Show AN UNJUST STATEMENT during the annual meeting of the american mining congress held at denver a few days ago one of the delegates in ih an address delivered before the assembly made the statement that the public ore samplers and control assayers were working in the interests of the smelting smelling sm elting trust and that for pay they made the sampling and as says show a lower metallic value than the ore really contained this is a rash statement and is a rank injustice to the public samplers and assayers As a matter of fact there is no doubt but that the statement is absolutely false and one that will be most force ably resented by those coming under its ban in these days when the sampling of ores is so carefully done when the sampling is largely on an automatic scale and when control assays essays can be so easily checked when desired it looks childish to even infer that those in charge of this important branch of the mining industry would dare to give a false sample and assay even if they could be bought the sampling and assaying of ores is not secretly done as some may suppose As a matter of fact the producer has access to all of the sampling works of the country he or his agent can watch the sampling of his ore from the time it leaves the cars until the sample is bottled and sealed for the assayer at the assay office he is welcome and can follow the sample through the fire to the assay balance if he is not satisfied a re sampling will be made when an umpire assay will be resorted to the smelters shelters sm elters with their penalties for zinc and other deleterious substances their charges for various services and discounts from market quotations have their own way and advantage to the limit without resorting to the dishonest practise of subsidizing the samplers and assayers if they could be bought which we believe would be a most difficult thing to do in the great majority of cases the statement is a slanderous one and should be expunged from the records of the congress strictly in line with the arguments and sentiments above expressed is an article in the mining investor of reno nevada entitled smelter returns which we quote below as follows when a shipper of ore is disappointed in returns he is apt to raise the cry of robbery in those instances where the value of the ore is suspected to be close to minimum shipping grade a careful sampling at the mine would determine the advisability of shipment or retention of course a smelter may be in error but the well devised system of sampling and checks employed in such works makes it quite improbable that serious mistakes mist alces should occur without detection unless it is intended A large institution deriving its business from a general territory and dealing with a large number of individuals and companies could not afford to be unfair in any respect the shipper always has the privilege of protecting himself by employing the services of reputable assayers who make a business of supervising the sampling of the ore in the smelter works and check the results of the smelter assays essays in some mining camps where the ores handled were unusually rich custom samplers have been known to conduct a dishonest business in such instances they have been found out their business withdrawn but no large smelter has ever been known to purposely underrate the value of the ores received at its works with a view to defrauding fra its customers there are classes of materials sold to smelters shelters sm elters such as the gold slimes from cyanide plants ores in which the metal value is carried in large amount as coarse particles etc that are very difficult to sample accurately in such cases there is frequently a discrepancy between the smelter and the check assayer which difference may be adjusted by splitting or the result of an umpire assayer accepted as final by both shipper and smelter at times the smelter and the owner of the ore may not be able to agree on a settlement and then the owner may remove his ore if he desires in any event the shipper has full opportunity of protection if he chooses to exercise it and it may be assumed that the smelter will deal fairly in all instances the treatment charges and deductions from market quotations are fully exhibited and no shipper should suffer if he watches his interest from the mine to net returns |