Bisbee daily review., 1918-07-14
SETS FUTURE PACE
METAL DUcERs BREAK ABOUT EVEN NEITHER GAINING NOR LOSING ON FORMER RE- TURNS FROM COPPER METAL IS PREDICTION MADE NOW

In the recently announced wage
 advance announced for workers in
 the copper industry during the
 week there was elimination of
 effort exercised by employers and
 employees with the assistance of
 each other to secure an advance
 in the price of copper that would
 enable higher wage scale.
 Making the cooperative effort of
 the employers and emp loves in the
 matter still more binding and con
 sequently drawing them into more
 complete understanding and sin
 gleness of purpose to get maximum
 results during the war period, was
 the fact that they jointly took
 counsel of the federal labor de-
 partment and of the presidents
 mediators. Judge Hywell Davies,
 who was the active advisor in the
 Arizona conference at Jerome and
 elsewhere in advance of the in-
 creased wage announcement, has
 further credit given him from
 Montana, where Butte newspaper
 reports indicate that it was his
 advice to operators and operatives
 which brought about the advance
 of fifty cents the shift which was
 announced there last week and
 which smoothed out problems that
 had come up and put the copper
 industry CD orators and operatives
 on a cordial and more effective
 footing for top efficiency than had
 prevailed in more than a year.
 Sets Future Pace
 While various occurrences signifying the cooperation of employer and em ploye in Arizona have had comment and have been demonstrated in the higher output of metal. no instance has had quite the significance that ap pears to be given to the success oi their joint endeayor for a higher wage and none has seemed to carry as much promise of lasting benefits in per better understanding and continued use of the foundation which has been put down for joint endeavors in the good interests of each.
 Arizona Wage Advance
 Fifty cents the shift was added tC the Arizona copper industry employees wage under the decision of the week The advance dates from July 1 and will continue at least to August 15 until which time the government ha: fixed the price of copper at 26 cents The wage advance corresponds witf that adopted in Montana as to amount but is a more liberal advance-on the part of the Arizona copper producers for the reason that Montana freight charges and most other costs are low CT than in Arizona.
 Metal Advance Apportionment
 In making advance in wages the cop per producers have possibly broker about even. neither gaining or losinl from the 231z cent price. It may worl out that they have obtained a slight over the 231k cent price but if so it is a much less portion thar the employees in the industry are gain ing. Of the 21z cent increase iron 231k cents, a little more than 1-4 cents, it is figured. is taken up by tht increase in freight rates which be came effective on June 18th. The eastern refineries it is now indicated will get F cent increase on their con tracts. which is considerably less thar they expected. The wage advance rep resents @ little more than 3-4 of cent That makes a total of 21z cents an6 absorbs all of the increase. It is con an ultra conservative estimat' of increase in costs. at that. The on ly possible chance for the producer to get a profit instead of loss out O the 26 cent price, indeed, is in thu freight increase estimate. It may bI that when it is all segregated ant properly charged that it will be fount that the advance will trim down t' 1 cent. Tn that event the producer would have 1-4 cent coming to then on the advance in the metal price al against the 3-4 to the employe in thu industry and F cent to the refiner il the east. Should the producer get thu 1-4 cent he will have to divide 1t witt the government on tax payments, s' that the most he can look to is al eighth of a cent gain. with the chance more favorable to it's proving to b' that much of an actual loss from tn old 2315 cent price.
 Situation Encouraging Nevertheless
 There is a gain, nevertheless. It