Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-12-06
WAR DOES NOT
HELP ZINC MINING
Producers Prefer Old Time Con-
ditiOns and Believe End Of
War win Bring Much
Improvement

There Is no war prosperity for
this district now, SO far as the pro-
ducers Of zinc and lead ores are con-
cerned, says the Joplin Globe. They
would much prefer that conditions
we're as they were before the war,
and they will be glad when the price
Of zinc ore drops to its ante bellum
price, provided mining costs drop at
the same time to what they were
previous to 1914.
One Of the commonest objections
to be met by those promoting min
ing transactions is some such argu-
ment as this: eyes, l can see your
proposition is a good one now, but
what will happen when the war is
Overt" Which shows that people
generally have not figured out that
zinc and lead mining just now,
though still profitable, is not as
profitable as before the war, nor as
profitable as it will be when the war
ends and normal conditions once
more prevail.
It is easy to prove the correctness
of this proposition. In the years
1912, 1918 and 1914 the total pro-
duction Of lead and zinc ore in the
district amounted to 986,9O4 tons,
with q total estimated value Of $44,-
64s,712, or an average value Of
$45.15 per ton during these years.
Up to November Is, 1917, total Of
466,S1O tons Of concentrates were
produced for a total value of $685.
962,50s. This gives an average value
of $71.51, or SO per cent higher than
for the three years before the war.
But while this average price Of ore
was SO much higher, it has been more
than offset by the increase in mining
costs. Reliable estimates place the
average increase in costs of labor this
year over the fhree-year period mem
toned as 65 per cent; increased cost
Of supplies, 95 per cent; Of total op-
Grating charges, 80 per cent, and Of
investment, 100 per cent.
Thus, while the average cost Of op-
Grating in the Oklahoma field in
l912-13-14 was $1.O5, now it is $1.S9.
These costs, it should be noted,
take no account Of interest, deprecia-
tion or depletion charges.
A concrete example showing that
it will be more attractive to mine
.swhen prewar conditions again prevail
than it is now, may serve to prove
the proposition more clearly.
Suppose an investment Of $15O,OOO
in the Oklahoma field in 1912 or 1913
If the dirt gave 8 per cent recovery
which; of course, is close to the low
est for the field, and a Is per cent
royalty was paid, there should have
resulted profit of $24,264, or 16 pei
cent on the investment for the year
It figures like this. At that time
S150,OO0 investment would have
bought two 4OO-ton mills and in 300
days they would have handled 240,OO(
tons Of dirt and produced 1900 toni
of concentrates. We have seen that
the average price Of concentrates il
1912 and 1918 was $45.14. Less thu
Is per cent royalty, this average price
may be figured at $Ss.S7 per ton, Sc
the total production would have
brought in $276,264. The cost Of pro
duction at that time was $1.O5 PEI
ton, or for the 100000 tons $252, ,OO'
which, deducted from the total in
come, leaves, $24,264 for the profit.
This year the same investmen
would purchase but one 40O-tOn mill
investment costs having increased 1Ol
per cent. This mill working on tn
same 8 per cent dirt would handl
but 10000 tons for an output Of con
centrates Of $500 tons. The averag
price this year for all ores was $7l.bl
which for the sake Of cOnvenienc
may be called $71.5O. Less the i
per cent royalty cost would be $6O7s
which would give q total value TO
the production Of $21S,OO0. As tn
average cost now for the oklahOm
field Is estimated at $1.s9 per ton, tn
cost for handling the 10000 ton
would be $685. 800, which is $500
more than the total income, or los
Of that amount on the operation, eS
elusive Of interest, depreciation an
depletion charges.
Mines in which the dirt runs bel
ter than IN the examples given Al
numerous, Of course, and they Al
still being operated probably, but
Is important for persons interested
this field to appreciate that bettt
conditions may b. Oxpected Whs