Show THE ADVANCE IN SILVER one of the most unexpected incidents of the year to the greater part of the financial and commercial world says the united states investor is the marked advance adinie in the price of silver bullion to a point higher than has obtained since the great bryan contest of 1896 when politicians both here and abroad still retained a shred of hope that bimetallism might be arranged for by international convention it has been known to all who have observed the course of production and consumption of the white metal that there was no appreciable surplus at any given time industrial purposes take an in creasing quantity of the annual product the natural requirements of gold standard countries for subsidiary coinages coi nages are a steady factor and the opening up of the orient is making new channels for its use for monetary purposes where gold is not used it is the last named demand that came upon the market and meeting no increased supply forced prices pric S upward for the production has been not only naturally but in a measure artificially ally limited the great sources of supply are for the greater part under control of a few men who have acted harmoniously mould asly and the operation of old mines and development of new discoveries are discouraged cou raged by the low price anday and by the high charges for reduction of the ores the output of silver could be increased 50 per cent if either the present price of the metal or a corresponding lowering of reduction charges could he be relied upon the production in ounces and the average price in cents of the ounce of fine or pure silver has been as follows 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 I 1 5 9 6 1902 1903 1904 any marked increase in demand influences fluen ces the price upward increased production has been followed by declines so invariably that it is evident how steady the demand must be with the continued growth of population active business and opening of new countries there will be a need for fully ounces or more for some time to come |