%0 Years Ago

50 Years Ago [in] THE NORTHERN MINER, FEBRUARY, 1940

CALL FOR ACTION

Right now Canada should be searching for war minerals. Who can say how much or how little we have until we investigate? Prospectors should be in the field as soon as snow leaves; and in the meantime, there are experts on the little-known minerals and war metals who should be employed for the purpose of preparing information on the appearance of those war-ores and under what conditions they might be found.

NEGLIGIBLE COST INCREASE

After more than five months of war, and five years of war preparation, it seems worth while to review the effect of actual hostilities upon mining costs in Canada.

So far, there is no shortage of labor in the mining fields; if anything, there is an excess. This excess was caused by the closing down of many nonproductive operations. If there is to be any shortage, the war, and the Canadian war industry, will have to steam up to a pace far in excess of the current situation.

It is doubtful whether any mine has seen its operating costs rise by as much as 5%.

LAW CLOSES IN ON HIGH-GRADERS

The police forces of the northern mining areas, supplemented by provincial officers and aided by the attorney-general’s office and treasury dept. of Ontario, are making a determined effort to stamp out the illegal practice of stealing ore from gold mines.

An unusual case developed in Quebec last month. A group of men were arrested when they employed a diver to search the bottom of a section of Osisko Lake for high-grade gold ore that had allegedly been cached there from an aeroplane last summer. Apparently, the diver’s search was fruitless.

NEW CANADIAN MINES HANDBOOK APPEARS

This week the Canadian Mines Handbook, 1940 edition, appears after weeks of careful compilation. This publication, which has become standard in the Canadian mining industry, contains the names of no less than 5,713 mining companies — a record number.

ONT. CLAIM-STAKING ON THE DOWNTURN

Depression days appeared again last year in Ontario’s prospecting industry. The Dept. of Mines’ figures show that only 6,772 claims were staked in 1939. The number of cancellations exceeded 9,000, so actually the province lost ground in 1939. In 1938, the number of claims recorded (9,046) was just about matched by the number of claims cancelled for various reasons.

The total number of cancellations is serious in that it shows that many people are unable or unwilling to maintain their ground in good standing, either through the payment of acreage tax (in the case of patented claims) or in the performance of 40 days yearly assessment work (on unpatented claims).

NEW GOLD FIND HAS POSSIBILITIES

A new gold showing uncovered along the Quebec belt last year and about which little mention has been made is that of the Simkar Syndicate of Montreal. The property adjoins south of the Fleming Mines group in Louvicourt Twp. and some 2,000 ft of diamond drilling were carried out, following a gold showing that only outcropped for a length of 80 ft.

Reprinted from The Northern Miner, February, 1940.