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W. B. PRICE,* Waterbury, Conn. (written discussion??.-It has been our experience, especially in cupro-nickel, that manganese has been very beneficial, not only, as stated by Mr. Braid, in removing sulfur, but also for its property of reducing oxides, thus making the metal more fluid, and enabling it to be poured at a lower temperature; this, in turn, prevents softening of the graphite pots and the absorption of carbon. It also acts very effectively in keeping the carbon in solution in the cupro-nickel, in the combined form. However, in the case of cupro-nickel, to obtain all these benefits it has been found necessary to keep the manganese content as near 0.25 per cent. as possible. Manganese also is very effective in diminishing the amount of blisters in cupro-nickel. So far as I am aware, both from personal experience and from the experience of others who have been engaged in the manufacture of nickel-silver and cupro-nickel, manganese used either in the form of pure metal or as manganese-copper alloy (30 Mn, 70 Cu) gives better results than any other flux. While this may seem a strong statement, manganese is the natural flux for nickel-silver and cupro-nickel.

Jan 12, 1918

By R. J. Quigg, G. P. Conard, J. F. Libsch

IN a recent investigation of the Mn-Ge system by Zwicker it was reported that two inter-metallic compounds in this system, Mn,Ge, and Mn,Ge,, exhibited ferromagnetic properties. Of these, Mn,Ge, was reported as "strongly magnetic" and Mn,Ge, was said to be "weakly magnetic" but no actual values were given. In a study of magnetic alloys of nonmagnetic elements sponsored by the United States Army Signal Corps at Lehigh University, test bars having the nominal composition of these compounds were prepared by pressing elemental powders and sintering them in a purified helium atmosphere. Magnetic values obtained on these compounds are reported in Tables I and 11. It should be cautioned that the test bars were somewhat porous and that X-ray patterns run on these materials indicated that the homogenization in the samples was not complete, but that in each case the compound reported on was the dominant phase. The (B-H) max and particularly the Br values for pure dense M&Ge, can, therefore, be expected to be somewhat higher than those reported herein, while those for Mn,Ge, may be in error in either direction. Further details on this investigation are available in previous publications.23

Jan 1, 1956

THE fall meeting of the Petroleum Division of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers will be held in Fort Worth on Oct. 19 and 20. The Texas Hotel will be headquarters. for this meeting, the technical sessions being held in the ball-room of the hotel. During the evening of the nineteenth a smoker will be held at the Fort Worth Club. In working out the program for this meeting, J. B. Umpleby, vice-chairman for production engineering, considered it especially desirable to offer as complete a discussion as possible of the subject of air-gas lift, its theory and practice, and its relationship to gas-oil ratios. The entire first day will be devoted to sessions on this subject. One session of the second day will be devoted to the use of electricity in oil-field operations and the second to the handling of congealing oils and paraffin. In addition to this program there will be one or more sessions when petroleum engineering research problems will be discussed. This meeting of the Division is primarily devoted to production engineering, as will be seen from the pro-gram. During one of the sessions, however, a brief review with forecasts of the production situation will be presented.

Jan 8, 1927

By AIME

PERHAPS, back in the early eighties, the fates were advised that the world had need of a determined man, yet one who could always inspire teamwork; at any rate on Dec. 20, 1881, Louis Shattuck Cates was born to Edwin Wallace and Emily Allen (Johnson) Cates, in Boston. To his friends he has always seemed a little more determined than anyone else they knew-yet his capacity for organization and enlisting friendly co-operation from all with whom he became associated has perhaps been his greatest asset. His will and imagination set the goal, but his friendliness and qualities of leadership brought results. He was born just nine years after the great Morenci mine was opened by Robert Metcalf and his associates. Educated in the public schools of Boston, Mr. Cates was graduated from Boston High School, and since at that time Boston was headquarters for many of the great mining enterprises and promotions in the country, he chose Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the college which would best prepare him to succeed in the mining industry. He was granted a Degree of S.B. from "Tech" in 1902, but already his getting-along-with-people talent had won him honors. He was class president in his junior year, and "First Marshal" at graduation.

