El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-06
SHOWS
Loss IN 1874
European War Hardicaps
Output; Arizona Main
tains the Lead


Washington, D. c., Jan 6.-The cop
per production of the United States in
1914 viii show a marked decrease from
that of 1913, according to figures and
estimates collected by B. S. Butler, of
the United States geological survey.
Reports have been received from all
plants known to produce blister copper
from domestic ores and refined copper.
At an average price of about 1875 cents
a pound, the 1914 output has a value
Of S152, 100000, compared with $685.,
795,000 for the 1913 output The large
decrease in production in 1914 was due
to curtailment of production during the
later part Of the year on account of the
reduction in tonnage exported to Eu7
rope.
The figures showing smelter prOduc-
tion from domestic ores represent the
actual production of most Of the COM
panies for II months and an estimate
of the December output. The November
figures for a few companies were not
available, and these companies fur
nished estimates for the last two
months of the year. According to the
statistics and estimates received, the
output Of blister and Lake copper was
1129,000,000 pounds in 1914, against
24,484, 900 pounds in 1913.
Refined Copper
The statistics and estimates indicate
that the output OF refined copper from
primary sources, domestic and foreign,
for 1914 was $4,000, 900 pounds, COM
pared with 1,6I5, 100000 pounds in 1913.
According TO the bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce, the imports Of
pigs, ignOts, bars. etc, for the first IL
months of 1914 amounted to 1877, 433, 676
pounds, and the copper contents of ore
matte and regulus amounted to 97,34S-
866 pounds, total import of 2S4,7S
542 pounds. This compares with an i'm
port for the II months OF 1913 of 409,-
560,954 pounds.
Exports Decrease.
The exports Of pigs, ingOts, bars,
plates sheets, etc, for the first II
months of 1914 amounted to 7SO.O4S.7TT
pounds, compared with an export for u
months of 1913 Of 926,44L142 pounds.
At the beginning of 1914 there was
about 90,000,0O0 pounds of refined cop
per in stock in the United States. This
added to the refinery production gives
total available supply of about 1888
100000 pounds Of refined copper. On
subtracting the export from this with
an estimate for December. it is appar-
ent that the supply available for do
nestle consumption is materially below
the S12,O00,000 pounds Of 1913, without
taking account Of stocks held at the
close of the year
The average price of copper for 1914
showed a decrease from that OF the pre-
.ceding year being about 1875 cents a
pound, compared with 15.5 cents in 1913
After the outbreak of the European
war copper sold considerably below the
yearly average but toward the close Of
the year the price showed notable i'm
prOvement.
Arizona continued in first place
among the copper producing states, but
had a notably decreased output The
blister copper production for 1914 will
probably not exceed $50, 900, 900 pounds
compared with 404,000.000 pounds for
1913.
The production from Montana was
the smallest for many years and prob
ably did not greatly exceed the pro-
duction OF 1898, which was 206 COO 600
pounds the smallest output made by
the state since 1895.
Michigan, with a production of about
l6O.000,O00 pounds. made a slight gain
over the 155,700,0O0 pounds produced in
1913.
Utah will show but little change
from the 100000 pounds produced in
1913
The production from Nevada de-
creased from the $4,000 pounds in
1913, and probably will not greatly ex.
coed 6O,O00,000 pounds for 1914.
New Mexico Increases.
New Mexico made an increased pro-
duction Of probably about 10,000.OOO
pounds OYER the output of 5O,196.OOO
pounds in 1913.
CalifO.rlia will show a decrease Of
several llillion pounds from the pro-
duction of S2,492OOO pounds in 1913.