The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-01-24
PRODUCTION OF COPPER
HALF A BILLION
WAS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN 1916,
BUT VALUE WAS LARGE
LY INCREASED.

Inc pF0uuctfon Oh copper III ASlf
was slightly less than in 1916, ac-
cording to preliminary figures and es-
Inmates collected by B. s. Butler, 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
Ia cents a pound the output for 1917
has value of $51O,000,0OO, as against
values of $475,0OO,OOO for 1916 and
$3.50, 100000 for 1918.
The figures showing the smelter
production from domestic ores repre-
sent the actual output of most of the
companies for II months and the es-
timated output for December. A few
companies gave no figures for Novem-
Der but furnished estimates of the
combined output of November and De-
cember. The production of blister and
Lake copper from domestic ores was
!, 800, O0O, 900 pounds in 1917 against L.
92S,000,00O pounds in 1916 and 1924
100000 pounds in 1918.
The output of refined copper (elec-
trolytic, Lake, casting and pig), from
primary sources, domestic and foreign,
for 1917, is estimated at 1852, 10000
pounds, compared with 2,259,000, 900
pounds for 1916, and 1,615,000,000
pounds for 1918.
Foreign Trade and Domestic Con-
sumption.
According to the bureau of foreign
and domestic commerce, the imports
of manufactured copper of all forms
for the first 10 months of 1917 amount
ed to 46O,7S0,O0O pounds, as against
397 $4,000 pounds for the first 10
months of 1916. The imports for the
year 1916 were 462, $4,000 pounds.
The exports of pigs, ingots, bars.
per products for the first 10 months of
1917, as determined by the bureau of
foreign and domestic commerce,
amounted to 953,S76O00 pounds; the
exports for the first 10 months of 1916
were 655,473,OO0 pounds. Similar ex-
ports for the year 1916 were $4,000.
600 pounds.
At the beginning of 1917 about 1885,
100000 pounds of refined copper was
in stock in the United States. By
adding this quantity to the refinery
output of the year it will be seen that
the total available supply of refined
copper, exclusive of secondary cop
per, was about 2,490,000,000 pounds.
BY subtracting from this quantity the
exports for the first 10 months and the
estimated exports for the last two
months, and assuming no change in
stocks, it will be seen that the supply
available for domestic consumption in
1917 was materially less tina nthe t.
42O,OO0,0O0 pounds available in 1916.
The average monthly quoted prices
of copper in 1916 and 1918 were almost
exactly the same, 27.2 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 687,SOO,0OO pounds
a slight decrease from the production
in 1915, which was 94,S00,OOO pounds.
Montana produced 27S,O00, 900
pounds, as against 1862, 100000 pounds
in 1915
Michigan produced 275,000, 900
pounds, an increase over the 269,794,-
600 pounds produced in 1916.
Utah produced 245,OO0,OO pounds, as
compared with 232,OOO,0OO pounds IN
1916.
Nevada produced 100000 pounds,
an increase over the 100000 pounds
produced in 1916.
Alaska, with production of about
S7,5OO,OO0 pounds, showed a large de-
crease from the previous year.
New Mexico increased its produce
ton to 104,5O0,0OO pounds from TO-
100000 pounds in 1916.
The production of California was