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By Bernard Moore

THE last few decades have witnessed the introduction of many new nonmetallic mineral products and changes in the use of many of those already well known. Among these is diatomite, formerly employed as a mild abrasive and, at one time, as the absorbent material in dynamite. Now nearly 100,000 tons a year are mined and milled into such things as filter aids, cement admixtures, insulants, fillers, absorbents, cosmetics, cleansers, etc. Pumice, commonly regarded as only an abrasive, is now also employed as an insulant, as light-weight aggregate and as a concrete admixture. With increasing use of insulants, light-weight aggregates, and acoustic stuccos and plasters in the building trades, both these mate-rials should find increased application. Very large deposits occur in eastern Oregon and have been studied by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oregon State Mining Board.

Jan 1, 1934

By E. Werchowsky

FOR over four years, since the revolution of 1917, Russia has been cut off from the Western world. Political and general economical reforms have attracted the attention of the public and business world, but mining men have had no information as to the situation in their branch of industry, as various articles which have appeared in the European and American press gave little information as to actual conditions in our country. When the Soviet system of government was estab-lished and private ownership abolished, it affected the FIG. 1.-ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINES. mining industry very little at first. The power of the Soviets did not affect the Ural provinces nor Ukraine or Asiatic Russia (Siberia, Turkestan, etc.) during 1918 and 1919, and, as is well known, the mineral wealth of the republic lies within those boundaries. In the Ural Mountains are copper, gold, and platinum; in Siberia, silver, lead, zinc, and gold, and the coal deposits in Koushetz district; in Ukraine, there are the coal fields of Donetz and the iron mines of Krivvy Rog, and silver, lead, zinc, copper, oil, etc. in the Cauca-sus. The mineral resources of Central Russia are the coal fields of Moscow (low-grade and brown coal), turf deposits, iron mines in Tula and Kalonga provinces, and quarries of granite and other building materials.

Jan 8, 1922

By S. Whinery

In these times of sharp rivalry, both as to price and quality, among the makers and venders of engineering explosives, it is often desirable to be able to determine the relative energy or value of the various explosives offered for sale, in order to purchase intelligently ; or, having contracted for a large amount of an explosive of a certain standard quality, to be able to ascertain if the manufacturer keeps his product up to the specified standard. The simple and inexpensive apparatus described below was devised by the writer while engaged on the improvement of the Tennessee River, at MuscleShoals, under the direction of' Major W. R. King, U. S. Engineers, in the summer of 1879. It answered the purpose so well that it is thought that a brief account of it may be of interest to other engineers. It consisted, essentially, of an old blacksmith's anvil and a common striking hammer, such as is used for driving rock-drills. The anvil was placed face downward on solid, level ground. In what was then the top of it, a vertical hole, one and one-fourth inch in diameter and about one arid three-fourths inch deep, was made with a ratchetdrill. The surface of the anvil immediately around the drill-hole was made as true and smooth as possible with a file. Next, a new striking-hammer, weighing nine pounds, with a turned and true face, was selected ; and a handle, eleven feet long and about one and a half inches in diameter, was fitted into it so that it

Jan 1, 1886

By AIME AIME

OCTOBER will be western month for the Institute. With meetings at Spokane, Tulsa, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and with a large number of American Institute of Mining Engineers members and their families in the party sailing out through the Golden Gate to Japan on the afternoon of the tenth, the major activities of the Institute will, for this month at least, be west of the Mississippi. Despite cancellations due to necessity, most of the officers of the Institute will be present and taking part in some one or more of the Western meetings. Prof. Robert S. Richards, our senior past-president, will attend both the Spokane and San Francisco meetings and then go to Japan. President Bradley will preside at the San Francisco meeting and then head the party going to Tokyo. At Tulsa and Los Angeles, the principal officers of the Petroleum Division will be present and active and at all the meetings, directors, ex-directors and -present and past officers will be on the job and keeping things moving.

