The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-16
MANGANESE MARKET
AND DOMESTIC SUPPLY
GRADE OF ORE THAT IS MARKET.
ABLE AND PENALTIES FOR
CERTAIN. IMPURITIES.
Correspondence Engineering and Mi
ming JournaD

Correspondence Engineering and Mi
/ ming JournaD
Prior to the war the bulk of the
manganese imported into this country
came from the Caucasus. The cost OF
production there was SO low that II
did not pay to produce manganese ore
in this country. Next in importance
Brazil. On account Of the Black sea
being closed to all shipping, no eau
casus ore to speak of has been ex-
ported from Russia, though | under
stand that during certain months
some of it was shipped by water
through the Caspian sea, up the Volga
river, ultimately to Archangel and
thence to Great Britain. The war de-
mand has advanced the price for man
ganese to such an extent that this
complicated way of shipment still left
the seller with some profit.
Caucasus ore being practically UNI
obtainable for this market and Indian
ore obtanable only under permit, buy
ers are looking around for other
sources of supply-the more so as the
importation of ferromanganese also
became more and more restricted. The
consumption of manganese in this
country is equivalent to $4,000 tons of
manganese ore monthly, and this
quantity has to be found in order to
keep the steel industry going. Brazil
has improved its mining to large ex-
tent because of the higher prices paid
and considerable tonnage Is now
reaching us from that quarter Costa
Rica and Porto Rico are also contrib
uting, to our demands, though in a
much smaller degree. Cuba, too, has
helped to swell the quantities import
ed. Japan is shipping to this country
some manganese ore of high grade
suitable for the chemical trade. To
ship the furnace ore from Japan and
China, where excellent ore can be OBJ
tanned, is at present impossible, as no
freight at reasonable rates is avail
able.
Grade Of Ore Accepted.
The advance of prices for mangan-
ese ore. and the buyers willingness to
overlook impurities or partly to fore
go penalties for such impurities, also
their willingness to accept much low
er grade ore than ever before, have
brought into line a number of miners
in this country, and much activity is
shown in the manganese deposits in
California, Montana, Arizona and Ar
kansas. Considerable business has
been entered into with California pro-
ducers, but understand that the min
ing end is principally in the hands of
small miners and many Of the con-
tracts entered into have not been car
ried out. Buyers will, therefore, not
make contracts for any length of time,
but will accept deliveries when actu-
ally made. upon schedule prices. The
schedules have been altered continu-
per cent and over, which was quoted
around 40 cents in the early part of the
war, is now offered at $1.10 per unit,
fob. buyers works. Formerly. ore
under SO per cent could hardly be sold
now buyers are prepared take ma
terial from SO per cent upward. Again,
ore containing over per cent of sill
ca was subject to a penalty, and the
maximum silica allowed, before the
ore was rejected, was IL per cent. To-
day some of the buyers are ready to
accept manganese ore even If it con-
tains up to 20 per cent of silica. Ex-
cess of silica, over per cent, how
ever, is penalized at the rate of SO
cents per ton for each unit of silica.
The United States Steel corporation
Is still accepting manganese ore with
a penalty of only Is cents for the ex-
cess of silica over per cent. Other
buyers deduct l per cent of mangan-
ese for each / per cent of silica in ex-
less of 10 per cent. Phosphorus, also,
8 penalized, and penalty of Is cents
. ton for each point over OIL per cent Is
The maximum allowance for
is OF per cent. Though
hese limits have been set, it is pos
ible by actual negotiations to get an
unacceptable ore taken by
he buyers. and 1t is the best for the
nine to. ship trial car or cargo since,
ccording to the general and physical
haracter of the ore. price can often
re fixed which is in excess of the ac-
ual schedules submitted.
Scale of Prices. :
l have always been of the opinion c
hat the scale of prices paid was wrong .
proportion to the actual value of A
res to the furnace, depending on
neither they are high or low grade. \
ssuming that standard ore run
ing 30 per cent or better in mangan-
'e, 5 per cent to 6 per cent silica, un-
Or per cent iron, under OIL per cent n
losphorus and under per cent mois- b
ire, Is worth 81 a unit. 1t could cas- n
be shown by actual figures that an =,
grade. which would run 40 per cent d,
anganese, 10 per cent iron and - OF
n cent silica is not worth nearly half "
much when due consideration il y.
aced upon the excess Stag volume
r.