The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-06

METAL PRICES, HE SAYS,
SOON WILL INCREASE
Not Much in the Way of Rail-
road Improvement Because
of Legal 0nslaughts.

Former United States Senator Will
liam A. Clark of Butte, Mont, the mil
| lionaire railroad and mining man, ar
rived in this city Thursday evening
from the Pacific coast in his private
car. He has been on tho road for sew
eral months inspecting his mining prop
critics throughout the West. and Incl"
dentally looking over his railroad in
terests. The former senator is accom-.
panied by his son, Charles W. Clark, and
his secretary, Mr.. ST. Clair: He will be
Joined this morning by his other SON,
W. a Clark, Jr., and. his family, who
will accompany the senator to Mon
tana, while Charles will return to his
home in California. where he IS the
head of a large mining concern.
IL an interview with The Tribune,
Senator Clark said that at the present
time there would be no improvements
made on tho San Pedro, Los Angeles &
Salt Lake. This, be said, was due to
the fact that there IS not much encour-
agement in railroad circles today be
cause of the war waged upon them by
high sources and by state legislatures:
The lowering of rates he characterized
as ridiculous and said that with condl-
tions as they are now, railroad bonds
were not very desirable commodities.
When there is less hostility from the
state legislatures. there would be things
doing in railroad circles, he declared,
but not great deal until then. This
all had reference to railroad extensions
and improvements.
Railroad Traffic Increases.
The senator said that during the past
thirty DAYS the westbound freight and
passenger traffic ON his road had in
creased materially, while on the east
bound trains it is very light. The large
crops, be said, will insure an increase
in freight business for all the roads,
and he expects that new business will
begin, TO. pick up at once and long
period of prosperity will be enjoyed
Speaking of the election, the former
senator said: ''I did not vote this year
That opportunity was lost to me because
of my absence from my state. But it
made absolutely no difference. Ny can
didate was defeated, and the one vote
not have helped HIM in the least. ] am
taking the defeat of my party in n
philosophic manner, as l always do.
There is no use of crying over spilled
milk. l do not believe il makes any
great difference who is elected presi-
dent, because this vast country can
easily take care of itself and will al
ever, Taft is a good man. I have tho
greatest admiration for him, and be-
hevo he will make splendid president,
With him in office the country will en-.
JOY tour years OF unlimited prosperity"
Better Price for Copper.
With reference to the mining busi-
ness, Senator Clark said that it was
looking up and that metal prices were
good. When business picks up prices
will. The normal consumption Of cop
per in this country has only been about
40 per cent of the entire output during
the past year and half, but the ex-
port market has been exceptionally
good and Europe has taken all that was
shipped them, and would have taken
more could they have gotten it.
'sThe price of copper is going up
he said, ''and 1 firmly believe that it
will not be long before copper has again
reached its proper place in the market,
bringing high water prices.
"The business outlook IN the West is
bright said the mining man. ave
can now look forward TO O. season Of
good things and with the picking up of
business and the increased circulation
OF money the West will thrive and
boom. Everybody will now buckle
down to business and things will hum.'
The senator leaves this noon for his
home.