Jan 1, 1929

By J. T. Berling, J. B. Conway

MANY studies have been devoted to the correlation of low-cycle fatigue behavior. Several of these have also been concerned with the identification of an effective approach to the prediction of low-cycle fatigue behavior from short-term tensile data. Perhaps the first such approach was that reported by coffin1 in the form: where is the plastic strain range, Nf is the number of cycles to failure, and c is a constant characteristic of a material. In this analysis by Coffin it was reasoned that in a short-term tensile test the value of Nf could be considered as equal to a , in which case the value of c is interpreted as the tensile ductility, f, measured in such a test. If, therefore, the Coffin equation is assumed to be applicable to a given material, it is a simple matter to predict the low-cycle fatigue behavior. Once the tensile ductility is known, this point is located at Nf = 1/4 on a log-log plot of vs Nf and a line is drawn through this point with a slope of to yield a prediction for the fatigue life. Actually, while this equation is quite useful it is not generally applicable, for experiment has shown that the value of —$ does not reflect the relationship between and Nf for all materials or even for a given material over all temperature ranges. An equation similar to the Coffin equation was prepared almost simultaneously by Manson.2 This expression had the form: In this case the exponent on Nf was not assigned any particular numerical value in accord with the various values of this exponent which had been observed for different materials and at different test conditions. Because of this characteristic it will be recognized that little use can be made of this expression in predicting low-cycle fatigue results. A fairly effective expression for use in predicting fatigue behavior was proposed by Manson3 based on a study of numerous sets of experimental results. This relation (Method of Universal Slopes) makes use of modulus of elasticity, ultimate strength, and tensile ductility, and assumes an exponent on Nf equal to 0.6 in representing the plastic strain range contribution to total strain range. While this equation of Man-Son does not yield completely accurate results it must be recognized as being the best means available at

Jan 1, 1970

By R. C. Weed

LEACHING in place at Cananea began in the 1920's on a limited scale. The first plants were small wooden boxes located underground in the Capote and Oversight mines, and output was low. Scrap iron was used as precipitant. Later several other small plants were started up. Leaching was limited entirely to underground areas, and production remained low. The Veta precipitating plant, the first on a larger scale, was put into operation in the late 1920's. After a period of intermittent service it was rebuilt in 1946 and has since been running continuously. In 1943 work on the Colorada open pit was started. This produced 40 million tons of waste, which averaged 0.20 pct capper. When these dumps had aged a few years it was decided to leach them on a large scale, and after considerable research and investigation a leaching system of pumps and pipelines was laid out and installed. At the same time the Ron-quillo precipitation plant was built to treat the copper solutions from the pit dumps. This plant started operation in March 1953. Leaching areas consist of the Colorada pit dumps and various mined out and caved underground stopes. The principal mineral, chalcocite, leaches readily in a weak sulfuric acid solution containing ferric iron. Enough pyrite is contained in the areas to produce an acid-ferric iron solution strong enough to dissolve the copper. Each area is studied to determine the best method of distributing the water over it and the best method of collecting the copper-bearing solutions after leaching has taken place. Water is generally distributed by means of ponds, ditches, and sprays. Spraying has proved the best method of spreading the water evenly; however, in a dry climate some water is lost through evaporation. After passing through the leachable material the solution is collected underground by dams and bulkheads and on surface by dams. An effort is made to give the maximum storage capacity practicable.

Jan 1, 1957

NEW MEMBERS The following list comprises the names of those persons who became members during the period Dec. 10, 1915 to Jan. 10, 1916. ANDERSON, FRANK BASIL, Min. Engr., Sampler, Copper Queen Cons. Min. Co., Bisbee, Ariz. BAILEY, LEWIS NEWTON, Min. -Engr 4227 St. James Place, Sail Diego, Cal. BELL, JAMES E., Min. Engr., Care Chile Exploration Co., Chuquicamata, Chile, South America. BONILLAS, YGNACIO SAFFORD, Min. Geol., Copper Queen Cons. Min. Co., Bisbee, Ariz. BRADLEY, GEORGE OLIVER, Mech. Engr Hobart Bldg., San Francisco, Cal. CLARK, GEORGE L., Min. Engr Vipond Mine, Schumacher, Ont., Canada. CONKLING, RICHARD A., Geol., Roxana Petroleum Co. of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Okla. GOHRING, W. B.. Geol., Supt. of Mines, Calumet and Arizona Min. Co., Warren, Ariz.

