Bisbee daily review., 1918-05-05
RAY CON PRODUCES RECORD TONNAGE IN
 FACE OF HIGH COST


 dated Copper company. in his remarks to stockholders. says in part:
 The important features of opera tions for 1917 are: First, a record output of 92,2O7.S56 pounds, an in- crease of IS per cent over the largest preceding year.
 Second, the attainment of uniformi- ty of production and operations which has long been expected by your man. agement, and which is one of the most pleasing assurances for the future.
 Third, a marked increase in operat- ing costs of all kinds and a great in- crease in charges for federal, state and county taxes. These costs repre- sent an increase of 293 cents per pound over costs for the calendar year preceding the war. and these tax charges represent ten times the tax payments for 1913. and more than three times those for 1913.
 Purchase Coal Mine
 Fourth. the purchase, in conjunction with two other large fuel-consuming companies. of a very extensive coal property in active operation and with in reasonable transportation distance to assure your company its fuel re- quirements.
 The large copper output has come through considerable improvement in milling operation, as we'll as from moderate increase in tonnage mined and treated. It is probable that with betterments and additions now in pro- cess of construction at the mill, there will be a further improvement, in mill ing results, as well as an increase of milling capacity.
 With 123 miles of underground workings, there have resulted enOr- nous stoping areas, very carefully mapped out. to insure extraction of the entire known ore body. These widely distributed stopes and an eff ] cient underground transportation sys- tenn have brought to satisfactory ac- | complishment the plan originally laid l out by the managing director and gen-I eral manager, and yield an uninter- rupted and even volume of mine out | put. which is readily handled by our l surface transportation system. and i which passes smoothly through the | mill.
 Increased Efficiency
 D. C. lacking, managing director, | in his remarks. emphasizes that in- | creased production was brought about i by very substantial improvement in metallurgy. which, being reflected in i higher recoveries, accomplished the increase in production on an increase of tonnage amounting to less than ' per cent as compared to the tonnage | of the previous year and on grade of ore which was substantially the same.
 Constantly increasing tonnage min ed and milled from year to year has called for quite heavy expenditures covering extensions and improve ments at both mine and mill, more especially so during the last two years, but assuming an ultimate and economical capacity of about 10000 tons per day it may be said that the necessity for such extraordinary ex- penditures has nearly ceased to exist.
 There still remains to be completed the installations of fine grinding equipment throughout the mill.
 From whatever angle viewed it would seem that conditions surround ing or pertaining to this company's property and operations could scarce ly be more satisfactory in any partic- ular than they are at this time.
 The development and equipment of the properties, both at the mines and mills. have been substantially com pleted to a scope reasonably common surate as regards producing capacity with the total tonnage of developed ore. This has been accomplished in considerable measure by the use of earnings while the company has con tinued to pay substantial dividends and at the same time add satisfac- torily to the surplus necessary for working capital
 IL is interesting to note that this has been accomplished by the extrac- tion to date of only about one-sixth of the total developed tonnage in the property and it must he remembered in this connection that further ton nages are known to be available for development whenever such action is warranted or desirable.
 Total development since beginning of operations to end of 1917 was 649. 3O3 feet or approximately 123 miles, of which mining operations have de- stroyed, to date, 332.S52 feet. leaving still intact 316,45l feet, or approxi- mately 60 miles. There was no at- tempt during the year to develop ad- ditional ore reserves.
 During the year 3.560,7O4 tons of ore were mined, leaving ore reserves of S9,S12,522 tons, averaging 2.04S | per cent copper.
 Gross production of copper was 92- 207356 pounds. There was produced | from the ores delivered without con centratiRg direct to the smelter. a | total of 5.4O9.770 pounds.
 Actual copper output for the year, after shelter deductions. left net pro 1 duction of sS,5S2,649 pounds.
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