Jan 1, 1946

By H. Eklund, R. T. Hukki

This article presents a simple arithmetic derivation for the relationship between sharpness of classification and circulating load, as well as world-wide industrial data which are compatible with the derived equation. It is shown that the sharpness of classification decreases with increasing circulating load. Based on the evidence available a comparison is presented between the performance of the present-day hydraulic classifiers. In a continuously operated closed circuit grinding system the tonnage and the fineness of the components may be indicated as follows: Eq. 8 expresses the relationship between sharpness of classification and circulating load in closed grinding circuits. If CL = 0, E = 100% according to the definition used. This, however, is a purely theoretical case because any apparatus to be called a classifier must produce the conventional two products. Furthermore, if CL = m, E =0%. In order to visualize the meaning of Eq. 8, the effect of factors d (fineness or percentage of under-size of classifier overflow at size x) and b (fineness or percentage of undersize of classifier sands at size x) should be studied. By the most rigid standard, factor d should be given the value of 100%. By so doing the size of classification is defined as that screen size x through which 100% of the classifier

Jan 1, 1965

(The following list contains the names of those members of the Institute of whose connection with military service we have only recently become acquainted; it also includes the names of a few who have recently been promoted or transferred, indicated by a *. A complete list was published in the Year Book, issued as a supplement of the Bulletin for March, 1918.) ALLEN, Roy H., Capt., Air Service, Bureau of Aircraft Production, Washington, D. C. *AMIDON, CLAUDE E., Chemical Warfare Section', Astoria, L. I. *ARCHBALD, HUGH, 311th Infantry, 78th Division, American E. F. ASKIN, THOMAS B. H., Radio Station, Cavite, P. I. *AYER, FRANK A., Lieut., Commanding Officer, -270th Aero Squadron, American E. F. BARBA, W. P., Lieut. Colonel, Ordnance, U. S. A., Washington, D. C. *BARRETT, LESLIE P., 1st Lieut., 5th Field Artillery, American E. F. BLICKENSDERFER, F. C., 1st Lieut., N. A., Ordnance Dept., Edgewood Arsenal, Edgewood, Md. *BROOKS, FLOYD R.., Lieut., Canadian Engineers, Seaford, England. BROWN, GEORGE M., Co. G, 1st Replacement Regiment, Washington Barracks, D. C. *BRUNEL, LOUIS J., Lieut., 5th Field Artillery, Brigade Headquarters, American E. F. *BRUNTON, D. W., Cons. Engr., Naval Consulting Board, Washington, D. C.

Jan 11, 1918

By George L. Atwood, William Brown

Phosphate ore is being mined at Monsanto Co.'s Henry mine, near Soda Springs, Idaho, for the company's three furnace elemental phosphorus plant near Soda Springs. The finished product from the furnaces is elemental phosphorus which is subsequently used in the manufacture of detergents, food preservatives, fire retardants and other consumer items. In stripping and mining, D-9 crawler tractors are utilized to rip and push-load rubber-tired scrapers. The equipment consists of six D-9G crawler tractors, four Caterpillar 657B scrapers, eight Euclid S-24 scrapers, one Reich T750 drill and one Caterpillar No. 16 patrol plus various support equipment. Stripping is performed on a 12- month basis, two shifts per day, whereas mining is mainly in the summer months on a one-shift basis. The hauling season begins May 15 and ends November 1 due to freezing weather and snow conditions. Annual production is 1 million tons of phosphate rock and 2.5-3 million cu yd of stripping. Stripping, mining and hauling is performed for Monsanto by Dravo-Soda Springs, a mining contractor which owns, operates and maintains all equipment used. The contractor is paid for stripping by the bank yard and for ore mined and hauled on a tonnage basis.

