for petroleum; and collection of data on the consumption of fuel oil, range oil, and kerosene. Establishment of headquarters for the Bureau's metallurgical work at Salt Lake City made laboratory and pilot-plant facilities readily accessible to mining industries of the West. Much attention is being focused upon methods of recovering important metals from low-grade or off-grade ores. Laboratory tests of an electrothermal process for producing magnesium metal from magnesite have been encouraging. Preliminary investigations of the characteristics of manganese made by the Bureau of Mines electrolytic method were followed by tests of this material in a series of manganese alloys. Economic studies of metals endeavor to promote orderly development of domestic resources by providing data on production, consumption, and stocks of virgin material as well as reporting the results of canvasses on consumption and stocks of ferrous and nonferrous scrap. At several experiment stations the Bureau is applying ore-dressing methods to domestic nonmetallic minerals to produce satisfactory grades of ingredients for a wide variety of commodities, formerly supplied from abroad. Almost any type of clay-working properties can be developed from domestic materials. It is of especial interest that North Carolina alaskite has been found to be a potential substitute for British Cornwall stone and that domestic olivine can be used instead of imported magnesite in refractories. Special economic data were compiled on nonmetallic minerals that must now be obtained from domestic sources. The 1940 edition of Minerals Yearbook, the Bureau's annual review of sources, production, distribution, and stocks of minerals comprises 69 chapters, about two-thirds of which have been published as preprints. No annual report of the Bureau of Mines would be complete without a brief summary, at least, of special services performed upon request for Federal and State agencies and the mineral industries. This year added burdens were entailed by work requisitioned in connection with the defense emergency. An unusual number of requests concerned petroleum. Bureau specialists prepared comprehensive reports on petroleum production and manufacture for a subcommittee of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and for the National Resources Planning Board. For the Biological Survey, they studied the effects of an uncontrolled oil well on a Texas waterfowl refuge and, for the War Department, the results of building a dam that would inundate Oklahoma oil-bearing lands. Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma asked for help in disposing of oil-field brines. Power-plant and fuel-efficiency surveys were made for Federal establishments and the District of Columbia Government, acceptance tests of new equipment were conducted, and shipments of coal for Government use inspected. Twenty pieces of electrical equipment were tested for the Navy. Small mine owners were told how to operate their properties safely and economically. New flow sheets that would improve the recovery and quality of the products were designed for ore-dressing establishments. Explosives were tested for safety at the request of State mine inspectors, mine operators, and manufacturers. In cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority, work was continued on the electric firing of a wide range of ceramics. including brick, china, and sanitary wares. Important statistical information was supplied by Bureau of Mines economists. Monthly canvasses to show the domestic situation regarding five strategic minerals were undertaken at the urgent request of the Army and Navy Munitions Board, and only lack of funds and personnel prevented expansion of the series to cover all minerals on the strategic and critical lists. Services to the secondary-metals industries were expanded at their request. The last 5 reports of a series of 14 on mineral technology and output per man, prepared in cooperation with the Work Projects Administration, were completed; these discussed petroleum, bituminous-coal mechanization, gold placers, iron ore, and rock drilling. Inquiries from trade organizations and producers on the export coal trade were handled promptly. Lists of producers and buyers of minerals were furnished on request. The Bureau of Mines endeavors to promote safety by accident prevention and improvement of working conditions and has issued the usual series of reports on mine accidents. Because falls of rock and coal cause a large proportion of all deaths in mines the Bureau has made searching tests to establish methods of detecting subaudible sound waves that precede collapse of mine pillars. Dust-prevention studies and complementary investigations of respiratory devices to be worn in dusty atmospheres are continuing problems of the Bureau. During the year X-ray methods for determining free silica were improved, and the safe handling of explosive dusts that may be used for fuel was studied. The Bureau has also suggested the use of helium in cyclopropane anesthesia as a means of avoiding gas explosions in operating rooms and administration of helium-oxygen mixtures to avoid "ear-block" among caisson workers. Ventilation is tremendously important to the efficiency of all workers. In 1940 the Bureau not only considered ways of determining and guarding against harmful dusts, as mentioned above, but checked the efficiency of mine ventilation by analyzing 1,400 samples of mine air and gas. Mechanized coal mining is being studied with special emphasis on safe operation of equipment. Permissibility tests of electrical apparatus for use in mechanized mines provide mine owners with rigid standards for safe operation. To establish more definitely the cause of mine explosions, the Bureau during 1940 made 1,619 gallery tests to determine whether samples of explosives would ignite explosive air-gas mixtures, conducted 1,050 explosives-control tests, and studied the processes by which explosives ignite firedamp. The Bureau's safety and health personnel and equipment continued to be on call in emergencies and were in their usual demand. At the request of the West Virginia Department of Mines a special course in rescue training was conducted for 481 applicants for coal-mine foremen's certificates. Bureau of Mines safety instructors completed the 100-percent first-aid training asked by 205 mineral establishments, assisted at 60 first-aid meets, and attended 790 safety meetings. During 1940, 93,878 persons were instructed in first aid and since 1910 first-aid and rescue courses