Show DOLLAR SILVER while advices advises have not been received at this writing as to results obtaining from the conferences being held in washington between department heads and western mining representatives regarding the status of silver in the markets it is generally believed that it will not be long before a price closely approaching a dollar as a minimum will be established in this event greater activity will prevail in the silver producing sections of this country two or three years ago present prevailing prices of 86 cents would have been considered a harvest for silver producers now however with the high cost of labor material and supplies a loss would be experienced in many localities and as it is many properties are idle which could be profitably operated with the white metal near the dollar mark the highest quotation on silver in a period of sixty seven years was in 1859 at the beginning of the civil war when the average for the year was since then the decline has been gradual until a low was reached in 1909 when the quotation was 52 cents an ounce since then the rise has been gradual until a few weeks ago when the market touched this this figure greatly stimulated the effort to produce but before mine owners could get to the smelters shelters sm elters prices dropped again to much lower levels with the result that production was again stifled judging from all indications the production of silver will be sluggish and spasmodic until the market is settled at or near the dollar point and there is good reason to believe that this price will soon be permanently established at least for several years to come in the conferences at washington the subject of bimetallism has received but scant attention |