Jan 8, 1972

CHICAGO SECTION CHARLES H. MACDOWELL, Chairman, Luther V. DICE, Vice-Chairman, HENRY WT. NICHOLS,. Secretary-Treasurer, 164.5 E. 68 St., Chicago; Ill. ALEXANDER K. HAMILTON-, HENRY P. HOWLAND, GEORGE P. HULST, FREDERICK 1. SNYDER. There were 32 members present at the dinner of the Chicago Section which was held at the Chicago Engineers' Club on Friday Evening, December 22. At the meeting after the dinner, the Chairman called attention to the work of Mr. Hoover in Belgium and spoke briefly of the assistance which' could be given him through the Belgian Kiddies, Ltd. Mr. Alonzo Kinyon read a paper on "Burring Powdered Coal" which so interested the members that many of them participated in the long discussion which followed. Prof. Harry B. Pulsifier then described the metallurgical plants about Chicago. He mentioned briefly the equipment and interesting features of 30 metallurgical plants of importance and stated that there were also 200 foundries in the district. He said that when number, size, quality and diversity of the plants are considered, the Chicago District is justified in calling itself the greatest metallurgical center on earth. The paper was followed by a brief discussion in Which attention was called to some smaller and incipient plants of an interesting character. HENRY T. NICHOLS, Secretary.

Jan 2, 1917

By JOHN MARKLE

JOHN MARBLE, mining engineer, coal operator, philanthropist, member of the Institute since 1879, vice-president in 1903-04, has been paid the well deserved tribute of Honorary Membership. The presentation of the diploma was made at a luncheon in New York on Feb. 13, the citation reading: "In recognition of his work as an engineer and administrator of mines and his services to mining engineering education." Within the last month Lafayette University dedicated the new John Markle Mining Engineering Building, the gift of the eminent alumnus for whom it is named. In addition, Mr. Markle has contributed a maintenance fund for the carrying out of far-reaching plans for improving the mining courses to be given at the Institution. One of his theories is that quality rather than quantity of engineering graduates is the need of the profession. John Markle was born in Hazleton, Pa., in 1858. He received his degree of M. E. at Lafayette in 1880, and married Mary Estelle Robinson in New York City in 1884. Since 1880 he has been associated continuously with the firm of G. B. Markle & Co., and its successor companies. He has also been an official of numerous other important companies, although he is now retired from active business life.

Jan 1, 1930

By R. H. Card

THE geophysicist is interested greatly in the resistivities of different formations or parts of the earth's crust; sometimes he is interested in a single figure in the nature of an average, or what may be called the effec-tive resistivity, of all the formations or parts of the crust at a given location to a certain depth. Conversely, the engineer whose work is concerned with the coordination of power and communication lines in such a manner as to avoid electrical interference between these two types of facilities is concerned very much with this effective resistivity; to a lesser extent he is interested in the resistivities of individual forma-tions. In connection with his work the coordination engineer often estimates the effective resistivity; of the earth from measurements of the mutual impedances of lines; in other instances he derives front measure-ments of a different type the resistivities of different layers of the crust and synthesizes these to obtain an estimate of the effective resistivity. In connection with problems concerning the coordination of power and telephone lines, measurements from which earth resistivities can be estimated have been made at many points in the United States by the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. and its associated companies, in cooperation with various power companies and with railroad companies having electrified sections of line. Other such measurements have been made by the Joint Subcommittee on Development and Research of the Edison Electric Institute and the Bell Telephone System. A study has been made of the correlation of these data with the ages and types of materials of the strata of the earth's crust at each of the test locations. The purpose of this study has been primarily to provide information to assist in predicting the order of magnitude of effective resistivities to be used in the preliminary consideration of problems con-cerned with the coordination of power and communication lines. To make the results of such a study, most useful, it is essential that the geo-logical data to be secured when such a prediction is wanted be readily obtainable. Data on the ages of strata and the types of materials com-posing geological structures can usually be obtained, therefore particu-

