4- MINING As far as our mining is concerned, iron ore, copper, and coking coal were hard hit in 1958 but recovered rapidly toward the end of the year, and the outlook is encouraging for 1959. Uranium exists in an artificial economy and is immune to ordinary cyclical influences. It is not however without its impact on the economy, for the uranium industry has reached a stature where it has an annual production having a greater dollar value than lead and zinc. This rate of activity is fairly well underwritten by the government until 1966. After that date in a world at peace the demand for uranium from private sources will probably be substantially below the ability of the mines to produce unless the economic factors of producing power from uranium are substantially improved.