| Show COPPER consumption IN RESTRAINT in an analytical review of the copper metal situation the new york financial review of august estimates the present production of the metal at about pounds per month or pounds more than during the months of 1920 imports of foreign metal it is estimated would raise the total monthly production to pounds or pounds annually while the total estimated consumption is figured as being not in excess of pounds monthly half of which is exported the significant point in the review as it affects the copper producer produce rand and the consumer of the metal is found in the following paragraph probably the most formidable factor tending to hold copper consumption at minimum requirements i cements is the unwarrantedly wide spread between the price of the semi semi f fabricated abrica ted or finished product and the raw material against electrolytic copper selling around 14 cents a pound copper sheets are quoted at 21 cents a pound base a spread of 7 cents one mining company which was finding it difficult to sell its output at 14 cents a pound was forced to pay a poun pound for some copper woodscrews wood screws similar instances without number may be be cited in comparison the zinc rollers are asking only 74 cents a pound for their sheets with the raw commodity posted at 64 cents the spread in this case amounts on only ak to 1 cents or 20 per cent of that in the case of copper although the latter is is easier to roll it certainly would seem that if the maker of zinc zin c sheets was satisfied with a spread of lc per pound the maker of copper sheets and other semi fabricated products of copper would be justified in trimming his margin to a poin point t that would stimulate consumption at home and abroad if something of the kind is not done the prediction is made that the copper mining industry ind will be worse off than it was during the first half of last year as regards surplus stocks of the metal within six months this killing the goose 6 croose yi pastime is becoming alto altogether 11 ether too prevalent in most fields of human endeavor it should be stopped before all the geese are dead |