Jan 1, 1937

By C. A. Stetefeldt

Metallurgical processes cannot be conducted successfully With out the aid of analytical chemistry. The great perfection of Iead smelting in the West, for instance, has only been accomplished by the analysis of ores, fluxes, slags and all products of the furnace. Ores are mixed and fluxed to obtain a slag of desired composition. Account is even taken of the composition of the ashes obtained from the coke. The " muscular " smelter has left the field forever! This state of affairs has been induced by sharp competition, i.e., by a com plete separation of the industries of mining and reducing ores, not by the liberality and wisdom of directors and stockholders to pro vide laboratories and engage chemists, or by their love for scientific investigation. It would be considered absurd, at present, to run a lead-smelter, a blast-furnace for pig-iron, or a Bessemer plant without the assist ance of a well-equipped laboratory and a chemist; but it is con sidered quite sufficient to provide amalgamation- or lixiviation works merely with a crude assay-office, and an assayer who is paid less than a laborer in the mill. In my opinion, this will change in the near future. By the ex clusion of Mexican lead-ores, and their growiring scarcity in the West, smelters have been forced to raise their charges on so-called dry silver-ores, and cannot handle the latter now in such unlimited quantities as formerly. The inevitable result must be that the sur plus of these dry silver-ores, especially those of low grade, will be reduced by processes cheaper than smelbing; and here the introduc tion of lixiviation has an excellent field, provided the muscular lixiviator has an able chemist for an assistant. It is to be regretted that so little analytical work has been done in lixiviation. We know almost nothing of the composition of roasted ores before and after lixiviation; of the constitution of the first wash water and of lixiviation-solutions after prolonged use; of the chemistry of sodium and calcium sulphides; of the col-hposition

Jan 1, 1892

By Benjamin C. Craft

Oil and gas development in Louisiana during 1935 brought this state at the close of the year up to fourth place in the nation as a producing area. A review of development in North Louisiana centers around Rodessa, the most important reserve discovered in this area in many years. While the producing limits have not been defined, this discovery is one of the major developments of the year. New gas fields were discovered in Lincoln, De Soto and Bossier parishes. The Lincoln Parish discovery, completed flowing a highly saturated gas from the Glen Rose, further indicates the importance of deep-seated prospects in the interior salt-dome area. Minor extensions were made at Sligo and Pine Island. During the year, 126 oil wells and 103 gas wells were completed in North Louisiana as compared with 144 oil wells and 68 gas wells during 1934. The North Louisiana oil production was 9,617,405 bbl. as com-pared with 9,274,050 bbl. during 1934, an increase of 343,355 bbl., while the gas production increased 18 billion cu. ft. in 1935 over its 1934 figure. The Louisiana Department of Conservation gage of Nov. 1, 1935, shows an open-flow capacity of 4,563,725,000 cu. ft. per day from 941 wells in the Monroe field and 682,770,000 cu. ft. from 159 wells in the Rich-land field. A great deal of leasing continues in North Louisiana as a result of the Lincoln Parish discovery and development in the Rodessa field, especially in Bossier, De Soto, Winn, Lincoln, Bienville, Webster, Ouachita and Richland parishes. South Louisiana's position as an area of important reserves was further proved during the past year. Increased drilling resulted in the discovery of seven new fields: Lafitte, Garden Island Bay, Tepetate, Bunkie, St. Martinsville, Jeanerette and Big Lake. New sands or producing horizons proved productive in 15 of the proven fields. The total oil production for South Louisiana during 1935 was 40,731,-056 bbl. as compared with 23,255,437 bbl. during 1934. There were 222 oil and gas wells completed in South Louisiana during 1935 as compared with 214 oil wells during the previous period. Drilling during

Jan 1, 1936

By Benjamin C. Craft

Oil and gas development in Louisiana during 1935 brought this state at the close of the year up to fourth place in the nation as a producing area. A review of development in North Louisiana centers around Rodessa, the most important reserve discovered in this area in many years. While the producing limits have not been defined, this discovery is one of the major developments of the year. New gas fields were discovered in Lincoln, De Soto and Bossier parishes. The Lincoln Parish discovery, completed flowing a highly saturated gas from the Glen Rose, further indicates the importance of deep-seated prospects in the interior salt-dome area. Minor extensions were made at Sligo and Pine Island. During the year, 126 oil wells and 103 gas wells were completed in North Louisiana as compared with 144 oil wells and 68 gas wells during 1934. The North Louisiana oil production was 9,617,405 bbl. as com-pared with 9,274,050 bbl. during 1934, an increase of 343,355 bbl., while the gas production increased 18 billion cu. ft. in 1935 over its 1934 figure. The Louisiana Department of Conservation gage of Nov. 1, 1935, shows an open-flow capacity of 4,563,725,000 cu. ft. per day from 941 wells in the Monroe field and 682,770,000 cu. ft. from 159 wells in the Rich-land field. A great deal of leasing continues in North Louisiana as a result of the Lincoln Parish discovery and development in the Rodessa field, especially in Bossier, De Soto, Winn, Lincoln, Bienville, Webster, Ouachita and Richland parishes. South Louisiana's position as an area of important reserves was further proved during the past year. Increased drilling resulted in the discovery of seven new fields: Lafitte, Garden Island Bay, Tepetate, Bunkie, St. Martinsville, Jeanerette and Big Lake. New sands or producing horizons proved productive in 15 of the proven fields. The total oil production for South Louisiana during 1935 was 40,731,-056 bbl. as compared with 23,255,437 bbl. during 1934. There were 222 oil and gas wells completed in South Louisiana during 1935 as compared with 214 oil wells during the previous period. Drilling during