Jan 2, 1916

The Library of the above-named Societies is open from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. on all week-days, except holidays, from September 1 to June 30, and from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. during July and August. The Library contains about 55,000 volumes, including sets of technical periodicals and the publications of scientific and technical societies. Members of the Institute, with few exceptions, are forced to spend a portion of their time in localities isolated from sources of information. To these the Library can render valuable service through correspondence; letters requesting information will receive special attention. The Library is prepared to furnish references and copies of articles on mining and metallurgical subjects; to determine the existence of mining-maps, and to furnish general information as to the geology and mineral resources of all countries. All communications should be made as definite as possible so that the information received may be what is desired and not include collateral matter which may not be of interest. The time spent in searching for such collateral matter will be saved, and the information will be sent more promptly and in more usable-shape. The members of the Institute can be of service to the Library by forwarding copies of mining-reports, maps privately issued, and similar material, which will be classified, indexed, and made available to other members. Suggestions for additions to the Library, either by purchase or personal solicitation as gifts, will be welcomed. It is hoped that members while in the city will use the Library freely, and assurance is given that most careful service will be rendered to them.

Jan 2, 1914

By William Laird

The predominent method of coal mining in the United States for years has been room-and-pillar mining. The reason for this has been the advantages of room-and- pillar method which is a relatively flexible system and its capital investment. The room-and-pillar method permits some selectivity in mining, especially where gas wells, faults and possible coal quality may be a factor. The mobility of continuous and conventional mining equipment used to develop entries may also be used for retreat mining of rooms and pillars. Longwall mining of coal takes place along a long straight face, or wall, blocked out between two butt or panel entries. The long faces or walls are normally projected in lengths of 61 to 183 m (200 to 600 ft) in this country. The longwall method of mining had its beginning in the United States during the 1800's. During that period, pack wall and wood posts were used for roof support. The longwall face was mined by miners using picks to undercut the coal. To keep the coal face from turning over, short wood posts called sprags were set in a slant position as the coal face was undercut to the depth of two to three feet. When the under-cutting cycle was completed, the sprags were removed to permit the coal to fall from the roof pressure. The longwall mining of coal did not take a firm hold during the 18009s, and room-and-pillar prevailed. In the early 19009s, steel jacks were introduced, and along with it, the modified caving theory. In March of 1950, a retreat longwall mining system, utilizing a plow, manually operated props, wood cribs and chock releases, was installed in one of Eastern Associated Coal Corp.'s mines.

Jan 1, 1981

By Robert M. Dreyer

During the past two decades, synthetic abrasives have taken over successively greater percentages of the high-grade abrasive market, so that now, with the exception of natural diamonds (discussed in section 3.15.4C of this chapter), the importance of natural high-grade abrasives is negligible. The predominance of synthetic abrasives is indicated in Table 15.4A.1. This shows that the 1968 value of domestically produced synthetic abrasives (excluding synthetic diamonds) was over $80 million, whereas the value of garnet, the largest domestically produced, natural high-grade abrasive, was less -than $2 million. The major synthetic abrasives (other than synthetic diamonds) are: alumina, silicon carbide, boron carbide, tungsten carbide, and metallic oxides, including various iron oxides. A major advantage of synthetic abrasives is that the size and shape of grain can be closely controlled during manufacture. Although Table 15.4A.1 gives the average price of synthetic abrasives, such averages are of somewhat limited value. This is because the actual price varies within wide limits, depending on composition, hardness, size, and shape of grain. In 1968 the approximate total consumption of abrasives in the United States was valued at about $200 million, of which about two-fifths was in the form of synthetic abrasives (other than diamonds), one-third in synthetic diamonds, and the remainder in natural diamonds. Natural abrasive products, such as silica sand, tripoli, and pumice, are important in the low-cost abrasive field. Of the low-cost abrasives, silica sand continues to be the most important, with domestic production of about 300,000 tons at a value of $1.8 million (see Table 15.4A.1). In general, the lower the sales price of the abrasive product, the more limited is the market which can be served from a given production center. Each abrasive has applications for which it is especially useful, but there is a continual struggle among abrasive suppliers to induce substitution of one product for another. Such substitution can be stimulated by changes in method of preparation affecting hardness, shape, and size of grain.

