Show DEPLETION OF ORE RESERVES we ordinarily think of depletion of ore reser reserves i ive i s as ref referring erring only to ore that is removed from the aroun ground d converted on into metal and sold but there is another form of depletion that has been taking place during the last few years t that hat is really serious says the manufacturer this is the rock that was once ore but due to higher costs freight taxes lower efficiency shortage of labor and other causes can no longer be mined at a profit and hence is no longer ore every time we add a little onto costs every time we add to our government expenditures we lop off ore reserves that might have been used to give employment to labor keep camps going a longer period and to buy supplies 1 this is not the only bad feature this wealth of low grade material possibly developed at a time when it could have been considered ore has to have cost of its development written off it is now a standing change agai against ast that rock justified at the time it was incurred but since rendered valueless every time anything is written off an increased charge must be made against that which remains remains and as this charge increases it makes less possible a profit on higher grade ores every time we increase increase the cost of mining increase taxes etc we might an well think how much of our natural wealth is this going to wipe out |