The Colorado statesman., 1908-11-14

price VI SllNGT, a very great Ou6
in the price CT lead and copper, and
while the amounts Of these metals as
sociated with the silver are not so
very large, nevertheless the deprecia-
tion in the quotation of these metals
has brought material addition to the
great burden the ore producers were
already sustaining.
The American Smelling and Refin-
ing Company, large as it is, is and has
been utterly without influence on the
quotation applying to silver, copper
and zinc. 1t has, as the greatest pro-
ducer 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 Refin-
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-
rado 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
aid to such portion of the ore reduction
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 a Business Different
from Any Other.
The smelling of ore is a peculiar
business and differs in its character
istics from any other industrial busi-
ness in the country. The industry is
one which calls continually for a 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
single raw product or a number of
graded raw products very similar in
their specific character. In the smelt-
ing of precious metal ores, however,
most complex problems continually
present themselves. For the success
full carrying out of the industry it is
necessary to deal with a 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
no "a
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 it's ores from mines
owned by others, the company is obli-
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 un-
der normal treatment charges which
might be generally applicable, it 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, it has been
and always will be necessary to make
such charges as will ermit the great
est production of ores from all dis
tricts in order that the mining bust
ness may be stimulated to its highest
degree and the maxim-m output OBJ
tanned.
With the curtailment or cessation
of ore production which brings with it
cOncllrrently an enforced reduction in
smelling operations, smelling eX-
penses quickly rise and the ability of
the smelling company to make con
cessions to any ore producer is quick
ly restricted
In the carrying out of this policy
uninterruptedly, the basis of calcula-