Access of the United States to the huge tin-ore deposits of Bolivia, however, seems to be assured re-gardies of the course of the European war. For years the tib production of that country has been on a restricted basis, but in 1929 it amounted to 46,027 long tons. The difficulty in obtaining supplies from that source, however, is that there are few facilities here and none in Bolivia forè processing the ore. Heretofore Bolivian tin concentrates have been shipped to England, Germany and the Netherlands for smelt ing.
Recently, however, it is reported thut some contracts have been made for shipment here of tin concentrates from Bolivia. Companies now engaged in recovering tin from tin-plate scrap, it is stated, will have no difficulty in processing the con-contrates from Bolivia. In addition, it is said, smelters engaged in processing other metals probably could install in a very short period facilities for refining tin.
During the World War there were three tin smelters in this country, operating largely on Bolivian ores. With the resumption of normal conditions after the war the domestic tin-smelting industry could not compete with foreign plants and was forced, to discontinue operations, principally on account of higher labour costs here than in England and Germany. In addition, Patino Mines and Enterprises Consolidated, Inc, the principal producer in Bolivia, has a large interest in Consolidated Tin Smelters, Ltd, which owns all the tin-smelting capacity in England.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.