Arizona republican., 1909-05-04
VARIOUS ASPECTS Of COPPER SITUATION
GENERAL INCREASE OF AcTV- iTY IN THE MINERAL IN-
 DUSTRY.


 makers of mining machinery are work ing at high pressure to fulfill their contracts. While this condition of affairs is partly due to increased operations in gold mining, it is more largely due. to the improved and i'm proving prospects for copper. The last statement of the Copper Producers Association showed that the | copper production for March was the heaviest in the history of the country, yet substantial increase in consump- tion has put a favorable aspect on the metal market.
 During March there was an aggre- gate of IF, ,05S, ,661 pounds produced in this country. The increase in copper stocks was only S,995,654 as compared with an increase in February of 29,- 154,203 and in January of 21,772, ,779 The stock on hand April 1, as posted by the Copper Producers Association, totalled 1S2,279.9O2 pounds.
 The report of the association has been interpreted as exceedingly en- couraging.
 While the March production was 13,- 357.S44 pounds in excess of that of
 
 last month was 33,516,393 pounds heavier than in the month previous. This pronounced gain in consumption is the strong factor of the copper mar ket situation. Exports of copper are becoming heavier and very good ship ments have been made in the last three days.
 So far as the domestic market is concerned. there are plenty of bids. but consumers are apparently inclined to hold out for still bigger bargains on any concession in prices.
 ! representative of Phelps, Dodge & Co, is authority for the following statement: There is a distinct i'm provement in the international cop per markets, notably in demands by the electrical engineering trades, for wire, bars and other material. Ger many is the most active foreign mar ket Great Britain second and France third. In the domestic market the principal electrical engineering con cerns and wire drawers report a good degree of improvement and have been buyers in the open market during the week"
 
 now the 1900 trolley lines in the United States have not been engaged in any reconstruction to speak of. Repairs and extensions have been disregarded until business conditions should inn prove These 1900 trolley lines are enormous consumers of copper. and with business once more set on an advancing plane. they are certain to take up the work which has been left undone for so long, and thereby to create a great demand for the red metal. The same condition exists with regard to the identification of rail- roads now operated by steam. There is scarcely a railroad line in the cOun- try, especially in the metropolitan sec tions, but is now planning to change from steam to electricity for motive power. Only one of these-the Penn sylvania-is now engaged in carrying out an identification project, and that is only with respect to the New York terminals. Among French railroads big identification projects are on the point of naturalization, and if the bill now pending in parliament for the merger of the English railroads be- comes a law, electricity will be adopt ed by the lines in that country.
 One significant fact is that the Can anea Copper company announces that it's entire production for March, to- | gether with it's accumulated stocks of copper has now been sold and it's directors are holding the April output for 19 cents pound.
 According to telegraphic advices from New York yesterday J. D. Corey, head l of the Steel trust, has been in consul tation with the leading producers of copper in the hope of concluding ar engagements to regulate the output of the metal, and has secured the CO., operation of the Amalgamated com pany, but has yet to persuade the Phelps Dodge company to agree to the proposed plans, owing to the fact that the Arizona companies are able to earn substantial dividends with copper selling at figures which entail loss or only trifling profit to the Michigan and Montana companies.
 There is every indication that there will be great activity in copper mining in Arizona this year. Early this month it is expected that work will be commenced on the railroad from Kelvin to Ray, the construction of which is necessary for transporting the immense amount of machinery to be erected at the Ray Consolidated mines.
 An immense amount of work is also being done on the low. grade copper deposits in the Miami zone, six miles west of Globe.
 MT. J. Parke Charming, consulting engineer for the Miami Copper com pany, Globe district, Arizona. is quot ed as saying:
 We are making rapid progress in placing the Miami property in shape for the production of copper. We have just closed a contract for all the steel work for our new mill, and we expect to be treating 1000 tons of ore per day at this mill in the early part of 1910. We are planning the struc tural work to accommodate machinery for 2,000 tons capacity, but will install the machinery for the treatment of only 1000 tons at this time. Within six months from the time our mill goes into commission, however, our mine will be in position to supply the mill 1000 tons per day. We now fig ure our ore in sight at 13350, 900 tons, which will give an average assay of "a