New Britain herald., 1918-01-11
COPPER PRODUCTION
 REDUCED IN 1917
But Price Brings Value of Output
 to $510,O0O,OOO

Washington, Jan. 1.-The produc- ton of copper in 1917 was slightly less than in 1916, according to pre- liminary figures and estimates col Iected by B. S. Butter, of the United States Geological Survey, department of the interior, from all plants that make blister copper from domestic ores or that produce refined copper. At an average price of about 27 cents pound the output for 1917 has value of $510,000,00O, as against values of s475,ooO,o00 for 1916 and s190,000,00O for 1913.
 The figures showing the sne1ter production from domestic ores repre- sent the actual output of most of the companies for II months and the estimated output for December A few companies gave no figures for November but furnished estimates of the combined output of November and December. The production of blister and Lake copper from domes- tic ores was 1890, 100000 pounds in 1917, against 1,e2S,OOO,OO0 pounds in 1916 and 1,244,00O,00O pounds in 1913.
 The output of refined copper (elec- trolytic, Lake, casting, and pig) from primary sources, domestic and for eign, for 1917, is estimated at 2,362,- 000,O0O pounds, compared with 2,259,- 000,OO pounds for 1916 and 1,615,- 000,0 pounds for 1913
 Foreign Trade and Domestic Con-
 sumption.
 According to the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, the imports of unmanufactured copper of all forms for the first 10 months of 1917 amounted to 460,7S0,00o pounds, as against 297, ,594,OO0 pounds for the first 10 months of 1916. The i'm ports for the year 1916 were 462,- 335,000 pounds.
 The exports of pigs, ingots, bars, plates, sheets, rods, wire, and like cop per products for the first 10 months of 1917, as determined by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, amounted to 953,876oOO pounds; the exports for the first 0 months of 1916 were 655, 5,473,OOO pounds. Simi- lar exports for the year 1916 were 7S4,00 5000 pounds.
 At the beginning of 1917 about 1 8,000,o00 pounds of refined copper was in stock in the United States. By adding this quantity to the re- finery output of the year it will be seen that the total available supply of refined copper, exclusive of sec ondary copper, was about 2,49O, OO0,- 900 pounds. By subtracting from this quantity the exports for the first 10 months and the estimated exports for the last 2 months. and assuming no change in stocks, it will be seen that the supply available for domestic consumption in 1917 was materially less than the 1,43O 100000 pounds available in 1916.
 The average monthly quoted prices of copper in 1916 and 1917 were al- most exactly the same, PIP cents a pound. The average quoted price in 1916 was about 2.5 cents more than the actual average price received The actual price received in 1917 was probably nearer the average quoted price.
 Record by States. Arizona produced 6S7 800, 900 pounds 1 a. slight decrease from the production l in 1916, which was 694, 4,s0o,ooO l pounds.
 Montana produced 27S,00o, 900 l pounds, as against 352, ,OO0, 900 pounds l in 1916.
 Michigan produced 275,ooo. 900 pounds, an increase over the 269,794,- l 900 pounds produced in 1916. Utah produced 245, 5,00O,0 900 pounds, as compared with 232 900. .000 pounds l in 1916.
 l Nevada produced no GOO, 900 pounds, an increase over the 100, 5000 pounds produced in 1916. ] Alaska, with q production of about ] 87.500, ,000 pounds, showed a large de- f crease from the previous year. 1 New Mexico increased it's produc- ! tion to 1O4,500, 900 pounds from 79,- 1 800, ,0OO pounds in 1916. The production of California was l considerably above the 43,400,OO0 l pounds produced in 1916. l The production in Tennessee did
 not differ greatly from the production 1 in 1916, which was IA, 4,500,000