Jan 1, 1976

By Will Clark

HE who enters a mining claim within an Indian reservation of the United States of America acquires no rights thereby, because of the fact that the lands within such Indian reservation are not a part of the public domain, and cannot be located or acquired as mineral land. However, where such an entry is authorized as to a particular reservation by an Act of Congress, such claims as may be entered under such authorization are thereby segregated from the reservation, and the Indian title is extinguished. Under the Choctaw Constitution, any citizen of that nation, in other words any Choctaw Indian, who discovered a coal mine, acquired an exclusive right to all coal within a radius of 1 mile. The laws of the Chickasaw nation provided for the formation of corporations to develop coal and other mines, with authority to contract with others to develop and work the mines. Under these laws, leases were made; but Congress subsequently abrogated all existing leases, prohibited all persons from receiving royalties from such mines, and provided that all coal within the nation should remain the common property of the tribes. Such leases are now expressly prohibited by an Act of Congress (32 United States Statutes at Large, 655). All leases of mineral lands upon Indian reservations must now be made under regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior, and the royalties must be paid into the United States Treasury for the benefit of the tribes. In Canada the Indians have no rights to the royal mines and minerals, and the government can make no stipulation with the Indians which would affect the rights of the Province in which the lands are situated. Therefore, while it is true that under our present law no rights can be acquired to a mining claim within an Indian reservation, it seems to be fully within the authority of Congress to make laws, giving such rights to mineral locators as it may deem necessary or expedient.

Jan 6, 1914

By Frederick T. Williams

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relative merits of the large 31/8-in. machine and the small 2 1/4-in. tappet machine in driving development-headings; and although the data here presented were obtained from cross-cut headings alone, experience has shown that the results are equally true in drifting, raising and winzing. Recently we drove two parallel cross-cuts through the same formation, using a 3 1/8-in. machine at the breast of one crosscut, and a 2 1/4-in. machine of the same make at the breast of the other. The results of this work afforded an ideal comparison, since in both cases the headings were advanced through rock practically of the same hardness and breaking-properties, the amount of sludging was equal, and there was no difference in the condition of the steel or the machines, the air-pressure or the experience of the operating crews. Some operators in the Cripple Creek district contend that there is ground which cannot be handled with the small machine, the holes being too small to contain enough powder to "pull " the ground, etc. The results obtained in working the property of the Portland Gold Mining Co., however, show that the ground worked by them does not fall in this class. During a period of two years there have been driven, with the small machine, 4 miles and 308 ft. of development-headings, through a diversity of ground, including Pike's Peak granite (a coarsely porphyritic type of granite), highly indurated andesitic or pho-nolytic breccia, true massive andesite, trachytic phonolyte, tuffs, and along dikes of decomposed basalt and hard phonolyte. In every instance a satisfactory record was made. The headings here describe? mere driven through highly indurated andesitic breccia, having a hardness of from 5.2 to 7.2 and a sp. gr. of from 2.2 to 2.8. The action of the breccia under the drill was not materially different from that of ordi-

Jan 1, 1907

Do not write until you have something to say. Think first; then write. In order to be understood, you must know what you wish to say. Clear writing is the consequence of clear thinking. Therefore consider your subject well before you begin to write; ruminate on it; marshal the salient facts in your mind; saturate yourself with the ideas you wish to express and with cognate ideas; then express yourself deliberately. If you are bubbling over with your subject the words will come, but you might as well expect to sail without a breeze as hope to give life to words without the living thought. Here I may advert to the fact that among the uneducated it is a common expectation to acquire the knack of writing without taking the trouble to study the art of literature. I overheard a woman in a suburban train remark to her neighbor: "I'd like to be able to write well without stopping to think about it". She was one of many that would like to do a thing well without the trouble of thinking; but it cannot be done in respect of anything to which thought is essential. The possession of a good voice does not justify a person in expecting to sing successfully to a large audience; before singing in public one has to master the technique of singing; one has to learn first how to breathe properly, how to enunciate, and many other things. The successful singer is an artist, not a megaphone. Most of us would regard a man or a woman without any training in the art of singing as a fool or an impostor if he or she were to give a public concert, yet we do not recognize the equal foolishness and imposture of persons that write books before they have studied the technique of writing. That is why so many books are unreadable, and why many books by clever men are difficult to read. They start to write books before

