Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1908-01-08
SOME INTERESTING FIGURES ON
LAST YEARS COPPER PRODUCTION;
). GLOBE COMPANY IS COMMENDED

HOUGHTON, Mich. January 7.--Of
all the copper fields. of the United
States, the Lake Superior district is the
only one that shows an increased out
put In 1906. Arizona, Utah, California
and probably Montana as well, wouli
have shown gains but for the very gen
eral reduction of forces or closing down
noted in the western fields during the
latter half of the year. In the Lake
district the Bigelow mines which are
rather closely allied with the Amalga
mated, have reduced forces and produc'
ton, but none of the other mines have
paid any attention to the reduction in
price, and the general hullaballoo OF
the metal market. The action of the
Bigelow mines in reducing forces is not
liked locally, and will not add to the
popularity of the eastern management
in the fight now on between the Cal
umet Hecla and the Bigelow people
for control of the Osceola. The produc
ton of refined copper, by Lake Superior
mines, for the year 1906, was 399,4sl,-
279 pounds, these figures being about
FIVE million pounds greater than any
previous estimate, but being final, be-
cause obtained direct from each report
ing company. The error in previous
figures was contained in the production
of the Calumet & Hecla, given errone-
ously as 95,0O0,O00 pounds, while the
actual production was l00,023, 429
pounds. For 1907 the production was
about the same, though probably trifie
greater, and the Calumet & Hecla has
been, for three years past, the largest
producer of copper of any mine in the
world. The 1907 output of the Lake
district as whole is approximately
240, 100000 pounds, a gain of trihe
better than Az per cent. Lake Superior
copper production first exceeded two
hundred million pounds in 1904, AMI
never was as great as 100000, 900
pounds until 1901, while in 1895 TIE
output was only l29,330,749 pounds, OF
trifle more than half as great as in
1907. Twenty years ago, in 1887, the
production was only 76,02s,697 pounds,
Or less than a third as much as was
made in the year just passed.
Strong efforts have been made to in.
duce the big Lake mines to join the
leading producers of other fields in re.
stricting production, but without eff.
feet, except in the case of the Bigelow
mines, as previously noted. In this re.
fusal to restrict production or combine
with other producers the Lake mines
are following the presidents of half a
century. In the case of every com.
bination or attempt at a combination
to restrict production or regulate prices
either the Calumet & Hecla or the
Quincy has kicked over the traces and
smashed the combination. The single
exception to this policy is found in the
combination effected in 1889, by the
Calumet e. Hecla, in which the leacine
banking houses of Europe were deterrel
from dumping several hundred thousand
tons of copper on the market, after the
collapse of the Seeretan corner, to the
\ utter Generalization of the trade. The
sole argument used by the Calumet
& Hecla, in restraining the bankers
from carrying out their threats was
that the price of copper would be made
five cents per pound if the bankers in.
sisted on quickly marketing their cop.
per held as collateral, and as the bank.
ers had loaned about ten cents per
pound on the metal, they discreetly
asked the Calumet & Hecla and Ana.
conda to lay out the program.
OF the increased production of about
one hundred million pounds, comparing
1907 with 1900, the Calumet & Hecla is
responsible for about one fourth, hav,
ing increased its output about 30 per
cent in seven years. Within the same
seven years the Boston & Montana has
made a gain of 90 to 25 per cent, he
Rio Tinto shows small decrease, due
mainly to the bad effects of a dry
season in Spain, and the Anaconda,