AVAILABLE SUPPLY OF ARSENIC LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TRANSMITTING IN RESPONSE TO A SENATE RESOLUTION OF JANUARY 16 (calendar day, January 18), 1923.-Referred to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and ordered to printed WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. Hon. CALVIN COOLIDGE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, President of the Senate. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: In response to Senate Resolution No. 377, copy of which was duly received by the department, I am transmitting herewith a joint report on the available supply of arsenic to meet the demand in 1923, by Mr. B. R. Coad, of the Bureau of Entomology of this department, and Mr. G. F. Loughlin, of the United States Geological Survey of the Interior Department. There is also inclosed a letter from the Secretary of the Interior transmitting the report to this department. Very truly yours, HENRY C. WALLACE, Secretary. LETTERS OF SUBMITTAL. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, The SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. Washington, January 15, 1923. SIR: Senate Resolution No. 377 provides that Whereas there is an emergency confronting the agricultural interests of the country in view of the difficulty in obtaining arsenical insecticides for alleviating the ravages of insect pests and especially the great need for calcium arsenate for the control of the boll weevil: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Bureau of Entomology, in cooperation with the Department of the Interior, through the United States Geological Survey, is hereby authorized and directed to investigate the supply of white arsenic in the United States and the possible development of additional sources of supply and to report the same to Congress at the earliest possible time. I transmit herewith a copy of a letter from the Acting Director of the Geological Survey submitting, pursuant to the resolution above mentioned, a joint report on the available supply of arsenic to meet the demand in 1923, by Hon. B. R. Coad, of the Bureau of Entomology, Department of Agriculture, and G. F. Loughlin, of the United States Geological Survey, with a view to its consideration and transmission to Congress. Respectfully, ALBERT B. FALL, Secretary. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. SIR: I transmit herewith a joint report on the available supply of arsenic to meet the demand in 1923, by B. R. Coad, of the Bureau of Entomology, Department of Agriculture, and G. F. Loughlin, of the United States Geological Survey. This report was prepared in accordance with Senate Resolution No. 377, and it is requested that after approval you forward it to the Secretary of Agriculture for transmittal to Congress. Respectfully, M. R. CAMPBELL, Acting Director. 3 REPORT ON AVAILABLE SUPPLY OF ARSENIC TO SUPPLY THE DEMAND IN 1923. (By B. R. COAD, Bureau of Entomology, Department of Agriculture, and G. F. LOUGHLIN, United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.) SUMMARY. Increase in demand for calcium arsenate is mainly responsible for the present shortage of white arsenic. Domestic production in 1922 was greater than in any preceding year except 1920, but took place mostly in the last third of the year, when there remained insufficient time to satisfy the urgent demand for calcium arsenate, which extends to May or June, 1923. Imports have been very low during 1922 and not much improvement is to be expected during the first part of 1923. Minimum annual requirements of white arsenic amount to about 12,000 short tons, more than three-fourths of which are needed during the first four months. Domestic producers can supply this quantity, but not fast enough to meet the early requirements of 1923. Every effort is being made by producers and manufacturers to meet these requirements, and considerable arsenic that would ordinarily be used for other compounds is to be diverted to calcium arsenate. Both domestic and imported white arsenic is already largely sold up to April, 1923, and the average price for the advance domestic sales is about 9 cents a pound. The very recent rapid advances in price have evidently been due to manipulation of small lots of imported arsenic, too small to affect seriously the total quantity of arsenic available. Rumors that large stocks of white arsenic are being held by speculators are unfounded. Production will no doubt be adequate to meet the requirements of 1924 and subsequent years, if the market is sufficiently stable to encourage producers. A standing committee representing producers, manufacturers, and interested bureaus of the Federal Government has been appointed to study ways and means of stabilizing the market. In view of the increasing industrial importance of arsenic, it is proposed that a comprehensive cooperative study be made by appropriate Government bureaus of the occurrence, reserves, production, and utilization of arsenic. Introduction. The following report has been prepared in accordance with a resolution passed by Congress recently, authorizing and directing the Bureau of Entomology, Department af Agriculture, and the United States Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, to investigate the available supplies of arsenic in the United States, Mr. B. R. Coad, of the first-named bureau, and Mr. G. F. |