Jan 1, 1931

By Carl Samans

THE attention of physicists and metallurgists has been directed toward the study and explanation of the deformation textures in metals for the past 15 years. In 1920 N. Uspenski and S. Konobejewski1 were first able to show that the symmetrical X-ray diffraction effects that had been previously reported by E. Hupka2 and others in metal foils were caused by a directed arrangement of the crystallites. Since then, the systematic study of textures resulting from the application of the pure forces of tension or compression to polycrystalline materials hag been supple-mented by many investigations on deformed single crystals, which have greatly added to our knowledge of deformation. However, despite the valuable information secured from these comparative studies only four investigations upon cold-rolled single crystals of any of the face-centered cubic metals have been reported in the literature. This lack of quantita-tive data is especially unfortunate because of the much greater practical significance of rolling textures and their effects in both cold-rolled and annealed materials. This investigation was undertaken for the purpose of specifying the deformation of rolled single crystals in the hope that such information might later facilitate the explanation of polycrystal-line textures.

Jan 1, 1934

By Frederick Burbridge

The Morning silver-lead-zinc mine of the Federal Mining & Smelting Co. is about 'two miles northwest of Mullan, Ida. The lode is a metasomatic fissure vein. The orebody is approximately 2000 ft. long within the bounds of the property and varies in width from knife edge stringers to 50 ft. It has been developed to a depth of 3600 ft. and stands nearly vertical in Revett quartzite, which .strikes north 65" west. The high-grade veins and lenses are generally mixed with waste (siderite, quartz, and quartzite). The average grade of ore to sorting plant in 1921 was 4 oz. silver per ton, 8.6 per cent. lead, and 4.1 per cent. zinc. Wall rock stands only a short time without timbering. The minimum angle of gravity flow is 45". The ratio of waste sorted out to ore is 6 per cent. No gases are generated underground and temperature has no influence on mining operations. Fresh air is forced down the air raise and up the main shaft. Drifting and Stoping Main drifts 12 ft. wide and 13 ft. high are driven every 200 ft. (vertically) and are connected by raises 125 ft. apart. These raises consist of three compartments (chute, tramway, and timber slide) and are for the purpose of ventilation, access, and hoisting supplies to stopes. Ground is stoped between raises. Chutes are placed every 25 ft. for drawing off ore broken in stopes. Waste for filling is obtained from waste raises off the stope in walls or waste is dumped from the level above down the chute compartment of raises, which is bulkheaded so that waste can be drawn off at any floor as required. Timbering Posts and caps for square sets (varying in diameter from 6 to 24 in.) are cut to length in a sawmill on the surface. No preseratives are used. Timber is taken on a flat car along drifts to a raise nearest the working place and hoisted as required. Practically no timber is salvaged for

Jan 1, 1925

AT THE beginning of December, the Lausanne Con-ference was in session. The representatives of the United States declared the American position. The representatives of Russia were received and were heard. The Turks appeared at this conference in the attitude of victors, dictating terms. The British refused to surrender Mosul, and December thus ended with this question unsettled. Early in the month the premiers of the principal powers met in London for the discussion of the German reparations question, the temporary agreement expiring on. Jan. 15, 1923. On Dec. 11 the Conference adjourned without getting anywhere, and at the end of December prospects looked more hopeless than ever. The premiers are to meet again on Jan. 2, 1923. The interruption of the London conference was followed by the intimation of early participation of the United States in European affairs in the practical way of a large loan to Germany. These intimations, ema-nating from Washington, appear to have been in the nature of trial balloons. They showed that the wind was unfavorable, the bankers not considering conditions suitable for the flotation of such a loan. British statisticians are puzzled by the fact that the trade returns of Great Britain show a greater turnover in the volume of goods during the first 11 months of 1922 than in 1920, although the rate of labor employ-ment in 1920 was nearly 100 per cent. and in 1922 only about 86 per cent., with an economic situation admit-tedly so bad as to be alarming. The British Parliament was convened under the premiership of Bonar Law. One of its first acts was confirmation of the constitution of the Irish Free State. Civil war in Ireland continued. Poland, like most of the other countries of Europe, is torn between socialism and conservatism, with the former party at present predominant. Early in December, Gabriel Narutowicz, an engineer but a radical, was elected president. On Dec: 14 he entered office and-on Dec. 16 he was assassinated.

