The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-29
COPPER CONSUMPTION
PEACE TIMES AND WAR
PEACEFUL INDUSTRIES REQUIRE
BULK OF METAL PRoDUc-
ED IN THE U. s.

Ed IN THE U. s.
That the principal demand for COP
per comes not from the munitions
factories, but from the arts and in
dustries, and that this will justify
the present rate of production indef-
initely is shown by consideration Of
the uses to which the red metal is
put in the arts of peace.
Pure copper is used in the .nant-
factuIe Of munitions for only two
purposes-the primer of shells and
the expansion ring that follows the
riflng of the gun hischarging the
SHELL. The amount of copper used
for this purpose is enthusiastically
small compared to the general pro-
duction.
"A compilation of the uses to
which copper is put in the arts and
industries fills an exceedingly large
volume including the manufacture of
wires, brass, bronze, sheet copper,
tubes, etc.---an infinite variety of
useful purposes to which different
shapes and alloys are
devoted
What the Wires Weigh
There are more than billion and
O quarter pounds of copper in the
telephone and telegraph wires in the
world. In the single long distance
circuit between New York and San
Francisco there are 100000 pounds
o. copper. In the electrification of
the rs miles of the Butte, Anaconda
& Pacific railway between Butte and
Anaconda there was used 1880
pounds of copper per mile, while in
he electrification of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul railway, a.
100 pounds per mile were used. In
M ordinary steam locomotive more
han 5000 pounds of copper are en-
,loyed.
In MuItifarious Industries
Copper enters practically into
very line of trade. including the
electric lighting industry, the auto
mobile industry, boat and ship build
ng, heating and cooling devices,
construction hardware and
'oinage, etc. Fully 100,000,OO0
pounds of bearage metal is milled an
iually in the United States to take
ARE of the demand for new jou 'no.s
If this amount so destroyed prob
IDLY 50,oo0,0o0 pounds is copper.
In the opinion of C. F, Kelly, vice
PRESIDENT and managing director Of
he Anaconda company, it is dou5l-
'ul if the demand for copper during
he past year and half would NOT
nave been substantially as great, al
though the price would have been
much less had there been no war.
Copper Consumers of World
Germany and Austria constitute
he principal copper customers of the
world. In 1913 the United States
to Germany and Austria
alone 5S7.000,000 pounds of copper
This export business has been wholly
destroyed by the war. The amount
II copper that has gone into war
since the declaration of
var has been considerably less than
he amount which would have been
to the market of which the
United States has thus been deprived.
Another fallacy is that the export
business has tremendously increased
N account of shipments of copper
o the allies.
Bigger Shipments Before the War
According to the government figures
he total exports of copper during
9l5 amounted to about 6SS,000, 900
hounds as against 4S0,OOO,0OU in
914, S17,OO0,0O0 i'm 1913. and 1885,
100000 in 1912. In 1915 there was
SIS copper exported from the United
tates for Europe than in any year
ince 1910.
OF course, in addition to the raw
cpper exported, a very large guam.
ty was exported in the shape OF
munitions, the exact
mount of which is not obtainabe.
From these facts the conclusion
reached that the end of the war
Ill not witness any great recession
the demand of copper. At pres
At everything in the copper indus
y is run at high speed and under
I'll pressure.
Senator w. A. Clark says I'VE |
ave heard great deal about a
Jump coming after the war, but | do |
Ut look for that to happen. Why. in |
ermany they have stripped the cop
ar roofs off buildings and substitute
wood; they have taken the cop
n used for trolley wires, and they
I'VE gone into every place where cop
n has been used and appropriated it
+ war purposes. All that huge cop
II tonnage must be replaced, but (
ey can not furnish it. They will call
u.s. and know what / an, talking
'out when | say that have been ap-
cached by some big interests ask
6 me to make contracts to deliver
e.. |