Show PRECIOUS METALS ARE LITTLE liTLE AFFECTED BY WAR H. H D. D chief of the mineral min mm- oral eral resources division of ot tho the geological geological geological geo geo- geo- geo logical surO survey Is authority for tor forthe tho the statement that during tho the first halfar half- half year ar of ot 1915 tho the precious metal mining rain min big ing Industries have been normal normal and antl affected on only indirectly by tho the great war abroad Gold mining line has been boon active in all al the great reat mining mininG camps camps- with change since the close cloeo of ot 1914 Continued development of ore supplies application of or efficient methods ami and freedom Iron from labor difficulties I dif di- have tended toward Increased in increased increased in- in creased output but Increased costs casts of ot supplies may modify this trend For Fora Forn a n time since the outbreak of ot tho the war gold mills were threatened with zenous serious zen seri ous shortage of ot cyanide supplies hitherto obtained in quantity from Germany German but domestic production of ot otc c cyanide has hae increased und tinder r the thc freedora freedom free tree dora dom com from foreign comp competition and sufficient supplies are understood now flow to be had for home consumption at least If cyanide for the solution of ot gold from its is ores be abundantly provided as ns now expected zinc Inthe Inthe in inthe the form torm of shavings and dust must continue to bo be needed for precipitation tion ton of ot this gold gol from solution and the recent abnormally high prices of sine must tend to further increase the cost of ot tho the extraction of gold eold Silver Siver production is mainly from gold and slIver silver milling ores and from the refining of copp copper r and lead lea bullion bullon bullion bul bul- lion from smelting ores Tho The output lon of the te milling ores as those of ot Tonopah Tono- Tono pah pali and have havo been normal during the year half YEar hat anti anc will wJ probably probably probably ably show little chan change e from conditions conditions con con- at the end of or 1914 and the great copper le lead d anti silver lead mining industries have hayo profited by y recent high prices for tor cO copper per and nd lead and their revival from the redUced reduced re- re output during the latter half hat of ot 1914 will wi result in a u resumption of ot normal production for the first half half- hat hat- year Tho The demand for tor silver 1 however however how how- ever evel has been generally below that of 1914 owin owing to ample supplies and hea heavy decline in purchases for the far tar East Prices ha have hae e been a averaging below elow 50 cents per ounce during the past six months month against an average of ot 5 55 cents for 1014 1914 |