| Show montana review ew for year ANACONDA STANDARD the annual reports of state mining inspector W B orem and of deputy mining inspector mcgrath have been issued they take up fifty five typewritten pages and are the most extensive review of mining developments in montana that have been prepared this year A feature of the report is that dealing with accidents in the mines the rules for the prevention of accidents issued by the anaconda copper mining company and which are based on many years of experience and the most thorough research by its safety first department are printed in full and will be circulated among the miners of every part of montana A complete list of fatal and serious accidents with the causes in the past two years is given with the names of the killed and injured A table covering the number of mines inspected number of men employed in those mines the fatal and non fatal accidents and percentage of fatal accidents to the number of men employed is given covering every year from 1893 to and including 1916 percentage of accidents this shows mines inspected in the past year employing men with six ty two fatal accidents twenty eight nonfatal and a percentage of per thousand men employed as against in 1915 and in 1914 the pennsylvania fire was largely responsible for the increase the report of deputy inspector mcgrath shows at the present time men working underground in the mines of silver bow county about on the surface and in the mills or a total of in the district there was paid out tor for labor in the month of september A review of zinc mining in butte with details of what has been done i in n tie the I 1 pa past S t year by the anaconda company the butte superior and the elm orlu company follows number of employed Emp loyes in butte tables are given showing the number of nien men employed underground the number employed on the surface and the total number employed in all the butte mines according to this table the anaconda company employs underground 2326 on the surface and a total of the butte superior employs 1300 men underground and in the mill and on the surface the elm orlu employs men underground and sixty on the surface the east butte employs men underground and on the surface the depths of the shafts are shown with the development work of the year according to the table the following depths have been added in the past year diamond feet buffalo feet berkeley feet east colusa calusa feet badger state feet moose feet granite mountain feet butte london feet butte zenith feet black rock no 2 1500 feet black rock no 3 1500 1600 feet parnell shaft 1000 feet cora reet feet nettle nettie feet and pennsylvania air shaft NO feet granite mountain deepest the deepest shaft in the district now is the granite mountain with a depth of feet and the diamond second at feet A review of the progress in all the mines of the state outside of butte is also given this covers sixteen typewritten pages A section of the report is devoted to the growth of the zinc industry outside of butte it shows the increase in the zinc output from tons of zinc ores in 1915 to tons in 1916 the description and history of the anaconda zinc refinery at great falls is also given A chapter is devoted to ventilation of mines and electric power and another to the workings of the compensation act since the report was prepared the move of germany for peace was made in the light of these developments the introductory part of the report is of particular interest at this time mr orem says future of copper industry rapid as has teen been the growth of agriculture and kindred industries in montana of recent years mining is still king this is no mere sentimental statement no flitting fancy based on illusion it is a fact and the figures summing up the year 1916 will prove it the year proved the greatest from an industrial standpoint in history and of lall the varied industries mining shows the hadvance lad vance when gross value of the output is considered such figures are amazing the story they tell covers the workings of a vast industry in a young but virile state one that is growing into a strong giant in the union of states not less interesting than the gross figures showing the states mineral output are the figures showing the increase in this mineral output of gain over 1915 the increase in value of the mineral output of 1916 over that of 1915 was great increase Inc mease there was a great incentive for this tremendous increase the high price of metals and the ready demand account in a large part for the extra efforts of the mining companies to mine their ore in the largest quantities possible in keeping with good mining methods never before in the count rys history has there been such demand for the ma jor metals and also for the most of the minor metals the war involving many nations in europe created an abnormal demand germany has been barred from trading in our markets since august 1914 and yet with the loss of germanys germanas Germ anys trade for the life of the war the demands of the allies for metal for purposes far exceed any foreign demand heretofore known production records smashed all records have been smashed in the mineral producing line at the time this report is written late in the year copper is bringing from 30 to 35 cents for spot delivery zinc is selling around 11 and 12 cents lead is quoted at from 6 to 7 cents a pound and bar silver at 73 cents an ounce the highest for many years such prices mean more for mineral producing states that mere words can tell montana is perhaps feeling the impulse of the great metal market more than any of her sister states the prices just told resulted in the record production the copper production of this our treasure state will be far and away above the pound mark the zinc production will be about two thirds in pounds of the copper production montana in 1916 is producing more silver than since the pal silver days when the white metal was selling above a dollar an ounce and the state is also a liberal producer of lead while the gold output in 1916 will be the best in years arizona still leads montana is second only to arizona in mineral production As before stated copper is the leading metal while the growth of the zinc industry has robbed silver ot of second position in value and placed the white metal third on the list without the slightest desire to belittle any other industry it is of interest to note that mining tops any other two industries combined in montana figures show that the value of the mineral output in 1916 exceeds the value of the farms and the stock growing industries combined the mineral output was in excess of the value of these two when one considers the contrast from all its angles the figures named are almost beyond comprehension for instance montana is the third biggest state in the union having about square miles and 40 acres of land available for agricultural purposes buttes great record yet the butte district alone with its less than four square miles produces more in mineral value than all the farm lands of the huge state combined produce how far reaching the mining industry Is and what it means to the life and growth of the state the average person cannot understand der stand one must be conversant with the facts else the mere statements herein published may seem like empty words so astounding toun ding is their meaning how many people living in rural communities realize that the mines mills and smelters shelters sm elters of montana not including the coal mines give direct employment to persons the highest paid laborers in the world how many people appreciate the fact that the mines of butte and the works of anaconda and great falls directly feed and clothe more than of the states population and that at the time of the last census this constituted about one third of the states population two thirds of the states output comes from the butte district the payroll of this district is the largest in the world for a city of equal population the butte hill upon and around which the remarkable mining district is established has given to the world in copper ore and it is estimated many tima time s that quantity yet lie stored beneath the cites streets in short all of the producing mines of the state could be located upon one big healthy farm such as many of prosperous farmers own it is gratifying to note that the old prejudice of the country man farmer or cattle raiser against the mining districts is dying out formerly a keen feeling of distrust was rampant in the state one section for the other this was based largely upon misunderstanding and misconception of the actual facts it used to be argued by the residents of the cow counties 2 that the big mining companies dug out the metals sold them and sent all the proceeds east to enrich wealthy stockholders such is a long way from the truth much profits stay here the facts are that for every 3 taken from the ground of montana in the form of mineral wealth 2 remain in the state slate and from to are aid out by the mining companies of montana each year for labor and supplies the immense amount of money goes into the channels of trade right here in this state that money taken from montana ground goes to pay montana men for their labor and to pay the montana farmer and other producers for their supplies the mining centers of montana are the states largest consuming districts statistics show that the city of butte alone with its citizens consumes as much as other cities of nearly double that size the products or a large part of them come from montana farms and montana valleys hay grain fruit meats dairy products pour into butte in wholesale quantities in return the mining district takes the money it receives for a large part of its mineral output and pays for these same products it is reciprocity that is logical and natural it means that the mining districts of montana need the agricultural districts and by the same sign the agricultural districts need the aid of the mining districts all are part and parcel of the great commonwealth of montana and if they cooperate as they should for the advancement and up building of montana the state will shortly take its place at the very top of the list in wealth power and prestige the mining companies and the farmers pay more in the way of taxes to maintain the state than any of the other industries the anaconda company for the year 1916 will pay more than this being the largest of many companies that contribute their share |
