The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1918-09-28
INCREASED IRON /,
ORE PRICES
PRODUCERS GIVE TWENTY FIVE
CENTS MORE PER TON OCT. 1.
LOOK FOR MUCH EXPLORATION
Depletion of Ore Reserves at Pre-
sent Rate hecessitates the
Early RepIenishment


war Industries board agreed 10 an
increase Cf twenty-five cents per ton
in the price Of iron ore TO begin Oct.
1 and to rule for the last quarter OF
the year The increase is not at all
in keeping with the request made
upon the board, but II is a much bet
ter concession that was granted the
producers the last time when the in
crease granted was Immediately eat
Ell up in an increase in ore freight
rates.
The las increase will all go to the
producers, and, while 1t isn't enough
Ia proportion to the price that finish
ed products are selling for, 1t will
, help materially to meet the increased
costs at the iron ore mines.
Much Cutting OF Non-Bessemers.
While the government fixes price
at which all grades OF ore ought to
sell for, IL must not be understood
that the producers are really getting
that price in all cases. In a number
of instances reports of severe cuts in
| the price OF ore has been reported in
some cases the concession amounting
to as much as rs cents per ton.
The stronger producers are, as a
rule, getting the price, but the weak
er Independents who have no furnace
connections are the prey OF those who
are independently fixed as to ore sup
ply,
This latter condition is especially
| true in the non-Besemers which the
Iron county and the Guyana ranges
mainly produce Many OF the Guyana
range mines are closed down because
OF their being unable to meet the
prices ruling. Some OF the mines on
that range produce ores high in
Manganese and that fact has helped
out in individual cases, but as a rule
the shedding is hard on that range
as well as on the west end OF the
Menominee.
Turning Towards Explorations.
There are indications in the Crys-
tai Falls district that ore users are
turning their attention 70 a replenish-
ment Of their ore supplies The
heavy inroads made upon reserves the
past few years when mining opera
tions have been taking out from so to
20 million tons per year has caused
those having charge OF the great i'm
vestments In furnaces and finishing
mills to give some attention to the tu-
ture.
The land owners are getting In
( quiries for terms. and some Of the
more promising tracts are being quiet
ly taken under option or lease. II Is
not probable that any great amount Of
actual exploring will be done while
the war lasts. but those interested
are getting the decks cleared 50
that Just as soon as there is a let-up
In the war demand for labor, the
program OF exploration can be started
Crystal Falls has been quietly Wis
tied by number or mining engineers
during the past summer. They have
looked over the ground carefully and
went away. but the Information they
secured has been stored up for use
very soon.
The owners OF high grade ores are
I going 10 gig back soon upon the ex.
hsustion Of those grades Ever since
the war rush started the government,
and general buyers have been demand
ing such quality OF steel and such
speed that only the very best or th,
ore has been used This practice ha,
gone so far as TO actually threaten Z
, depletion OF the very high grade lror
ore in the Lake Superior district
should the war last a few more years
mining engineer who visited thi.
/ district within the past two week,
gave Il has his opinion that the day Il
not far distant when ore containing
80 per cent iron will be shipped. es
pecially II the phos contents are low
The only real promising reserve
ground for exploratory purposes nov
I in the Michigan section Is the Menom
! inee range and especially the Iror
county end OF II.