Show depletion of ore reserves we ordinarily ordin arly arIy think of depletion of ore reserves as referring only to ore that la Is removed from the ground converted into metal and sold but there is another form ot of depletion that has been taken place during the last few years that is really serious this is the rock that was once ore but due to higher costs freight taxes lower efficiency shortage ot of labor and ither aher causes can no io longer nger be mined tit at a profit and hence Is no longer ore 1 every every time we addla adda add a little on to costs every time we add N to J our government expenditures we lop off ore Ie serveS I 1 that might have been used to give employment to labor keep camps going a longer period and to buy supplies 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 0 of its development written off it is now a standing charge against that rock justified at the time I 1 it was incurred but since rendered valueless every time anything is written off an increased charge must be made agai against fist that which remains i and as this charge increases it makes less possible a profit on higher grade ores every time we increase the cost of 0 mining increase taxes etc we might well think how much of our natural wealth is this going to wipe out |