The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-05-08
LOW PRICED COPPER
MINES HAVE STAG;
Nothing 10 Fear If Their Cost of Pro-
duction Is Below 10 Gents.

While Utah copper mines are not
particularly designated in a recent
article sent west by Hayden, Stone
q Co, yet Utah mines fit in so well
with the argument on the changes
In the red metal poise, due to the
prevailing low prices, that repro
duetion of the article will he of H.
terest locally. II follows:
That the present low price of eoD-
per has resulted in a material cut
tailment of production. and one that
will be in evidence for considerd-
bile period does not admit of the
slightest doubt The past ten years
have been attended by "A persistent
search for new copper properties.
and while the efforts have been sue
oessful. yet among those that have
since been varying producing factors,
not one-third have established a
claim TO permanency or place in the
list of dividend payers, while lib
eral proportion Will never again be
heard from. To the curtailment
thus brought about must be added
that made necessary In consequence
of excessive working costs. This
feature was never more strongly In
evidence than In the operations for
1907. the reports of which prove
conclusively that unless the copper
situation improves and the price
holds at 5 cents or better, there will
be further additions 10 the list of
idle properties.
II seems. therefore,, that the time
l. al. IT nh no
reaching the channels of trade will
be confined almost wholly to that
showing a fair margin of profit on
the current selling price, and with
the improvement that seems certain
To come about during the ensuing
six months. the demand for the en-
tire supply thus available seems as
sured. probably at even higher pri-
ces. The above serves as a reminder
that the low cost producers are SELL
ing ridiculously cheap, particularly
when on all sides 1t is commonly
conceded that the changes in BUSH
ness and industrial circles are con-
stantly for the better The fact
should not be lost sight of that the
North Butte is not the only Montana
property to effect cost reductions,
though its showing in this respect
is undoubtedly better than any of
its neighbors. The efforts making
for lower costs at this property are
equally in evidence at the mines of
the Amalgamated and Butte Coali-
ton, and while no figures as indicat-
ing the results have been given out,
1t can be accepted that the maximum
cost at any of these does not exceed
10 cents. while the Boston & Mon
tana, owned by the former is, of
course, doing considerably better.
The percentage of inexperienced
miners in Butte is the smallest In
years, and it goes without saying
that the returns for labor expendi-
lures have proportionately increased.
The coke supply is ample at all times
traffic congestion is a thing of the
past, and last but not the least i'm
portant. the Butte mines are In posi-
ton to profit from their expenditures
of millions during recent years for
development and powerful machin-
cry. Mining companies capable of
producing copper at 10 cents per
pound or less have nothing to dread
from new competition, present or
prospective The Butte companies
have promised their stockholders
working costs in keeping with the
above, and the evidence thus far
lends to the belief that their hopes In
this direction are being more than
realized. Ii is due the Amalgamated
company to state that 1t never dread
ed competition. but rather encourage
ed the further opening of the Butte
district by rival concerns, as witness
the fact that at the Anaconda smelt-
ers no restriction was placed on vol
ume of custom ores received, even
when the metal was selling at the
highest period.