Show metal prices are lower for the past week further declines in the metal market during the last week makes the situation of the wining industry most perilous many of the large copper producers are confronted with the alternative of selling their product at a price lower than their cost of production unless operating costs come down it Is almost certain that many of the big mines of utah that are trying to weather the storm will shut down to let metal stocks become depleted so prices for their product may be forced back up by the law of supply and demand copper was offered in new york this week at a pound with no buyers small ey sales were made at the last quarterly report of the jackling porphyry companies show their production costs to range from if to lac 7 per amyy pound add to their costs a reasonable charge e for selling joaw and these companies some of which are among the lowest vi v cost copper producers in the waffy country are now compelled ff to sell is their adv cop per if they can find ff a fv market a for ff less than their operating costs the ay lead ya and sivy zinc aw operators are v in a much the same zy position nsf some cheap foreign lead has temporarily f glutted fw the market ff dyff so Wy that the ff nar WK row margin varv va of profit yv in producing the metal w has dyff been wiped out any change in the price of lead affects the mines wl 71 joplin vw mines which bitsy are large pro v dubers of lead and zinc have closed down temporarily 1 and plan curtail ing production so that 7 metal ito zy stocks may se be depleted afe to aid the i aff market in S announcing their decision to close the mines the joplin operators they were operating at a loss taff in fri the afas western ww jy country the recent freight 0 rate increase f has had a ai serious effect it is said that most bwy of the operators 7 jaff 73 in the aay pioche aff dis 3 brict cannot s continue to operate with present y freight rates effective |