Jan 1, 1923

By B. F. Tillson

There is a dearth of information on the economic threat of silicosis. Even the insurance companies and rating bureaus are in a quandary, and the majority of them avoid any action that will stir up an awakened public consciousness of the serious nature of this industrial hazard. Individual claims for $100,000 are now common in silicosis lawsuits. Because of ('hidden costs," in lowered plant efficiency, the total cost of this disease to industry is probably four times its apparent direct cost. The direct costs vary with the labor policies of the employer and with the labor legislation in force. Direct costs may originate in three ways: (1) voluntary assumption by the employer of medical expenses and loss of earning power of stricken employees; (2) state enforcement of industrial disease compensation acts; and (3) awards or settlements after suits in common law. Examples are offered in the last two classifications. In the Rand, South Africa, compensation laws are in effect and in approximately 20 years prior to 1932 about $65,000,000 has been awarded for silicosis and an additional liability of $34,000,000 incurred, or an average of about t5,000,000 per year. During 1932 silicosis compensation on the Rand was about $6,000,000. No figures are available for the direct capital or operating costs for preventive measures there, nor for the additional "hidden costs." It might be reasonable to assume that silicosis has cost the gold-mining industry of South Africa twenty to twenty-five millions of dollars per year. It is estimated that common-law silicosis claims have, in the last few years, aggregated $50,000,000 in New York State alone and have exceeded $300,000,000 in the United States. Attention is called to the involved nature of the insurance situation for industrial diseases in contrast to accidents. The indeterminant, insidious nature of silicosis makes it particularly difficult to predict necessary insurance premiums and reserves. The serious hazard of this disease was not properly appreciated by either insurance companies or industrialists, so sufficient study has not been given its causation, prevention, detection, treatment, and compensation. Therefore legal difficul-

Jan 1, 1934

By L. D. Godshall

A great deal has been written of late regarding the loss of silver in assaying; very discordant results have been published by different writers, and much uncertainty exists concerning even approximate losses in a careful determination of silver, as represented by a fire-assay. In the present paper it has been the aim of the writer to determine as accurately as possible the losses sustained by silver, under certain specified conditions, during the process of cupellation. Such losses are well known to be due to absorption by the cupel and volatilization. The conditions, however, which govern these losses are not believed by the writer to be so well understood. The most important of these are : 1. The effect of variable quantities of silver used. 2. The temperature of cupellation. 3. The character and quantity of impurities in the lead button. 4. The weight of the lead button. 5. The nature of the cupel. The following experiments were made for the purpose of demonstrating, as nearly as possible, the total loss of silver in cupellation under the most favorable conditions to be obtained in commercial assaying. Chemically pure silver and pure lead were taken. The latter was obtained from test-lead, first melted into a bar, from which pieces of the desired weight were cut and accurately weighed. The experiments recorded in this paper were planned by the writer, but executed throughout by Mr. J. N. Walker, whose ability as an accurate, careful and painstaking assayer is too well known and recognized throughout the West to require any further endorsement from me.

Jan 1, 1897

By SAMUEL GOMPERS

THE name engineer makes a very strong appeal to one who appreciates the mechanism underlying the fabric of our civilization. Engineers are scouts of civilization. We send them ahead into the lone 'places-the wilderness, the jungles, the great watery expanses, to build the highways necessary for civilized man. The engineers must deal with Nature, with that mysterious dynamic thing we call "force," with materials. It is their function to direct the human activity necessary to coordinate these forces and material in order to make them serve the needs and aspirations of men. Because of my high conception of the engineering profession I was glad to accept the invitation to address The American Society of Mechanical Engineers to voice my understanding of the possibilities of your work as engineers of industry, and to suggest what seems to me the responsibility of the-engineer to the whole modern industrial system.

Jan 1, 1921

By John Lohrenz

Consider an investor who, knowing future costs and revenues, can choose how rapidly to produce from a given mineral source. If the investor elects to make that choice to maximize present value of future profits, how do policies affect the choice? Various alternative policies are examined. Some, such as higher royalty rates, lead to slower production rates than would otherwise obtain. Clearly, the chosen rates of production are policy-dependent. One is wisely counseled to consider how mineral policies affect the rate of production from given sources when analyzing current and alternative policies.

Jan 1, 1982