Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-07-28 | Page 10 | Copper Production in June Slumps

COPPER PRODUCTION IN Jll SLUMPS i i May Sales of Red Metal More Than Double Production Pro-duction for Month. A decided decline in the production of copper by the leading American copper mines last month was apparent, says the Boa ton News Bureau. Eighteen representative repre-sentative producers showed a combined output of 77,252,000 pounds, compared with 87,209.000 pounds in the previous month, a decline of roughly 10.000. 000 pounds. The most notahle decline was made by Anaconda. 3,000,000 pounds, due in large part to the unrest that in the last week of June was manifested by the workmen of the Butte mining camp, strike talk and wage increase agitation. The copper mines of this country are today on a very much curtailed basis, j Many mines early tills year strove for an operating ratio of 50 per cent capacity, but many producers at Lake Superior are operating below this. This is finding reflection re-flection in the steadily advancing prices of copper. It was a fact worthy of more than ordinary comment when May sales of, 207.000,000 pounds of red metal were 95,000,000 pounds more than the total production pro-duction of American mines. Although actual figures are not at hand for June, sales for that month are estimated esti-mated to be close to ISO. 000. 000 pounds and the most the total production of this country could amount to on present operations oper-ations Is 110,000,000 pounds. In the first six months of this year the aggregate output of eighteen leading mines was f33,221,Srl pounds, compared with 9S3.438.02G pounds in the same period If) IS. In these figures are pictured the top and bottom of war and peace production. produc-tion. The mining companies today realize that they must immediately accelerate operations. Labor is scarce the country over and there is a growing movement among copper miners that is causing some employers apprehension, particularly particular-ly at Lake Superior, it is the willingness willing-ness of the underground man to forsake the occupation that lie has prosecuted for years and migrate to the industrial centers cen-ters of southern Michigan. The copper miners and mining workmen are feeling the call of the city more than ever before. be-fore. Export figures are beginning- to climb again. Germany is believed to be on the eve of large purchases already France, England and Japan have ordered In large quantity. It would seem the copper buyer is apt to pay higher prices based on the following fol-lowing output figures: 3" o. 3: : ?' tea o . pS1?: . sr. . . : ?: a. : g. 15 il-OCjOOCOM-IOOUJlWOiC- UiAOlLj tn VMOOMr'ir.Hlflr-OMW01Kl-'Or ho oooOuuiMoociCfiofliaoooaiog Vc oo'oo'ubeooo a'o o'P'omo CTt O O O O (7) C O OO O O tn o o e O O w o . O o O cn oo O O i O o an on - -J WHHNW WW i(.Ua OtfflMte 00 w M M OO0lV 0100J(3 w Nl'oVlWM W cis " o oo.e. o " o 'w w "o o wb oie o'fj tn OOOOOiOOOOOCUOOhOOOO' J I O0OM(n09O0O3)OOtC0O00 4- -jaocorJiBiMCUMcatotooNH-jQ OiOOr-Or-'00-lWCnfJ)OCiS!7'-JWtn vt i ii-eio-ioi(-ia-jNi-'Oosii(-0)-jO)-' OO I OOCJ100 oo-ootsoo cno r-JO ctt I ooooj.ooooo(-jeiOMocAO.A I WC!--... a O t-L M I ' w -a w m co oo n w ui tf o o coo o ui m -J fL (JiOOO-JMCiIOMOCjOO' COOOMOl-JM oo oo - oo to w te -m j-3 v-i w'co o ai r- w "2 I to otiitjf-r-'owor OJ O00-JOOOO03WOOCOOOMO