| Show COPPER production IN 1907 showing the largest decrease that has H as ever been recorded the production of copper in the united states in 1907 according to reports returned by the smelters shelters sm elters of the country to the united states geological survey amounted to pounds the production in 1906 compiled on the same basis was pounds and that of 1905 was pounds from the record production of 1906 the output for 1907 shows a decrease of pounds or 53 per cent this is the largest actual decrease ever recorded and is the largest relative decrease since 1886 when the percentage of decrease was 55 in 1907 for the first time since 1901 the production was smaller than that of the preceding year and for the first time since 1872 the production was smaller than for the second preceding year the smelter output chosen by the survey as representative of the copper output of the country is made up of the production of blister copper and of furnace refined or so called ingot copper of michigan plus the michigan copper cast into anodes for electrolysis it thus consists of the final product of the distinctly smelting smelling sm elting operations and does not include the product of any additional a dit ional distinctly refining process the figures of smelter production for 1907 are based on direct returns made confidentially to the geological survey by all but one of the known smelting smelling sm elting t companies that handled united states ores concentrates or mattes in 1907 mine and smelter returns compared the quantity of copper given as the output of the mines of the united states in 1907 based on reports collected by field agents of the geological survey from all mining companies in the country which produced copper during the year was pounds a quantity 25 per cent less than the product of the smelters shelters sm elters for the same period by far the greater portion of the mines output is treated directly in smelters shelters sm elters owned by or having some connection with the mining companies and this large part of the mine production is reported on practically the same basis as the smelter production but many of the mine returns are based on the actual or estimated recovery from the ore shipped from the mines during the year whereas the smelter returns indicate the quantity of copper actually turned out at the reduction works in that period jn in a state like montana therefore operation of the smelters shelters sm elters at full capacity for a few days after the mines had begun to reduce shipments would account for a distinct excess in smelter output over that reported from the mines this fact that when curtailment of production had once been decided on the mines were able to execute the plan more promptly than the smelters shelters sm elters is responsible for the greater part of the difference between mine and smelter production of copper in 1907 in 1906 when mine and smelter production were conducted at practically the same rate returns from the two sources were in very close correspondence spon dence the mine output being only 09 per cent less than the production of the smelters shelters sm elters A second cause of the difference in favor of the smelter figures is the fact that the smelters shelters sm elters recover more copper than the mines are paid for the difference on this account is smaller than that due to other causes but it is especially important in states like colorado where the greater part of the production is from custom ores generally low in copper |
