The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1908-11-21
RESENTS ATTACKS ON
"-'-' '' GREAT INDUSTRY
MANAGER OF AMERICAN Smelling AND REFINING COMPANY DE-
INTERPRETED IN POLITICS OF STATE IN ANY MAY

| price Of silver, came a very great one
in the price CT lead and copper. and
while the amounts Of these metals as
ISOLATED with the silver are not so
very large, nevertheless the deprecia-
ton in the quotation of these metals
has brought material addition to the
great burden the ore producers were
already sustaining.
The American Smelling and Rein
Ing Company. large as 1t is, is and has
been utterly without influence on the
quotation applying to silver, copper
and zinc. 1t has, as the greatest pro-
Queer of lead in the United States,
lent its sustaining influence to the
! maintenance OF lead prices and to the
extent which the company has been
able to aid in the creation of better
prices for lead, the lead producers of
the United States have shared the
benefit. The quotations which are
sent out as governing the price Of lead
by the American Smelling and Rein
ing Company are taken from the rec
ord of actual sales from week to week
as made by the company, and this rec
ord is open to the inspection of any
ore shipper having business with the
company.
The policy OF the company with re-
spect to the mining operators in Colo
RADIO has been one of consistent reduc-
ton in ore treatment charges as fast
as improvements were introduced
which in the lowering OF operating
costs permitted such reductions to be
made. In the policy which has actu-
ated the COMPANY the salient principle
has always been borne in mind to lend
Il of ha n ~
which absolutely demanded it and to
apply treatment charges on such other
portions of the ore production which
so for from hampering the output
would on the contrary stimulate it to
It's utmost.
Smelling Of Ores Business Different
from Any Other.
The smelling of ore is a peculiar
business and differs in its character
| istics from any other industrial bust
ness in the country. The industry is
one which calls continually for chem.
ical adjustment of the ore charge and
involves at the same time commercial
considerations of greatest moment. In
nearly every other industrial enter
prise the technical execution of the
work is referred to the handling of a
SlISle Ia" DIouuCl vi d Vi
graded raw products very similar in
their specific character. In the smelt-
ing of precious metal oreA however,
most complex problems continually
present themselves. For the success
full carrying out of the industry it is
necessary to deal with great variety
of products and the necessity arises
of so regulating the business that the
mining output of many sections and
districts under extreme fluctuating
! conditions can be currently taken care
of.
In the consideration of the many in
tricate questions which are continually
confronting the custom smelter, that
Is, one which does not mine but pur-
chases all OF Its ores from mines
! owned by others. the company is obi
| gated to take notice of individual ore
| outputs which it is necessary to Sc
cure for the perfection of the general
| smelling mixture. If it so happens that
such outputs cannot be produced I'M
der normal treatment charges which
might be generally applicable, 1t be-
comes necessary to give special in
ducements to bring out the product,
and so it happens that it is not pos
sible in the carrying on of the smelt
ing business to make smelling charges
which are regulated by hard and fast
rules. On the contrary. 1t has been
and always will be necessary to make
such charges as will permit the great
est PROC of ores from all dis
tricts III order that the mining bust
ness may be stimulated to its highest
degree and the maximum output OBJ
tanned.
With the curtailment or cessation
of ore production which brings with it
concurrently an enforced reduction in
smelling operations, smelling ex-
penses quickly rise and the ability Of
the smelling company to make con-
cessions to any Gre producer is quick
ly restricted.
In the carrying out Of this policy
uninterruptedly, the basis of calcula