Show INCREASED DEMAND FOR COPPER united states investor figures just made public by the united states geological survey indicate a still further advance in the great growth of copper production in the united states the announcement that the total copper product of this country for the year 1905 amounted to pounds of a value of contrasts strongly with the fact that less than of a century ago our production was only about tons As last years product amounts in round numbers to tons it would appear that during this comparatively ively short space of time we have increased the volume of our output nearly fifteen fiftena times today we produce over half of the total worlds supply of the metal the remarkable character of the growth within recent years is clearly shown in the figures for production since 1898 these according to mr charles kirchhoff of the united states geological survey are as follows 1898 pounds 1899 pounds 1900 pounds 1901 pounds 1902 pounds 1903 pounds 1904 pounds 1905 pounds how far this growth will continue for the future it is difficult to say the extent of the worlds needs appears to be almost unlimited according to some estimates the world demand for the metal in 1920 will run as high as tons this means a remarkable future development of mineral wealth in the united states if we can hold our own as a producer and of this there seems to be comparatively little doubt it is evident that considerably increasing amounts of new product will come from certain districts in alaska while the prospective developments in cal california 1 forn lai arizona wyoming and some sections of the south indicate that large new supplies cn be relied on from these quarters MO moreover rover there seems thus far to be no immediate imme diat limit to the improvements in raining mining e con e cent rating and smelting smelling sm elting which to a grow gro ing extent are making available ver very y ex bodies of low grade ore and are re ren dering the copper industry less dependent dependent upon the discovery and life of individual rich deposits the capacity of the industry to meet the demands upon it can be ap preci abed from the fact that this Y years ars increase indrea e in production over last amounts to about pounds notwithstanding th that at a year ago the increase was calculated at about with a total production ot pounds in view as a possibility merely in connection with the large increase ot 01 the output of this metal and with the continued interest in copper securities it is worth while to note that the tendency to the concentration of capital in the industry already so often called attention to is not diminishing mini shing but is rather on the increase this is not altogether the outcome of spee spec and financial operations but is in part the result of the development and operation of low grade properties calling very large capital investments the most efficient plants are undoubtedly coming even more and more to be the largest plants As new and rich deposits are discovered there will still be opportunity for the investment of capital on a smaller scale but the con linued good price of the metal necessarily means a continuance and growth in the large scale operation of well situated but low grade properties |