Mohave County miner., 1917-01-06
ARIZONA LEADS IN PRODUCTION
 OF RED METAL

United States in 1916 surpassed all previous records, according to the United States geological survey, De- partment of the Interior. Preliminary figures an destimates have been col 1ected by B. s. Butler, who has re- ceived reports from all plants known to produce blister copper from domes- tic ores and refined copper. At an average price of about 27 cents a pound the output for 1916 has a value of $520, 100000, compared with S242,- 900,OO0 for the output for 1915 and with s189, 100000 in 1913.
 The figures showing shelter produc- tion from domestic ores represent the actual production of most of the com panies for Il months and an estimate of the output for December. The fig ures of few companies for Novem- Der were not available, and these com panies furnished estimates for the last two months of the year.
 According to the statistics and esti- mates received, the output of blister and Lake copper from domestic ores was 1,928,00O,OOO pounds in 1916, against 1888, 100000 pounds in 1915, and 1,224, 100000 pounds in 1913.
 The output of refined copper (elec- trOlytic, Lake, casting and pig) from primary sources, domestic and for eign, for 1916, is estimated at 2,311,- 100000 pounds, compared with 1884, 100000 pounds in 1915 and with l. 615,000,000 pounds in 1913.
 The production of copper from the mines of the United States for 1916 was more than double that of 10 years ago and more than four times that of 20 years ago. The profit resulting from the domestic production was far greater in 1916 than in any previous year. It is probably safe to say that it exceeded S3OO,OOO,OOO.
 Big Foreign Trade
 According to the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, the imports of all forms of unmanufactured COD per for the first 10 months of 1916 amounted to 397, 7,594,OOO pounds. This compares with an import of 265, ,677,- 900 pounds for the first 10 months of 1915. The imports for the 12 months f1915 were 315,69S,449 pounds.
 The exports of pigs, ingots, bars, plates, sheets, rods, wire, etc, for the first 10 months of 1916, as deter mined by the bureau of foreign and domesti commerce, amounted to 655,- 472,000 pounds, compared with an ex- port for the first 10 months of 1915 of 9,2S6,OOO pounds. The exports for the 12 months of 1915 were 681, ,917, 900 pounds.
 At the beginning of 1916 there was about s2,4OO,OOO pounds of refined copper in stock in the United States. This quantity added to the refinery production gives total available sup ply of about 2,393, 100000 pounds of refined copper. On substracting from this amount the exports for the first 10 months and the estimated exports for the last two months, it is appar- ent that the supply available for do- mestic consumption is materially greater than the 1,043,OO0,OOO pounds of 1915, no account being taken of stocks held at the close of the year.
 Higher Prices in 1916
 The average price of copper for 1916 showed a marked increase over that of the preceding year, being slightly above 27 cents a pound, com pared with TIA cents in 1915.
 Much of the copper was sold sev- eral weeks or months in advance of delivery, and it is therefore probable that the actual average price received differs somewhat from the average of the daily quotations for immediate de livery. The general trend of the mar ket would indicate that the actual price received may be below that in- dicated by the average of Quotations.
 Record by States
 Arizona made a record production. The total may reach 675,000,000 pounds as compared with 432, 100000 pounds in 1915. This exceeds the total output of the United States as late as 1902.
 Montana, with more than 950,000,- 900 pounds, exceeded its previous rec ord production of 314,900,000 pounds in 1912. This compares with about 268,OOO,OOO pounds produced in 1915
 Michigan, in common with the other important copper producing states made a record production. The out put for 1916 was about 269,OOO,OOC pounds, as compared with about 238,' 9OO,OOO pounds in 1915, the previous record production.
 Utah may show an increase of 6O, mn OO0 ,oY1nds ovey the nrevious rec