Show COPPER TRADE IS COMING ALONG GRADUALLY Sales of Late Absorb I About Half of Current I Production I Iby BOSTON March larch lt It Is estimated by lead lead-Ing copper that volI volume vol- vol I ume of sales of late ha been sufficient I to absorb about o oie half e-half the current new new Production coming forward on a 50 per cent curtailment basis Business has haM t neon een coming to the producer producers pro pro- ducer from from consumers In the middle West Vest who have been buying against actual requirements They have placed their orders In hi New York direct direct di- di with the producing Interests rather rath- rath er than through jobbers While some business been done down to 14 cents a pound very little littie lit lit- tie tle stands on the books of the largest sales agencies at less than 15 cents a pound But for th difficulty In assembling mine Working forces after It had once been scattered copper production in inthe inthe the United States would have suffered suffered suf- suf more drastic curtailment than isnow Is Isnow now In effect Serious consideration is being given the question of dropping below the 50 per cent basis now generally In force In view of a steadily growing of the metal and absence of buying buy buy- ing orders large enough to make Inroads inroads In- In roads into the surplus The president or a producing comp corn com p pany ny turning out more than pounds of copper annually says There Is not much satisfaction Is producing producing pro pro- and piling up something that costs more than we know we can sell seil It for For the good of the Industry every mine and smelter should close down Wo Vo are unable to do so so however as we must retain our working forces against the day when demand for the metal reappears and our large surplus shall start to disappear |