The Elbert County tribune., 1906-10-25
THE OTHER SIDE.
Manager Talks Of company's
Good Work.

of the American Smelling and Refin-
ing Company, which is operated by
the Guggenheims, spoke before the del
egates regarding the criticisms that
those not well informed some time
pass upon the management OF the
smelling company. with which he is
connected.
Mr., Guiterman's remarks brought
forth words of warmest praise and ap-
proval from the delegates, who said
they regretted that more publicity was
not given to the merits of the Ameri-
can Smelling and Refining Company.
which is doing SO much to build up the
mining industry of the West. Mr..
Guiterman was made the victim of a
misstatement in the Denver papers to
the effect that he had retired from
the mining congress after making. his
speech to avoid being asked questions.
After this statement was published,
delegate arose and offered a resolution
to the effect that the congress knew
that Mr.. Guiterman sought rather
than retired to avoid the issue pre-
sented, and that the congress requested
the press of the city to correct the err
roneous idea that there had been any
attempt on his part to evade debate.
Among the more striking of the
statements made ty Mr.. Guiterman,
during the reading of his paper, were
| the following: THE senator has
stated that in Colorado there Is prac-
tically no competition. l wish to gain
say that statement of his and to de-
clare that in every field in Colorado
to-day, no matter whether it be Lake
county, or San Juan, Teller county or
Mineral county, we have competition
on all sides, and that we have at all
| times been ready to meet such compe-
titiou in spirit of fairness and equity
| to the producer.
| with particular reference to the
Cripple Creek district. desire to say
10 you that the formation of the so
called trust. when the American
Smelling and Refining Company alb
sorbed the last remaining great
smelter in Colorado, namely. the Phil
adelphia plant owned by NJ. Guggen-
helms sons, that since that time In
stead of there being an advance in
treatment charges there has been
steady reduction of the same. with the
result that there has been more paid
| to the miner than when individual
smelters were operating.
The miner to-day has the privilege
of supervision of the sampling at the
smelter by his own representative, as
he had 1t before, and he has the privi-
| lege of making his own assays. He can
resort to the arbitrament of umpire
assays as he did before. There Is
nothing that / know of that has been
| taken away from him, but what has
| been done has been done in the inter
ests of aecency and self-protection to
ourselves, to which we hold we are en-
| titled.
In Cripple Creek in 1902, and the
| Guggenheim smelter was taken In
| 1901, our average margin was $3.50 per
| ton, the gross value of the ore being
s44.41 per ton. In 1905 our average
margin had been greatly reduced. so
that we were receiving only S772 a
ton, while the values had increased to
the generous sum of S50.47 per ton. In
other words, the Cripple Creek pro-
ducer was receiving 81 per ton more
three years after this combination had
come into existence. 1t does not look.
consequently. as II we were trying to
iexterminate that industry.
1--WE found, however, one thing. and
that was that in the purchase of these
| ores grave abuses were being prac-
| !ticed. much to the detriment OF our
| selves, so that we could not continue
| the policy of making reductions in
| treatment charges on that account.
| We found on the part of the miner that
| he could utilize the sampler, the
smelter, and utilize his own appliances
10 sample the ores, and that he was In
sistent on getting the very highest re-
turns on his ores which could possibly
be procured by any means. And we
I also found that in pursuance OF these
methods the smelters were suffering
great damage on account of metal-con-
tents which they paid for but which
| did not exist.
Hence. the circular was issued
which the senator has mentioned in Inns
| paper read before you, namely. that we
would adopt such means as to fairly
ascertain the value of the ore. and
| having adopted 1t, we would come to
| gether on an agreement as might be
to the interest OF all parties concerned.
| There is nothing in the circular men
| toned which can possibly be taken
| exception to by any fair-minded indi
vidual.
"It may interest you to know, since
the senator has mentioned 1t, and COM
pared us to railways, that our position
| is entirely dissimilar. Railways are
common carriers for public conven-
| ience. We are not common receivers.
| We must exercise the doctrine of Sc
| lection in the class of material we can
utilize. We must exercise with the
shipper this doctrine of selection and
must determine for ourselves to what
extent we can go to the aid and devel-
opment of this important industry.
And thus 1t appears that to aid them
we are called upon very frequently to
give to certain shippers facilities to
assist them in their development in a
manner which could not be universally
applied. 1t is a well-known fact that
men will not delve in the ground un-
less they receive their Just reward"
Mr.. Guiterman then cited figures for
nearly all Of the prominent mining