Show II LIVES IVES OF COPPER KINGS MISERABLE I Labor Troubles and Railroads Railroads Rail Rail- Rai I roads Hurt Production of i I Red Metal j 4 1 Railroad embargoes In the West anti ami la labor or troubles In the I East Ent have hav ha e combined lives miser i to make tho the copper copper producers producers' able able Mine and smelter product ordinarily lilt ily consuming two weeks In transit transi across ly I the continent continent- now noW take at t least four tour weeks e kf by most circuitous routes route omo om of which extend from the Western estern mining districts to refinery points on tho tim At Atlantic At- At lantic i seaboard via ta ia Canadian railroads and much of which finds it Ita wa way a through Southern In railroad o territory But has of or late been reaching caching refineries b by regular middle middie railroad routes A strike which has hns tied up tho th Perth t I Amboy Amby refinery n of or the American n Smelting Smelt Smelt- I In ing an and Refining company for the pastI past I two to weeks will wi cut the January Januar copper copperI I yield materially Tho The American refineries In th the month of December established a now new record b by turning out tully fully pounds of or orI I H copper It I is estimated that tho tha th January yield will 1 not exceed pounds pound I I it will wi be even cen less should refinery ti trou- trou ou- ou f his hlo spread Best Dest posted authorities say that not before June at nt tho the earliest earlest can another nother pound month be bo I looked for While While- refinery capacity Is stilt still sti being materially increased production above c I tho the December rate will wi not be attempted except under extraordinary conditions In briar the directors of or various refining reinIng I plants plant come excess execs capacity ao so soI I that eyer every vat yat and tank will wi not have havo IUle to toI tob I I b be crowded to 0 utmost In order to care for tho the business s in hand hanl i For Forthe the first time In the history of or tho the copper Industry at St le least st since refining by I. I electrolysis lias ims 6 1 made p possible present ent day dayI I 1 conditions there wan wai not a single pound I of unsold copper brou brought ht forward from fromI I last year Into 1917 This statement covers cov coY 9 er ers rl not only the tho metal actually refined and ready for tor shipment shipment but every ever pound at different stages 8 of treatment in lii eyer every refinery in the United States A A. A prominent producer 6 says The Tho law of averages applies apples to the production of or copper as 15 well wel a as to copper prices prices In Inthe Inthe the winter for Instance the mines of ot th the West and Northwest arc aro Interrupted from time to 0 time by b- bevere severe evere cold weather and snow snoW which cuts down the sUJ supply ply available for tor refining This I usually lasts through February and ald sometimes sometimes some some- tm times s Into March Hy By the time midsummer midsummer mer rolls rol around delays delas at refineries arc caused b by hot weather It I is never possible possible pos pos- sible to operate for any length of time at maximum capacity |