totaling 1,361,465 have been given, including 986,467 to members of the coal industry alone. Perhaps the most widely known features of Bureau of Mines safety work are its rescue and recovery operations after mine disasters, especially where lives are at stake. During 1940 Bureau engineers were asked to give assistance at or to investigate 18 mine explosions, 28 mine fires, and 78 miscellaneous accidents. Three of the explosions were major disasters, costing 191 lives in all; these catastrophes were all the more shocking because they followed a fiscal year in which not 1 major disaster occurred. If the mines in which these 3 disasters took place had fully complied with the Bureau's recommendations on safety in operation, especially rock dusting, the loss of life would have been materially reduced. FUTURE WORK The preceding summary of Bureau of Mines activities for the past fiscal year proves that its threefold program of safety, conservation, and research has almost unlimited ramifications. During the coming year the Bureau, in addition to continuing or extending much of the work listed above, plans to undertake the following new projects, as far as its personnel and resources permit : In the field of metallurgy a comprehensive program for the beneficiation of manganese ores has been planned with the objective of recover Power-plant and fuel-efficiency surveys were made for Federal establishments and the District of Columbia Government, acceptance tests of new equipment were conducted, and shipments of coal for Government use inspected. Twenty pieces of electrical equipment were tested for the Navy. Small mine owners were told how to operate their properties safely and economically. New flow sheets that would improve the recovery and quality of the products were designed for ore-dressing establishments. Explosives were tested for safety at the request of State mine inspectors, mine operators, and manufacturers. In cooperation with the Tennessee Valley Authority, work was continued on the electric firing of a wide range of ceramics, including brick, china, and sanitary wares. Important statistical information was supplied by Bureau of Mines economists. Monthly canvasses to show the domestic situation regarding five strategic minerals were undertaken at the urgent request of | the Army and Navy Munitions Board, and only lack of funds and personnel prevented expansion of the series to cover all minerals on the strategic and critical lists. Services to the secondary-metals industries were expanded at their request. The last 5 reports of a series of 14 on mineral technology and output per man, prepared in cooperation with the Work Projects Administration, were completed; these discussed petroleum, bituminous-coal mechanization, gold placers, iron ore, and rock drilling. Inquiries from trade organizations and producers on the export coal trade were handled promptly. Lists of producers and buyers of minerals were furnished on request. The Bureau of Mines endeavors to promote safety by accident prevention and improvement of working conditions and has issued the usual series of reports on mine accidents. Because falls of rock and coal cause a large proportion of all deaths in mines the Bureau has made searching tests to establish methods of detecting subaudible sound waves that precede collapse of mine pillars. Dust-prevention studies and complementary investigations of respiratory devices to be worn in dusty atmospheres are continuing problems of the Bureau. During the year X-ray methods for determining free silica were improved, and the safe handling of explosive dusts that may be used for fuel was studied. The Bureau has also suggested the use of helium in cyclopropane anesthesia as a means of avoiding gas explosions in operating rooms and administration of helium-oxygen mixtures to avoid "ear-block” among caisson workers. Ventilation is tremendously important to the efficiency of all workers. In 1940 the Bureau not only considered ways of determining and guarding against harmful dusts, as mentioned above, but checked the efficiency of mine ventilation by analyzing 1,400 samples of mine air and gas. Mechanized coal mining is being studied with special emphasis on safe operation of equipment. Permissibility tests of electrical apparatus for use in mechanized mines provide mine owners with rigid standards for safe operation. To establish more definitely the cause of mine explosions, the Bureau during 1940 made 1,619 gallery tests to determine whether samples of explosives would ignite explosive air-gas mixtures, conducted 1,050 explosives-control tests, and studied the processes by which explosives ignite firedamp. The Bureau's safety and health personnel and equipment continued to be on call in emergencies and were in their usual demand. At the request of the West Virginia Department of Mines a special course in rescue training was conducted for 481 applicants for coal-mine foremen's certificates. Bureau of Mines safety instructors completed the 100-percent first-aid training asked by 205 mineral establishments, assisted at 60 first-aid meets, and attended 790 safety meetings. During 1940, 93,878 persons were instructed in first aid and since 1910 first-aid and rescue courses totaling 1,361,465 have been given, including 986,467 to members of the coal industry alone. Perhaps the most widely known features of Bureau of Mines safety work are its rescue and recovery operations after mine disasters, especially where lives are at stake. During 1940 Bureau engineers were asked to give assistance at or to investigate 18 mine explosions, 28 mine fires, and 78 miscellaneous accidents. Three of the explosions were major disasters, costing 191 lives in all; these catastrophes were all the more shocking because they followed a fiscal year in which not 1 major disaster occurred. If the mines in which these 3 disasters took place had fully complied with the Bureau's recommendations on safety in operation, especially rock dusting, the loss of life would have been materially reduced. FUTURE WORK The preceding summary of Bureau of Mines activities for the past fiscal year proves that its threefold program of safety, conservation, and research has almost unlimited ramifications. During the coming year the Bureau, in addition to continuing or extending much of the work listed above, plans to undertake the following new projects, as far as its personnel and resources permit: In the field of metallurgy a comprehensive program for the beneficiation of manganese ores has been planned with the objective of recover |