The Colorado statesman., 1906-10-27
THE OTHER SIDE.
smeftsr Manager Talks Of company's
Good Work

gress, held in Denver THURSDAY Of last
week, Franklin Guiterman, general
manager of the Colorado department
Of the American Smelling and Rein
ing Company. which is ouerated 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
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 er-
roneous idea that there had been any
attempt on his part to evade debate.
Among the more striking Of the
statements made by Mr.. Guiterman,
during the reading of his paper, were
the following: THE senator has
stated that in Colorado there is prac-
tically no competition. 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-
to the producer.
with particular reference to the
Cripple Creek district, / desire to say
called trust, when the American
Smelling and Refining Company abb
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 a
steady reduction of the same. with the
result that there has been more paid
to the miner than when individual
smelters were operating.
1.-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 sS.69 per
ton. the gross value of the ore being
$44.41 per ton. In 1905 our average
margin had been greatly reduced, so
that we were receiving only $7.72
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 If we were trying to
exterminate that industry.
I'VE found, however, one thing, and
that was tnat in the purchase OF these
ores grave abuses were being prac.
ticed, much to the detriment ofs 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
to 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
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.
1T 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-
fence. 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