v] <9 //, ^1 % /^ '^ y IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 !f» 28 1^ I.I 112.5 M 2.0 1.25 U IIIIII.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 ^'"4', <" 4SPx '«/ Lcum sfilr ent e ned at the reduction ratio checked below/ St f\\pn6 au taux do Eduction indiqu6 ci-dessous 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X 1 _v/ ■ 1 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X 9 B du lodifier r une Image The copy filmed here hes been reproduced therms to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illu*trated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. 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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. rrata to pelure, n d □ 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 6 - 6 f<^> •^^ \ 'nJ \ vj m mm, m^m. ih\ll ?^ickel n^tte Ik' S'jbjedtsJ to b a.D ExpOii 0'jtv? ^ . , fj ■s,„ THE NICKEL QUESTION. Shall Nickel Matte be subjected to an Export Duty? HISTORY OF THE NICKEL INDUSTRY. The almost accidental discovery of ore bearing copper and nickel near Sudbury, Ont., during; the construction of the Canadian l^acific Railway in that section of the country in iSSi and 181S2, has led to the development of a locally important industry ; the life of which is seriously tl^r.catcncd by restrictive legislation. The dcvclopeinent of the fir^t mine, namely, the Copper Cliff, situated near Sudbury, Ont., was slow and uncer- tain in its progress, ar.d ii was not until- 1888 that the first blast furnace was put in o])era,tion. In 1889 the industry was further developed by the working of the Dominion Mineral Co. at Blezzard (one furnace), and the II. FI. Vivian Co. at Murray Mine, (two furnaces), and later one furnace h^.itig operated by the Trill Mining Co., in the Township of Trill. These com- panies operated for the period of aI)out three \'ears. Since 1895 The Canadian Copper Co. has alone continued in tiic field, the other three companies having withdrawn, at least for a time, from active oi)eration. During the above tin ; The Canadian Coppei Co more than once ceased to produce matte in order to work off their stocks on hand. One of the main reasons wh}- this Canadian industry has lived at all is bcause the United States Congress has permitted the importation of matte free of duty. The competitor against which the Canadian nnnes and smelters are struggling is the Le Nickel Co., ( f New Caledonia, which coinpaiiy has until lunv sincltcd ami refined its pioduct in Scotland, France and (icnnan)'. Recently, however, they have seen fit to change their j)lace of smekint^ to the site of the mines, namely. New Caledonia. This fact will materially lessen the cost of reducing their ores, and will make thcivi more than ever till" competitor ofour Canadiati com[)anics in tlvj markets of Knj^lancl and Kuropc, as will as tin: United States. Ihis competition under former conditions has b ot the companies owning large plant and mines near Sudbur\' also owned and ojjcratcd its fjwn re- fining plant at Swan.sea. Wales, and are among the largest and most expert metal refiners in the world. That this company did not .see fit to refine its matte in Canada when it felt the keenness of the competition necessitating the shutting down of its Canadian plant is proof that the conditions arc against the profitable refining of the matte in Canada. Then again there is practicall)' no market in Canada for the metal and naturally the refining was done where it could be sold. The Canadian producer is in as good a position to secure the linglish and Continental market without as with an export duty on the matte while an ex{)ort duty would debar him largely or wholly from the American market which is becomin<^' yearly of more and more importance The com{)anie.s at present and which have heretofore refined copper and nickel mattes have- also bc^en refiners of copper on a large scale as well as of other metals whjch enables them to refine nickel cheaper than thev otherwise could. The competition of the N>\v Caledonia nickel, is an increasingly serious phase of the question and the present improvements in the methods of this foreign product makes it imperative that the domestic producers be not injuriously in- terfered with, if nickel mining and smelting is to survive in Canada. The New Caledonia Co. have many advantages over its Canadian competitgn-;. Their freight rates are much lower than those of the .Sudbury district, one being wholly marine the other a long inland rail road haul. Again the difference in the grade and nature of the ore^he New Caledonia being a silicate of simple and eas)- reduction, while the Canadian is a complex sulphide more ditticult and costly to mine and requiring more complicated, exi)ensive and skillful methods of reduction and separation. The cost of producing metallic nickel from the Sudbury ore is about twice- that of [)roducing metal from the New Caledonia ore. The history C)f the metal industry in Canada does not show that an export duty has ever been im- posed to assist in its development. 1 he attitude of the iJominion and Provincial Governments with regard to the Pig Iron industr\- has been in the direction of aiding and festering it by means of a bonus. The nickel industry has not l(Kjked for financial assistance for the establishment of an\' branch of the business, and it is in its best interest that no restrictive legislation be enacted against it, as owing to the keen competition it would require but very little obstruction to result in the closing down of the remaining Canadian furnaces ; as evidence of this it can bv printed out that at present and for some years past four out of six v'anadian furnaces have been idle. As loiei^ai competition has hcen so keen as to compel such a restriction in the Canadian industry, it may certainly be depended on that the same competition will force the location of the refineries at the point where the matte can be most cheaply refined and marketed to tht; best advantage. As further evidence, it can be shown that the present price of nickel is over fifty per cent, less than five years ago and values are still falling. It is possible that an export duty on nickel matte may be met by the Congress of the United States in such a manner as to largely or wholly exclude Canadian nickel froin the United States. Canada would thereby lose one of her surest and best customers of this metal. Nor would the imposition of an export duty on th : matte be of advantage lo any new company starting in to conpetc in the nickel markets as under the present conditions all are free alike to enter the open iTiarkets of the world with their product. i3 I