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Show WANTS METAL PRICES FIXED BY UNCLE SAM "Mining in general "seems pretty well depressed right now," declared a Utahn in touch with operations throughout the west. "But it is only a question of price, and the industry will immediately, respond, and in thirty to sixty days things could be booming along as they were a year ago. Then copper was commanding 30 cents a pound, lead was selling at $8 to $12 a hundred, and both zinc and silver at fair prices. Of "course. It was only a short time ago when silver reached its apex in price of $1.08. But when the other metals were at top the white metal was commanding a profitable price to the producer. ."Already Uncle Sam has set a price of 23 cents on copper, and I believe it is only a question of time when 'the old man' will get around to doing the same on the other met-.als. met-.als. Then you will see the industry come back with big, long, quick strides. "It is my opinion that the price minimum on lead should not be be low $7.50, and $8 would be more equitable as compared with copper at 23 cents. The western lead diggers dig-gers are now under strenuous times with everything from labor on tip to maximum. Many mines have shut down on account of conditions. It will take more than $7 a hundred on lead to give any sort of an inducement induce-ment to reopen and give the nation its full requirements of these metals. "As for silver, it has already Tieen hinted from Washington that a price of probably 85 cents an ounce, or near that, will- be -establishedr That would satisfy most of the silver operators, op-erators, provided lead brings an equitable price, as most of the silver is associated with that duller metal. The present zinc price is not bad, but might be set around say $8 to $9 a hundred. "Npw, with fixed prices on these metals, and at some such reasonably profitable prices, prices that the miner could depend on, things would at once begin to buzz everywhere in the mining industry. The nation must have the metals, then why not havev stable prices? "It does not look right to me to see the producers jockeyed out of their just profits, as has-been particularly partic-ularly the case in the past year or so. The miner never knows twenty-four hours ahead just what he is to get for his ore. He finds metal quotations quota-tions mean very little to him. When he comes to getting his check there have been so many deductions and penalizations that they make his head swim. No matter what kinds of ores he sends to market it's the same old story his check is often so small ijt almost makes him weep or cuss a blue streak. "Let the federal government fix the prices, and the skies at once would be at least somewhat cleared, and off goes our mining industry on another periods of active productiveness, productive-ness, and the hearts of thousands of western men and women would again rejoice, and they would feel that the government had done them a good and concrete turn. Such an act would make our miners put their shoulders to the wheel with new zest in a united effort to help furnish the metals to more quickly win the war." |