The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-27
CAN'T CONTROL COPPER.
SmeIter Trust Has No CInch on the
Ore Treatment Business.


Monopoly" Denver Ores and Metals takes
shy at the Guggenheims and discusses
conditions in Utah and elsewhere, as fol-
lows:
"A monopoly in smelling will not re-
main in the uncontested possession of the
Guggenheims. That it has been main
tanned so well so long is due almost en-
tireiy to good business ability. Metal
lurg1cal progress may at any time put
competitor in a position Of advantage, and
leave the old company with millions in
vested in Anticipated plants OF course.
the trust management is alert. 1t was
prompt in securing exclusive American
rights for the Huntington-H eberIein pro
cess. But there is always a possibility of
overlooking or Understanding new
things, and there are competitors in the
field
Lead No Longer a Factor.
Lead is no longer a sure foundation
for a smelling monopoly. Although the
trust controls large part of the lead
ore output. there are mines now keeping
Independent plants well supplied and the
undevelOped lead resources of the country
are too extensive to be tied up in the in
tereSt OF any one concern. Then. too lead
no longer occupies its former position in
the smelling industry. With the in
creased production Of silicious ores in Ne
vada and elsewhere, copper has come to
the front as collecting metal for gold
and silver. For successful custom smelt-
ing at the present time. a large supply
of copper ore must be assured. Both the
trust and its chief competitor have in
vested largely in Utah. Nevada and Cali
fornia copper producers. 1t is estimated
that the Guggenheims and their asso-
ciateS viii have plants producing an
nually from S00O0.OO0 to 300,000Oo0 pounds
Of copper.
Can't Control Copper.
Control of copper production is even
a more hopeless undertaking than control
of lead; there is too much of the red
metal in the ground. and the conditions
are too favorable for independent smelt-
ing. powerful rival of the trust is
building UP a great business Salt Lake
City IS now an open market for ores. and
the beneficial effects Of the competition
extend over the west
Even if the trust had no competitors,
the ore producers would not be without
recourse Smelling is not absolutely
necessary in the recovery of metals from
their ores. Mines that were formerly
heavy shippers are now producing prac-
tcally no concentrates. depending almost
entirely on amalgamation and cyanida-
ton. Concentrates, also. are amenable to
cyanidatiOn preceded by a roast. Gold
producers i'm the Black Hills, in South
Africa and Australia are not dependent
on smelters. and should the treatment
charges be made too excessive the cyanide
process affords an opening to independ-
ence In other localities.
Settlement Basis Robbery.
Little complaint is heard from pro-
ducers regarding the treatment charges
as they appear i'm the schedule What cuts
into the profits of the mine operator and
fattens the dividends of the smelter trust
! is tho basis on which settlement is made.
especially on the base metals On high
grade ores the smelter profits may
amount to one hundred dollars ton or
more with gold at nineteen dollars an
ounce and fifty cents a unit for lead
leaves a big margin for the smelter TO
work on.
Sharp criticism is apparently RESPONSE
| bic for a recent advance i'm the prices
! paid for lead ores in Clear Creek county,
/ and keen competition has produced even
| better prices i'm the San Juan. On the
whole the outlook for the ore producer
! is favorable. The trust cannot afford,
under present conditions. to ignore the
! demand for a fairer settlement basis. and
! il will do well IL IL rescnds the sampling
regulations put in force by the mill trust. -