the cost of supervision of public utility operations. This is a situation which is difficult of explanation. Every truck and bus operator is required to pay an annual “Supervision and Inspection Fee” for each vehicle that he operates. This fee is based upon the tonnage of the vehicle and, with the buses of various types commonly in use, it varies from P20 to P40 per unit as an average. The records indicate that the Public Service Commis sion has collected such fees in a total amount exceeding P450.000 for the period January 1, 1947, to June 30, 1948. However, regardless of the fact that these fees are collected from operators for the express purpose of paying for the cost of “supervision and inspection”, only a limited por tion thereof is actually set aside therefor in the budget of the Department of Justice. The balance is apparently used for other government expenses. The Commission is without funds for carrying on this very important function. With a general decline in revenue and in public pur chasing power, the hundreds of temporary and irresponsible operators who crowd the highways will find it expedient to commit more flagrant violations' and give less regard to the regulations under which they are supposed to operate. Unless the Public Service Commission is provided with adequate funds (which have already been collected for the specific purpose of maintaining its supervisory func tions), the present chaotic conditions prevailing in the land transportation facilities of the country will become in creasingly chaotic, with the public and the responsible operators being the victims of the situation. The present trend of decrease in revenue is expected to continue for another two to three months, until the rainy season is over and the harvest season begins in the various areas concerned. In regions dependent upon co conut products as the mainstay of the general economy, the recent reduction in copra prices has also seriously affected the revenues of transportation companies. Minerals By Chas. A. Mitke Consulting Mining Engineer IN order to expedite prospecting and to open up a largely unknown Territory, the Canadian Government recently departed from its well known method of procedure and gave two large mining corporations “concessions”, grant ing each of them the exclusive right to prospect some 500 square miles on the south shore of the Great Slave Lake, in the Northwest Territories. KEEP Machinery Operating-R«bu5id Worn Parts With P&H glectro^® * Save time, and the cost of replacement parts by repair welding with P&H Electrodes. P&H offers types and sizes for welding all kinds of steels, cast iron, sheet metal, etc. — also for building up and for putting hard surfaces on wom parts. Using P&H Electrodes is your assurance of easier-to-use electrodes and high quality welds because they are made by one of the world's largest makers as well as users of arc welding equipment. Get your P4H Electrodes from your P4H Representative. P&H ARC WELDERS P&H alio makea DC and AC Aak your P4H dealer. P&H A CempMe Are WeMlag Service ■aim■nei■»■■■■ iinsagsaMBnmwTi pah welding equipment distributors ■aaammBBaRimmmamHiMiaiMmaw THE EARNSHAWS DOCKS & HONOLULU IRON WORKS Corner Tacoma 8b Second Streets, Branch at BACOLOD, Port Area, Manila—Tel. 2-68-48 Occidental Negros 296 AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL August, 1948 The reason for this is that very few prospectors have the means to penetrate this area and finance one expedi tion after another, until they discover something worth while. On the other hand, the two corporations will each spend $50,000 the first year, and $75,000 during each of the two succeeding years, on detailed prospecting. Claims may be staked during the period of the concessions, but one-half the area must be relinquished after the second year. A long-range program is being planned by the re spective companies, including magnetic surveys with heli copter planes. This is something new, which, so far, has not been tried in the Philippines. It is an expensive method of prospecting and can only be used by a corporation. It requires a specially designed magnotometer, which is a very sensitive and fairly large magnet, capable of being properly leveled up and set into the helicopter plane. Back and forth flights of about 50-miles are undertaken, and a 50-mile square is covered. Observations are made by trained observers, engineers, of any unusual areas on the ground which affect the instrument. These afe known as "anomalies”. When so-called "anomalies” are located, the plane is kept stationary and brought down very low, near the ground. Notes are made, photographs taken, and, later, trails are cut through the jungle or forest to this point and a geological party put to work to ascertain what mineral has caused these anomalies. In order to be effective, this method should only be used where there is believed to be mineral which has certain magnetic properties. At the moment, the method is being tried out in Nor way to locate magnetic iron ore-bodies. It was used in Canada on titanium ores, which also have strong magnetic properties. Attempts have been made to locate lead, zinc, nickel, and copper ores. However, these are much more difficult to locate because of the very weak magnetic field surrounding these deposits. Experiments are being carried out constantly, and it is hoped that, ultimately, these other metals may be located more readily. The method has also been used to trace magnetic rocks and fault lines in oil fields. In fact, it is being used quite extensively at the moment to trace out underground rock structures, so that stratiographic maps can be made before locating new oil wells. Presence of lead-zinc mineralization in the areas con tained within the two Canadian concessions, has been known for many years, and some work was done in 1929. At that time half a million tons of ore were indicated, averaging about 1% lead and 9% zinc. It is hoped that during this present era when there is a world shortage of lead and zinc, and increasing demands are constantly being made on the copper, aluminum, chrome, manganese, and nickel reserves, that the new methods will be perfected shortly, so as to make essential metals available in quantities sufficient to meet the needs of mankind. Lumber By E. C. Von Kauffmann President, Philippine Lumber Producers * Association THE local market situation remains unchanged with prices too low for producers to operate at a profit. With prices of Red Lauan at Pl80, Apitong P160 to P170, and White Lauan P150 to P160 delivered at buyers’ yard, it means that the producer still has to deduct his expenses for delivery from steamer to yard, freight, AVAILABLE IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY Galvanized’ Steel Sheets Corrugated No. 26 x 8 ft. REYNOLDS Aluminum Roofing Sheets Corrugated and Plain Reinforcing Steel Bars ATLAS Portland Cement Ceiling and Partition Boards ♦CANEC Boards 5/16" & 1/2" x 4' x 8' ♦Panel Boards 1/4" x 4' x 4' *ELEPHANT Asbestos Cement Boards 3 16" & 1/4" x 4' x 8' *ASECO Boards 3/16" x 4' x 8' ♦PABCO Plasterboards 1/4" x 4' x 8' ♦MASONITE Tempered Boards 1/8" x 4' x 8' & 4' x 12'; 3/16" x 4' x 12' ♦KENMORE Boards 3/16" x 4' x 8' STANLEY, CORBIN and YALE Builder’s Hardware Metal Lath 27" x 96" ATLAS White Cement KEENE’S Cement ALSOCO Aluminum Solder Bathroom Glazed Wall Tiles White and Ivory Machine Bolts and Nuts Plain Galvanized Wire LUCAS Paints ♦METRO Prepared Paints for Interior and Ex terior Surfaces ♦LUC ATONE Water Paints for Interior Walls and Ceiling ♦LUCASINA Paint in Powder for Concrete, Bricks and Plaster ♦GIBBSBORO Colors in Oil Etc. ------------------ Also Mill Supplies------------------------------ Ship Chandlery Plumbing Supplies General Hardware CHAM SAMCO & SONS, INC. DIRECT IMPORTERS 300-308 Sto. Cristo, Manila — Telephone 2-81-72 J

pages

295-296

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