Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-06

~ TATISTICS and estimates received
by the United States Geological
~ survey from all plants known to
produce blister copper from domestic
ores and from all lake mines Indicate
that the copper output from mines in
the United States in 1909 surpassed all
previous records.
The figures, which have been collect
ed by B. S. Butles of the survey, rep
resent the actual production of each
company for eleven months and include
an estimate of it's December output.
The November figures for few COM
panies were not available and these
companies furnished estimates for the
last two months of the year. Accord
ing to the statistics and estimates re-
ceived the output of blister and lake
copper was 1,117,800,000 pounds, as
against 9I2,570721 pounds in 1908, an
increaes of over Is per cent. This not
only exceeds the increase Of any great
er year, but it is considerably greater
than the total yearly increase since
1904.
1t is impossible now to give figures
that represent accurately the distribu-
tion of the output among the states
of origin, bu, a few general statements
may be positively made concerning the
leading copper-producing states. Mon
tana shows a large increase, again
taking first rank, a place lost to Arl-
zona in 1907. The production in Mon
tana will nearly equal or will possibly
exceed the states previous record out
put, 314, 100000 pounds, made in 1905
Arizona holds second place, with
slight increase over the 289,523,OOO
pounds produced in 1908. Michigan al
so e--ceeded the 1908 production, 222,-
2S9,OC0 pounds. Large gains were made
hV Utah NpUnd1 California
also increased it's output considerably
Output of Refined Copper
Statistics showing the output of re-
fined copper by plants in the United
States are not now collected by the
geological survey Figures published
by the Copper Producers association
indicate that the production of market
able copper from all sources. domestic
and foreign, for the first eleven months
of 1909 will exceed 1,400,000,000, as
against 1,161, ,1760S5 pounds in 1908.
Statistics showing domestic deliveries
for the first eleven months of the year,
as given by the Copper Producers as
soeiation, indicate a consumption Of
copper in the United States consider
ably greater than the previous record
consumption-6S2,00 100000 pounds, in 1906.
Estimates based on figures for the
first eleven months, published by the
bureau of statistics and also by the
Copper Producers association, indicate
that the exports of copper will sur
pass by several million pounds the eX-
ports for 190S-661, S76, 1877 pounds.
According to the bureau of statis-
tics. imports of pigs, bars, ingots,
plates and old copper for the first
eleven months amounted to 213,100,2S1
pounds, and the copper content of ore
matte and regulus imported amounted
10 74,70S,4S2 pounds. Ii the imports for
December were equal to the average
monthly import for the first eleven
months the amount of copper entering
the United States for the year was
about 311,S00,0O0 pounds, as against
2lS.705,487 pounds in 1903.
Accumulation In Stocks
Stocks of refined copper in the United
States show a considerable increase
over those of January /, 1909, but the
accumulation occurred for the most
part during the first half Of the year.
European stocks, however, have in
/ creased rather uniformly throughout
the year and at the close were prob
4ably nearly double those of January
p, 1909. The price of copper has re-
|nained close to 13 cents throughout
Rhe year, the average monthly New
ork quotation for electrolytic cop
Ter being little under 13 cents.
Mine development has been active in
ost of the important camps, but as
ecially SO in the deposits of dissemi-
: |ated ore in Arizona and Nevada. The
ines and the smelters of the country
Ire now in position to make the
ltput of 1910 larger than that of 1909
many factors, however, enter into
: e determination of the output that
" forecast of production of the COM
year made at this time would be
hout value.