The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-04
HERE IS OPENING
FOR SOME GENIUS
Disposition of Million Tons Acid
Annually Needs Some
Brain Matter.
ANACONDA is UP
AGAINST 1T HARD
Mining Journal Believes the
Company viii Win the Gov
ernment Suit.

The mischief and danger OF bureau
cratic interference with an industry is
cXempiified by the experience OF the Ana
eonda Copper Mining company against
which the government last week brought
an action based upon the hoary old
smoke complaint. After its long series
Of trials ard trlbulatons and victories
in the courts II was supposed that this
company and the population dependent
upon II were 10 have peace. But some
government officials are not of that mind,
The one sure method OF abolishng the
nuisance OF sulphurous smoke is to mako
sulphuric acid out of II. y certain Of
ficlal genius for observation and deduc-
tion reported how this done by the
copper smelters in Tennessee. and II there
why not in Montana? But said the
Anaconda management, we could not
utilized our smoke" There is a story,
perhaps apocryphal. that they were told
that at least they could prevent the dam
age 10 vegetation by making acid and
conveying ii by pipe line 10 the Pacific
ocean into which II might be poured.
This suggestion was not taken seriously.
Now the government In Its wisdom has
made up its mind that the Anaconda
ought 10 make acid and use It with the
phosphates OF Idaho To make fertilizer.
% which the western soil is more In need
than that OF the south.
The Anaconda Copper Mining company
is enc OF tho great industrial concerns
of the United States and tochnologiCally
at least ranks among those OF which the
In the practical development OF the
metallurgv OF copper 1t has been leader,
It's works are the SHOW plant of the
country. It's technical methods are the
most scientific. This position has been
attained through The exercise Of the most
enlightened ideas OF management, which
naturally implies the employment OF the
best technical assistance that the world
offers. Economy and efficiency are the
walchwords OF this business. and we arc
quite sure that II anybody can show the
company how il can save ! cent per ton
Of ore treated, even II large outlay OF
capital ne involved, the company will
adopt the idea and give employment to
the proposer at n salary that the gov
has considered carefully. with the aid of
the best professional advice, the scheme
upon which the government experts now
insist, and knows ii to be uncconomical
stronger and say absurd,
The Washoe chimneys discharge daily
nearly 1000 tons of sulphur or an amount
that would make annually about 100000
tons OF tower acid, Statistics of the do
mestic production and consumption Of
acid In recent years do not exist, but
900 tons. basis OF tower acid. Save for
relatively trif1ing quantity. all of this
acid is produced east OF the Mississippi
river. A little more than one-half OF the
phosphate. The use OF that commodity
is chiefly in the south and on the At
ldltc coast w est oil the MISSISSIPPI
river the consumption Is insignificant,
although IT will doubtless increase the
years roll on. However. there IS not any
prospect in human vision that until
many, many years have elapsed Will
Montana be able 10 market supply OF
acid phosphate superior TO the present
rytal consumption OF the United States
even II commercial conditions were as
favorable as in Tennessee. which de-
cidedly they arc not
1t is highly doubtful If the Washoe
smoke damages the governments for
ssts to the extent that is alleged. Even
ll il does IL is better TO suffer some dam
age than TO check a mining industry
upon which large cities, we might almost
say the state Of Montana. are dependent.
This conclusion has been distinctly cX-
pressed In the opicn OF the fe.cral courts
IN previous cases decided in favor OF
he company. The government now flies
In the face OF these decisions with an
absurd proposition which seems TO be
based chiefly upon the idea OF couserva-
tlon run mad. and the desire OF some
government experts TO magnify their i'm
portance. There is not much doubt
about the company successfully defend
ing It's case but IL is unjust for the
government To put any OF It's citizens to
expense in the exploitation Of such AN
absurdity as the present basis Of action.
Engineering and Mining Journal