The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-10-26
HAS VERY
STRONG POSITION
During 1909 Production and
Consumption by World We're
New Records.
UNITED STATES IN
THE FIRST POSITION
Show That Prospects
for Metal Are Extremely
Encouraging.

AS one OF the leading lead producing
Interest In the action of the heavy
metal There has been received In Salt
Lake the sixteenth annual issue OF COM
Parativc statistics compiled by tho
Metallgesellschaft and associated COM
panies OF Frankfort on the Main, in
which is contained most encouraging fig
ures on the lead situation 1t may be
stated that few OF the metals produced
by the mines of the state have q brighter
outlook than lead.
The year 1909 was one of general in
dustrial depression, and yet lead with
stood conditions splendidly. The world S
production was the greatest in history,
and the worlds consumption was the
largest ever reported The production OF
the world totaled 1,oS1,9OO metric tons.
a metric ton being approximately 200
duction shows that the United states
stands first with about one third of the
worlds whole, the figures being 339, 700
metric tons: Spain is second. Germany
third and Mexico fourth, 1t is interest
ing TO note that the old countries show
either a very small gain In production or
a decrease. the only countries showing
States and Mexico. Australia shows a
very marked decrease in 1909 over the
previous year
the world Of lead was a record. The
total consumption was l,090,900 metric
tons. The United States leads the list
with 36b 200 tons while Germany is sec
crease over 1908 The country showing
the greatest decrease In consumption is
Great Britain, that country using only
l99,50o tons In 1903 against 22S,4oo tons
the year before.
A very interesting comparison between
the average price of lead in Great Bril-
tain and the United States is given, the
1909 average in Great Britain being s2.S3s
per hundred, against s4.27 1-3 in this
country This is a difference OF about
SLAB 20. or the measure OF the price the
the British consumer is called on to pay.
The tariff on lead Is II cents. a pound
on ore to q cents on bullion.
Metallgesellschaft says:
The production of lead in the United
States of America from domestic ores
shows. contrary TO the previous year.
large increase. From 2Sa2O0 tons, it ad-
vanced $4,000 tons. 4, e. us per cent. to
3ss. 700 tons. although it must be borne
In mind that the output for 1905 was con-
siderably inferior to that OF 1907 and
1906. Nevertheless, the United States
previous record. that of 1906, viz, $780,
500 tons. Hence the increase In pro-
duction OF the states is. alone, consid-
The corresponding falling off is to be
found in Australia. The imports OF lead
Into the United States. proceeding main
y from Mexico O., s6n rose to the extent OF
showed a further increase, the total hav-
ing advanced by st00 tons, VIZ, from So
700 to rs 100 tons,
The consumption in 1909 amounted TO
355. 900 tons as compared with 32l,00o
tons. an increase of $4,000 tons, or more
than I3 per cent. and hence surpasses,
like the production. the previous highest
on record. viz, 900 tons In 1906. If
now. as is generally assumed. the stocks
OF lead in the United States have large
Iy decreased, the actual consumption
must have exceeded considerably the. In
Itself, imposing figure Of $4,000 tons,
Finally we would refer TO the ef-
forts. mentioned In our last statistics, for
bringing together the leading producers
Of lead with view to joint selling.
These efforts, meanwhile. have been
crowned with success, large number Of
German. Belgian. Spanish. American and
Australian producers having placed the
sale OF the whole of their output avail
able for Europe into a few hands, The
operations for this selling combination
began on the first day of May. 1909"
The following comparative statistics OF
the production and consumption. given in
metric tons, will prove OF interest: