Bisbee daily review., 1918-02-20
COPPER PRICE
 TOOLOW SAYS
 MINES EXPERT
Colonel W. A. Root, Veteran Mine Writer and Authority Declares Copper Districts Are Handicapped.

The copper districts need more money Ter their metal This is true all over Arizona as well as in the other copper states. | find many oi the smaller properties closed down and a good many more hanging on by the edge. hoping against hope that something will happen. richer ore he turned up in their development divi- sions CT a higher price announced by the gey ernment. It is too bad we have not sufficient price on the metal tc bring about the maximum production of which the country is capable and all of which is needed by the government and its allies"
 Veteran Mine Writer.
 Col W. A. Root. veteran mining writer. at this time on his twenty. fourth annual tour of Arizona, gave the above comment n an interview yesterday Colonel Root is at present associared with the Mining and Scien- tific Prt ss and will be here several days locking over tho various proper ties in the district He came fror. Ajo. Ray. Mammoth. Silver Bell, Pat agonia. Tombstone and Douglas From here he will go to the camps of the central pGrt of the state. He has visi- ted Chloride, Jerome and the more northern camps, where he found con ditiOns as eood as could be expecte,, under the low price of metal deterrens. The latter has much affected Chloride. he said, the lead-silveI-z,nc operations being much slowed down.
 All Mining Slowed Down.
 However. all mining is slowed down in the stateeas compared with a year ago. The metal price factor is the chief item. but the large losses the mine operators have sustained through withdrawals from their staffs cccasioned by volunteering to war service of engineers and others, by the draft. and more recently the loss of a great many mechanics because of the higher wages offered by the government on temporary employment on contracts. has had its effect. which is a cumulative one and spells of ne cessity decline in efficiency in mines and plants It is to be hoped that as the federal authorities 20 on with the excellent work they are doing in ad- iusting the country tO war time con ditiOns they will find a way to over come this harm to the mining indus try. The latter, l feel, has suffered mere proDortionately from govern ment regulations and made less com plaint than any other in all our wide range of activities"
 Former Colorado Miner.
 Colonel Root got his title as mem Der of the staff of several governors of Colorado in it's prime days of min ing. when he was associated with the conduct of both newspapers and min ing in Leadville, Aspen and other To- calities.
 For many years he has travelled the mining districts from British COlum- bia to tine interior of Mexico, and from the Pacific coast through the Rocky Mountain region. He knows all of the districts and all about their characteristics. possessing a fund Of information that has, made him vaiu- ed associate during a long period or such publications as the Engineering and Mining Journal. the Denver Rec ord, in its early days as a daily min ing publication. the Mining World and the Mining and Scientific Press. hay ing been engaged with the latter the last several years. He is also widely known m Masonic circles of the coun- try. His highest claim to distinction as a real mining writer is the fact that at 75 years Of age he is still hale and hearty and no less eager for the road the year around than at the be- ginning of his career and chief Tn point Of recommendation of character. is still expecting to attain fortune.