m* 398837
 OCT 9 1933


FOREWORD


 The Minerals Yearbook of the United States Bureau of Mines now appears for
the first ' time. It is designed to supply timely statistical information
regarding all commercially important minerals.
 This new volume takes the place of various former publications,. including
"Mineral Resources of the United States", which has been issued annually
for half a century; it also renders unnecessary various interim summaries,
and presents all this material in more usable form at an earlier date.
 The fast pace of modem business necessitates prompt release of basic statistical
information. The Bureau has been working in that direction. During recent
years it has given those engaged in the mineral industry these annual services:
(1) Preliminary mimeographed reviews of facts and figures pertaining to each
important mineral, generally in January; (2) more complete summaries of each
pro'duct, generally issued 3 to 8 months after the end of the year ' concerned;
(3) highly accurate final figures in chapters and volumes
printed 1 to 3 years later, a delay largely due to tardiness of many '  operators
in supplying final figures.
 Greater convenience to the public is a feature of the change; the yearbook
is issued a relatively short time after the close of the year with which
it deals, and it presents concisely in a single volume all essential data,
arranged in a' form well adapted to ready reference. A substantial reduction
in the cost of publication will result, so the
sales price set by the Superintendent of Documents should be ' 
cOrrespondingly low. '  '  '  The first volume ' bears the two dates 1932—33
in order that statistical records for each mineral may be carried forward
.unbroken; this is necessitated by the fact that no Mineral Resources volume
for 1932 will be issued. Subsequent yearbooks will bear t)ie date of the
year of publication in accordance with common practice.
 Virtually all copies bought by the Bureau will be distributed free to reference
libraries and educational institutions; due to the necessity
for economy, even this number wifi be small. However, copies may '  be purchased
by anyone at moderate cost from the Superintendent of
Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., to which official
is delegated the sale of all Government publi'cations. Needless to say, that
agency is in no way connected with the Bureau of Mines, and no money derived
from sales reverts to the Bureau.
 In most instances final statistics are given herein; where annual canvasses
are not complete, figures are subject to slight revision, as indicated in
footnotes~ Funds permitting, all final chapters may also be printed as separate
pamphlets for distribution to those whose interests are confined to single
commodities. Where final figures are not available when the Mmerals Yearbook
goes to press, leaflets containing final statistics may be issued later.