Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-01-18
NO SPOT COPPER
 GAN BE BOUGHT
Walker Says There Are No Sellers, the Producers Being Out of the Market Copper Becoming Direct Competi- tor of Coal These Days.

Copper prices continue to advance Lake and electrolytic for immediate de- livery are said to have sold as high ss 25ss cents per pound this week. It is difficult to secure quotations, how ever, as there are no sellers, producers generally being out of the market, says Walker in hi slast letter. One of the largest producing interests reports that it has sold electrolytic for delivery as far ahead as May for 24A cents per pound. A representative of several large producers says: "We can get any price for copper we choose to ask. " The market is absolutely bare of sup plies and manufacturers who have not taken care of their requirements already must either find someone who will re- sell lot bought at lower prices or go without.
 A gentleman, who from his position in the electrical field is better able to speak than almost anyone else, Is quot ed as follows: "The development and expansion of the use of electricity can only be measured at present by the abil- ity to get the metal, copper. " l have believed for years that this stage would be reached sooner or later, but did not realize it was at hand It is plain, however, that it is the constantly grow ing demand for electric power that is absorbing every pound of available cop per, as substitutes for the metal are being used in practically every other line.
 Sheet copper workers and eornice makers declare that they are using only half the copper they would were the price down to l5 cents Galvanized iron is taking the place of copper in the building trades; and the eonsump- tion of brass has suffered decidedly in some directions. This is how the ad- vance in price has made available a larger amount of copper to supply the tremendous growth of demand from the electrical manufacturers, wire mills, etc.
 Copper is coming to be direct com. petitor of coal. The world is using me chanical power in a constantly increas- ing ratio. Every advance in the wages of the coal miners, every increase in the cost of mining supplies and in other mining expenses increases the price of coal and, therefore, advances the cost of creating power
 On the other hand, there have been most decided advances in the science of electrical generation and transmission, and in many places electricity, gener' sted by water power, is entering into power plant. Where opportunities exist for the creation of electricity by water power copper at sl per pound is cheaper than coal at s7 per ton. Now that electrical power can be transmitted five hundred miles or more without any ap- ,preciable loss, water power privileges j. are advancing in price; and the question as to whether it is cheaper to generate electricity at the coal mine sand trans init it across country by wire or to ship the coal to local steam plants, AS is done now, is being considered by power econ omists.
 The work of equipping steam rail roads with electricity is going ahead much more rapidly than most people realize and the prospect now is that it will eOntinue as rapidly as is con sistent with reasonable price for and supply of copper.
 IL is estimated by high authority that the world s production of copper increased only 4 per cent last year, not withstanding the tremendous impetus given to the trade by the abnormally high ruling prices for the product. II has been explained in these letters ofter that copper production cannot be in creased rapidly and at will, as can iror and coal production. Statistics are pre- sented, for instance, to show that tho output of pig iron has increased ab0ut 53 per cent in the past two years, while copper production in the same period has increased less than 20 per cent. Ii electrical progress is to continue at it: present rate, therefore, it must do so or high priced copper.