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Show HIKE 1 COPPER Copper has been priced by the government govern-ment at 23 cents f. o. b. New York, this price being subject to revision four months hence, says the Mining and Scientific Sci-entific Press. The war industries . board, In whose hands the matter lies, has stipulated stipu-lated that the producers shall not reduce re-duce the wages now helng paid, they shall sell their copper to the allies and to the public at the price now fixed by tho government a-nd they shall follow the. directions of the hoard for the distribution dis-tribution of the metal, with a view to preventing it from falling Into the hands of mere speculators, and, finally, that the producers shall pledge themselves to maintain production "at the maximum so long as the war lasts." The- board acknowledges the "admirable spirit" shown by the producers in giving Information and In meeting the wishes of the government. At the same time, the point is made that the high price of 3G cents attained by copper would have been exceeded by this time if the government gov-ernment had not taken the matter in hand. We believe this lo l:e true and we 'believe that the regulation of the price at a reasonable figure Is to the best interests of the copper-mining industry. in-dustry. A warning is sounded that any mining company tailing "to conform to the; agreement and price" may be dis- i cipl'ned by having its mine and plant taken over by representatives of the gov- I eminent and having them operated on j the national account. No figures of cost ; have been disclosed. It is probable that the information recently gathered on the subject will be kept by the government ofiicials to guide them in tho fixing of prices from time to time. The publication publica-tion ol any attempted average would only excite undesirable controversy. The announcement an-nouncement of the price or 23 cents has gien satisfaction on "VaIl stheet ani H will, we believe, meet with general approval as being just and expedient. |