Show FOR independent SMELTERS if the trust smelters shelters sm elters figured that the talk of the building of independent plants in utah montana and nevada was nothing more than hot air they are now beginning to realize that they were mistaken the movement now on foot is a serious one and tha th tt a ore producers and mine owners of the west who have refused longer to bend their necks to the yoke of trust tyranny and worse than highway robbery mean to carry arry C out the independent smelter proposition to a successful consummation the new york engineering and mining journal in commenting on the smelter situation says the custom smelters shelters sm elters undoubtedly suffered heavy losses in 1907 but the effort to recoup them by a bold increase in smelt ing charges immediately upon the cessation of competition in utah and montana is an im politics move that is explainable only by the words of william H vanderbilt in which lie he expressed his contempt for the public the meetings of rate irate ore producers at helena and salt lake city shiow their indignation and also manifest an inclination to do business which will prove the of the custom smelting smelling sm elting companies if the ore producers remain steadfast in their intentions probably ably the smelting smelling sm elting companies figure that they will not there have beer been protests before but they have h ave ended only with talk it rests entirely with the miners whether there be a different ending to the pi c sent case competition is the life of trade at present it has been destroyed by the action of the farmers in utah and by market conditions which have caused certain smelters shelters sm elters in montana to suspend operations competition will certainly revive sooner or later by natural developments it will be hastened if the miners themselves provide it this is thee the simplest redress of grievances as was pointed out by the committee reporting at the last meeting of the american minin mining g congress there is nothing mysterious about the smelting smelling sm elting business many excellent metallurgists thoroughly experienced in the art are open to an engagement a gement and competent managers also can be secured the essential prerequisite to successful competition is the assurance of an adequate supply of the ores necessary to make an economical smelting smelling sm elting mixture the mine operators are the ones who can provide that assurance with which there should sh be no difficulty in raising the capital a large portion 0 which the mine operators can also supply for the treatment of the crude lead there are four competing refiners finers re for the treatment of the crude copper there is the same number if satisfactory terms cannot be obtained among these it is no more difficult to build and operate an independent refinery than it is a smelter indeed to put a smelting smelling sm elting business in an impregnable position it should be self contained from the production of the ore to the production of the refined metals the only requirements for the successful inauguration of a new and independent competition in the smelting smelling sm elting 41 business are consequently 1 assured ore supply 2 9 adequate capital and 3 technical knowledge plus experienced business manage ment the miners can provide the first can j provide or find partners to provide the see sec 11 ond and can buy the third they can easily f developed a operative cooperative co so to speak method of treating their ores and eliminate all grievances against existing smelters shelters sm elters on ground of extortionate charges and un the b ajr treatment the remedy is easy and moreover will be commercially profitable it it be wisely undertaken |