The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-14
THE ENEMIES OF COPPER.

The injurious effect of the course pur-
sued by the copper manufacturers has long
been felt by the producers of raw copper.
There has heen some discussion OF the sub
iect and some wholesome growing, but no
efforts have as yet been made by the
miners to engage in the manufacture OF the
product or to spur the manufacturers to
do better things.
Nevertheless the leaven is working. The
matter is beginning tt receive the attention
it deserves, as the following from the New
York Metal Worker will show: 'In the dis
cussion OF copper roofing, which occurred
in our columns some months since, many
practical roofers indicated that they were
looking forward to the day when copper in
sheet form could be SO cheap as to render
this material valuable for use in all cases
where a tirst-class metal roof is required.
With ingnt copper at lower figures
perhaps than have ever before been
reached, with better facilities for manu-
facture than ever before existed, and with
labor at rates far below what have been
commonly current since copper has been
largely manufactured, the price OF sheet
copper still remains high-that is APP
pareHtiy out of proportion with the ele-
ments OF cost which we have enumerated.
1t appeared to us a short tim ago as
though some cnpper-lnanufacturing concern
might be induced to seize the opportunity
presented OF popularizing copper and MAX
ing it the roofing metal OF the future. but
so far we have been disappointed. This
opportunity has not yet passed by, but we
find less interest manifested in it at present
thai some time since. We are not alone
in deprccating the high price at which
copper is held by the monopolists. Awrlter
in the London Times a short time since
expressed the same general sentiment in the
following language: "Cheap copper would
be a blessing to the world at large were 1T
not for the sel6shness and greed Of the
classes engaged in it's manufacture and sale.
Copper goods and utensils, which enter so
largely in the needs OF daily domestic life,
are as expensive now as they were years
ago, when the raw material was three times
as costly. For instance, we have to pay
for a copper kettle nearly, if not quite, as
much as we did thirty years ago. Walk
into a shop, ask the price OF copper kettle,
and, on Directing to it as much too high,
the salesman will kindly favor you with
the information that copper is a very ex-
p~ensive material. Then, if you remark it's
present cost is less than half what it used to
be, you will be told, oh, but the wages OF 1.-THE
workmen have been more than doubled
the. last few years. q statement hard to
swallow in the face Of the great depression
in trade. If manufacturers and sellers OF
copper articles would only be moderate in
theirdemands, and be satisfied with a fair
profit, the sale OF all copper goods would
make an enormous stride. | havea large
household, and were prices reasonable, l
would at once triple the copper utensils
we have, such as water-cans. coa-acnnF"'
kettles. batt~~:~ VIC CUISINE, etc. copper
enters largely Into the composition of
brass, and vet, though tin is also much
cheaper than it used to be, the same high
prices rule with respect to brass articles as
they do to copper. Most household articles
are much cheaper 0 than heretofore,
save those made OF copper and brass. With
reasonable prices an enormous consump-
ton OF both would take place, and trades
men would quickly find out that many
nimble sixpences would greatly outvie in
profit the very slow half-crown.'
No other metal can compete with copper,
either in beauty or utility, for domestic
uses. II proper attention were paid to the
subject, the demand for copper could
easily be increased SO per cent. Surely the
subject is of sufficient Importance to en-
gage the attention OF those who lave such
vast sums invested in mines and smelters.