Jan 1, 1936

By Benjamin C. Craft

As predicted, during 1937 South Louisiana witnessed one of the most active drilling campaigns in the history of the area, resulting in the discovery .of 14 new fields. The economic importance of 10,000-ft. production was far-reaching and the objective depths placed on some wildcats was 12,000 feet. Most of the important discoveries and deep tests were in the delta area between the Atchafalaya and Mississippi Rivers, where the upper Miocene sands were found productive between 10,000 and 11,000 ft. The casing program on these wells usually called for a protection string of 95/8-in. casing at approximately 9500 ft. Drilling barges with the heaviest equipment were used where water transportation was available. The oil production for South Louisiana during 1937 was 62,147,690 bbl., as compared with 51,968,727 bbl. during 1936, an increase of 19.5 per cent. There were 281 oil and gas wells and 172 dry holes completed during 1937 as compared with 262 oil and gas wells and 135 dry holes during the previous period. New Fields Gibson.—The first discovery for the year was in the Gibson area, where Shell Petroleum Corporation's Realty Operators No. 1, sec. 18, 17 S., 15 E., Terrebonne Parish, was completed flowing 780 bbl. of 38° A.P.I. oil daily through a 14/64-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 1700 lb. Production is from upper Miocene sand found from 9461 to 9483 feet. Abbevil1e.—The discovery well for the Abbeville field was Continental Oil Company's Hebert No. 1, sec. 20, 12 S., 3 E., Vermilion Parish, completed flowing 50 bbl. of distillate and 2 million cubic feet of gas through a 3/16-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 2550 lb. The well was plugged back from 12,216 ft. in the Chickisawhay, and is producing through perforations from upper Miocene sand found from 7668 to 7682 ft. Later in the year, the same operators completed Brookshire No. 1, sec. 66, 12 S., 3 E., flowing 366 bbl. of 42° A.P.I. oil per day through a 3/16-in. choke with a tubing pressure of 1800 lb. This well was com-

Jan 1, 1938

By John Greenawalt

IN view of the increasing importance of sintering in the beneficiation of iron ores preparatory to their reduction in the blast furnace, the writer believes the time is opportune for an up-to-date, though brief, discussion of the general principles of sintering, as well as a discussion of some of the recent improvements and mechanical developments that have been achieved in this industry, its present trend and future possibilities. Sintering may be defined as the agglomeration of fine mineral particles into a porous mass by incipient fusion caused by heat produced by com-bustion within the mass itself. Its first successful application, in connec-tion with the treatment of lead sulphide ores, was known as blast roasting. In this process the lead ore was given a preliminary roasting in a reverber-atory furnace, then the incandescent mass was placed in a pot with a grate and an updraft was applied. It was soon discovered that much better results were obtained by cooling the ore, moistening it, and placing it upon an incandescent layer of fuel previously placed upon a grate, and then applying the updraft blast of air until the charge was converted into a more or less agglomerated mass. The fuel was sulphur and the process one of desulphurization, which was the principal result desired. The application of downdraft to blast roasting brought about tremen-dous results; the principal one of which was that an air blast of high pressure could be passed through a layer of ore deposited on a grate, or on a grate covered by a layer of coarse porous material, without disturbing the particles of which the layer is composed. The air current is compelled to filter through the pores of the charge, whereas if the same pressure applied to the top surface of the charge with downdraft were applied to the bottom of the charge with updraft, the charge would be completely blown off the grate. Another result of reversing the draft was that a flame could readily be applied to the top surface of the charge for ignit-ing purposes.

