Show operators will ask for 1 increase in copper price at the conference to be held in washington on august ath some producers will ask the war indus tries board to fix the copper price at 27 cents a pound whatever figure named will become effective august the present price la is 2 26 6 cents a pound went into operation july 2nd says the wall street jour nal prior thereto the government had not seen fit to fix the price high er than 2 23 3 cents a pound copper interests point out that the advance of 2 12 cents a pound did not even offset the addition to operating opera aing costs which had bad occurred since sep last when the 2312 cent pirce was first fixed the outlook tor for profits they add Is no better than it was in the final quarter of 1917 As a patter ot of tact fact profits have considerably decreased since then the principal factors which are causing producers endless worry are the 25 per cent freight rate increase the proposed advance in refinery charges the wage increase and the labor situation it is believed that the rate covering metal shipments from the west would not increase more than 25 per cent but this con does not obtain the rate on blister copper from arizona to new york is 16 per ton formerly it was 8 05 the rate from el paso to new york has increased per cent from colorado 85 per cent and from utah per cent the proposed advance in refinery charges was brought to the atten ton of the war industries board last may and that body was asked to help adjust existing contracts between producer and refiner it was thought that the 2 12 cent a pound increase would solve the problem but ing costs are still increasing and show no signs of diminishing first came the increase in prodoc ing costs then the proposed advance in refining charges next the increase in freight rates and on top of all the advance in wages anaconda s wage increase of 50 cents a day is adding 1 I cent a pound to operating costs bitah s wage increase means an ad dicion of about 1 to the payroll annually miners were frank to say that unless their demands were met they would not stay in the e employ in ploy 0 of f copper producing corn com P canles ant es but would migrate to other fields in search of higher wages even it if the fixed price were in creased to 27 2 cents producers point out the average margin of pro fit would only be increased about one halt half a cent a pound com compared with returns tor for the last quarter er ot or 1917 and the chances are that this would be more than offset by in creased charges before the end of august tor for operating costs ot of all producing companies have not yet reached their apex |