Show MINERS ja IN ADVANCE MACKENZIE TELLS 1 I C C THAT COMMITTEE ACT WOULD HAMPER WORK MIning interests and agricultural Arri As cultural interests of west Allig ned in opposing rate increase of five percent kansas city mo salt lake secretary ot of the utah chapter ot of the american mining congress presented testimony before the interstate commerce hearing on the proposed rate hiko alko here designed to show that mining interests are in no shape to pay additional freight charges mr air mackenzie who is personally interested in copper copner holdings declared successful metal mines are comparatively ively few in the united states of metal mines in utah he declared only eleven operated with profit in 1921 prices of metal not intruding in int luding iron produced in utah havo have increased about 20 per cent over the price levels of 1923 he said but the cost of production has increased 65 per cent the mining industry the witness declared was in sharp competition with foreign metals which could be produced more cheaply from 25 to 30 per cent of the copper mines in the united states were suspended the witness added because the domestic market is glutted with foreign copper mr mackenzie said the silver price was fixed by tour four firms in london recognized by the british government the price of this metal he said is not sufficient to warrant exclusive mining and silver is mined only as it Is found with other metals A price adjustment he continued can be effected only through suspension of mining almost all items in metal mining mr mackenzie said are as high as they were in the war period including labor costs |