Jan 1, 1938

By H. T. Morris

ONE of the chief concerns of the Bethlehem Steel Co. naturally is the proper functioning of its organization. This involves the training of a continuous supply of younger men to fill the vacancies caused not only by the inevitable departure of older men, but also by the growth of existing establishment, and by expansion in new directions. It does not oper-ate a student training course with a fixed time schedule or with definite periods of rotation through the differ-ent divisions. To state the case positively, the gradu-ate's training course must operate continuously from the beginning of his employment through a long term of years. No period of weeks or months nor pair of years suffice to bring him into contact with all the com-binations needed to qualify him for the larger destiny toward which we hope he is headed. Our first step in selecting a college man is to require that he have a degree. We thus approximate the assur-ance that at least four annual siftings have reduced the chance that a non-worker may find himself in a job where work is necessary. The next step is to try to ascertain facts, from the graduate and from others who have known him at his home and in 'his college, to indi-cate whether our opportunities offer him a career that will challenge his continuing interest, and hold him to tenacious effort against all happenings. We aim to avoid knowingly bringing into our organization a man who will not develop in it enough enthusiasm to keep him happily striving. Having made our selections, we assemble the gradu-ates into a probationary observation circuit. We-put ourselves under their observation by taking them in small groups, usually of two to four men, on a circuit of every part of the Bethlehem plant, in which every manufacturing principle of our steel business is ex-emplified. The probationers work at something from day to day, with their hands if it can be arranged; otherwise in questioning, examining, and note-taking. Their observations include talks with superintendents, foremen, and workmen, the conditions under which workmen labor, apparatus, machinery, methods, design and operation of plant.

Jan 7, 1928

By H. E. Ellis, O. L. Patterson, Granville Dutton

A large-scale water-injection program for the Holt Bryant reservoir of the Delhi field has been established by means of the new automatic multi-pool analyzer. The objectives of this program were to increase reservoir pressure and eliminate a cross-dip gradient of 200 psi. Pressure increases during the first 15 months of operation have allowed for increased oil production rates of 2,600 BID or 25 per cent. To determine the required water injection it was necessary to predict natural water influx ram. Elimination of the pressure gradients required the water-injection program to account for the fluid migration and pressure interaction between segments of the reservoir. An integral part of the ana1ysis included the determination of in-place volumes of oil and gas. The operation of the automatic multi-pool analyzer in determining the water-injection program is described. New features of the analyzer inc1ude an automatic maferial balance analog and a leart-squares computer for determination of unknown reservoir properties. Operational procedures are sufficiently simple to allow direct use by reservoir engineers on a routine basis. The rapidity and accuracy with which problems may be solved permit repeated ana1yses as a check upon reservoir performance. INTRODUCTION This paper describes the use of a new analog com- puter in determining the optimum injection program for a complex reservoir. The Holt-Bryant (Fig. 1) is the major reservoir in the Delhi field of Louisiana. Production is from the Tuscaloosa at subsea depths of 2,970 to 3,286 ft. The sand dips to the south and southwest from three to five degrees. The reservoir is approximately 12 miles long and varies in width from 1/2 to 2 miles. Various calculations have placed the initial volume of oil in-place in the wide range of 275 to 355 million STB. Two small gas caps were initially present in the reservoir. The Holt-Bryant reservoir was discovered in Dec.. 1944, and was fully developed with 188 producing wells by 1948. After development was completed, an east-west pressure gradient began to establish itself. This

