MINERAL PRODUCTION.
The mineral productions of all kinds sum up to a value of $138,513 750 in 1915, repre senting an advance of 7.49 per cent over the previous year, but a falling off of $7,121,062 as compared with that of 1913, the year of greatest prosperity. The falling off in 1914 was due to the general collapse of the world's in dustries because of the war, and one may con fidently expect the usual advance in output when peace is restored and conditions become normal again.
The following table, showing the produc tion at five-year intervals, illustrates the rapidity of the increase since statistics have been kept by the Geological Survey : 1886(firstyearcistatistics) S10.221,255 1888. 12,518,894 1893 20,035,082 1898 38,697,021 1903 63.226,510 1908 85,927,802 1913 145.634,812 From this table it will be seen that the mineral industries of Canada increased the value of their output more than eleven-fold in the 25 years between 1888 and 1913, often nearly doubling in the five-year intervals, an almost unexampled advance. That the rate of
increase will be as rapid in years to come can scarcely be expected, but so little of the area of Canada has yet been carefully explored that many important discoveries may be looked for as the great northern regions are mapped and opened up.
Sources of Statistical in formation as to the mineral production of the country as a whole may be found in the annual reports of the Geological Survey of Canada, Department of Mines, compiled by John Mc Leish, and in the annual volumes of the Min eral Industry. The mining departments of the provinces of Nova Scotia,_ Que Ontario and British Columbia also publis ann re ports of much value in which information is given as to their special mining industries. The statistical materials for this paper have been largely drawn from these sources.