Denver labor bulletin., 1915-07-10
WAR BOOSTS ZINC
OVER GOLD VALUES
Phenomenal Rise in Spelter
StaggerS Old Miners
Leadville and Joplin Districts Reapine
Rich Harvest; These Sres Now Ex-
ceed Gold in Aggregate Valuation

The demand for spelter products
caused by the European war has result
ed in some phenomenal changes in metal
values II has made zinc mines, for in
stance, more to be prized than gold
mines With zinc selling at $500 a ton;
with zinc ore selling for Sll0 ton. and
with continuation of the present mar
ket assured by future orders which will
take up the entire production of metal
for year hence, the zinc industry of the
United States assumes a phenomenally
high relative position compared with
other metals, far surprising the aggre-
gate value Of gold and silver metal from
the entire United States and Alaska.
Leadvilie Is the principal zinc produc-
ing mining camp in Colorado and it IS
estimated that several millions OF dol
lars have been made by the mine own
crs Their during the last few months.
Joplin. Mo. l. another great zinc pro-
ducine center.
Some Figures On Metal Values.
The value of gold metal rrrdu@ed from
United St-tes and Alaskan ores in 1917.
the last year for which figures are avail
able from the United states geological
survey. was SIS, ,ssl. HOG The value of
zinc metal produced from United States
ores alone for the fiscal year dating from
May Is. 1915. will be approximately
500. .0oO 900. OF more than three times as
grest a. the value OF gold: ard of this
ss0o.oo0.nO0 valuation. the Mis=oari-kan-
s-oIlahoma district will produce metal
valued at Sl20.Oo0,0o0.
The sgcregste value Of silver metal
produce in the United States IN 1918.
Il. -.
ical surrey. was s4O.34s. 100. or barely
one-thiri the value Of the zinc that viii
he recovered from Joplin district cfes
Zinc Doubles Gold and Silver
The combined valuation of gold rnd
silver from the United States and
Alaska. with the aggregate valuation
OF silvrr from Mexico. the leading silver
produci1s country of the world. i sp-
proximafelv sl73.oO0 600 per wear. or
barely more than one-half as l1rcc a.
the valuation of the United States metal
JIG zins VIII be for the ensuing fiscal
year
The Missouri Kansas Oklahoma dis
trict's crude zinc concentrates alone
at prr.fut values-will show an annual
valua; lon OF s3o.Oc0.oOo. OF double the
valua; ion Of the gold metal recovered
Afro. the greatest producer of gold
in tho world. turns out metal valued at
sell .oa0c annually. or Sa0.0eo. .ooo less
than The valuation of United States
msts'l,e zinc for the present fiscal year.
The whole world produces gold vaiued
AZ SAG. 900 annually. or only Size =
iru.uo more than the zinc valuation OF
the United States.
Futures Booked at $500 Ton.
The above comparisons are hssed on
iitious--noi as they probably will exist,
hut IS they actually exist now. Smell
ter are selling spot metal at $40 per
huui uedweight. or $50 a ton. while fu-
ture bookings show metal sold up 20
early il 1916 for 500 a ton. The smell
ter opacity of the United States is co.,
eN tens a vesr. m. ming valuation OF
ss9o 10000 for metal. The Joplin dis
trict produces ores from which 30 per
cent Of the United States production of
sreltef comes. meaning a valuation of
Sl20 100. 600 for .he metal produced frcn'
v-'- Of this district. Tho concen.rsic-
are melted in Illinois. Kansas. and Ok
lahouia. Only very small tonnage IL
smelted in Missouri. the natural ga
fields of Kansas and Oklahoma and the
soft coal fields Of Illinois being sources
Of fnei supply which are of great i'm
portauce to the smclters.
Output Greatly Increased.
The greatest valuation of Joplin dis
trici concentrates for any one year was
SlSooo.ooo in 1919 but needless to say
this figure iwll be greatly increased for
1915. while for the fiscal year from the
present there is every reason TO presume
that the valuation will be more thar
ssoo000o. This district produces. under
normal conditions. 100000 tons of con-
eentratcs annually. Even il this produc-
;iou is not increased and ii ore concen-
tratcs continue at 500 a ton the annual
OUTPUT woald be valued at SS0ooo.ooo.
Under the stress of present conditions
the output will h. increased to possibly