Jan 1, 1957

By L. C. Uren

Field studies and laboratory research have established the fact that the expulsive force which drives petroleum into wells, from the reservoir sands in which it is stored by nature, is primarly an expression of the energy latent within compressed natural gas dissolved or occluded in, or otherwise associated with the oil. Each barrel of oil produced is forced into the recovery well by the expansive energy of a certain volume of compressed gas, originally stored with the oil in the pores of the reservoir rock; and each cubic foot of gas so produced with the oil and expanded to atmospheric pressure reduces by so much the total natural energy available for oil expulsion. This relationship between the volumes of gas and oil produced has seemed so important that petroleum production technolo-gists have come to regard the "gas-oil ratio," or the "gas factor" as it has been more conveniently termed, as a measure of oil-production efficiency. Different methods of oil recovery and production devices are now Com pared on this basis and estimates of ultimate recovery obtainable through their use are considered by many to be inversely proportional to the values of their respective gas factors. The writer has been among those who have given support to a widcspread movement toward a proper recognition of the significance of the gas factor as a guide in the control of producing oil wells, and does not wish to oppose its more extended application. It seems necessary, how-cvcr, in view of the almost elemental faith with which the principle of the gas factor has been received in many quarters, to point out that it is a most complex factor, and one which cannot be regarded as an absolute index of production efficiency without due regard to other contributing factors by which it is influenced to an important degree. Variables Influencing Gas Factor The mere recording of a low gas factor, obtained through the use of some method or device, does not necessarily imply efficient oil production; and conversely, a high gas factor does not always signify inefficient recov-

Jan 1, 1928

By W. R. Ingalls

THE bases of the work by the committee whereof I am chairman were (1) the abolition of extra-lateral rights and (2) the preservation of the maximum of the existing laws. The matter of extra-lateral rights had been under prolonged discussion among mining men and up to the time when our com-mittee began its work (in 1917) the expression of opinion in every way whereby it could be made known -and those ways were extensive-was only a little short of being unanimous that extralateral rights ought to be abolished. I have not observed important evidence indicating a change of opinion on the subject since 1917. ABOLITION OF DISCOVERY LOGICAL Now, when it be decided that extralateral rights ought to be abolished, there can not be merely a simple change to that effect, but it is found that consequential changes are necessary all the way through the existing laws. Abolition of extralateral rights implies abolition of discovery as a prerequisite to location, for otherwise there would be no legal means for locating claims on the dip of a vein. Quite apart from this consideration, abolition of discovery as a prerequisite to location is supported by other good reasons. Among these are the occurrence of orebodies with no exposure on the surface and which often are hidden at great depth. A prospector who has reason to suspect the occurrence of such an orebody must have legal means for the location of a claim within which to explore, and obviously he may. not be able to make any discovery on the surface sufficient to locate and hold legally such a claim under the terms of the law as it stands at present. As a matter of fact, discovery as a prerequisite to location was abolished by common consent many years ago, not only for the reasons that I have given here-inbefore but also for others. It is highly desirable to revise the mining law in this respect, so that it will conform to the conditions of practice and not require people to perjure themselves in making locations, even if it be for praiseworthy purposes.

Jan 6, 1922

By Henry Fernald

THE accounting system or bookkeeping methods of any company are principally the concern of that company and of those who are in control of its affairs. Its published financial report is, however, primarily intended for those who are not already fully informed regarding its operations and finances. Whatever may be the advantages of standardization of accounting and bookkeeping methods, it must be admitted that a company has a certain right to handle its accounts and keep its books and records in whatever manner may seem to it best adapted to its affairs, even though such methods may differ materially from those generally adopted by others. In its financial reports it should not, however, either ask or expect that the statements it makes or the terms which it uses will be given in its case a meaning and interpretation different from that which they are ordinarily considered to have in similar reports and statements of other companies. The particular form and arrangement of such reports is a matter concerning which there may be much difference of opinion. It is of little importance whether current assets come first or last in the Balance Sheet, but it is important that there should not be included under this designation any items which are not properly current assets within the generally accepted meaning of that term. The extent to which stockholders or others interested are to be made acquainted with the full details of a company's business is a question which the proper authorities must in each case decide. It should, however, be recognized that there are certain facts regarding a mining com-pany which must be set forth in a financial statement if it is fully to cover the conditions and affairs of the company. For example, a financial, statement which does not include or is not accompanied by a statement, of the ore reserves of the company does not fully set forth its financial condition. This is true whether the absence of such a statement of ore reserves is because it is not desired to make public the figures or whether it is because the ore reserves themselves are not definitely known, or accurately measured.

Jan 1, 1928