The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-05-09
THE SITUATION IN ZINC
AND OUTLOOK FOR METAL.
STOCK ON HAND NOT LARGE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
MARKET REACTION.
Engineering and Mining JournaD


In view of the critical situation in
our zinc industry, wherein conditions
seemed to be approaching a crisis, we
requested the several smelters and
electrolytic producers to report to us
some data for the first quarter of
1918, in order that the exact status
of affairs might be ascertained.
These reports showed production
of 1871 tons in the first Quarter Of
1918. compared with 1926 tons in
the previous quarter. The stock in
the hands of smelters on April 1 was
l64,442 tons, compared with GOALS
tons on December 81 OF the pro-
duction in the first quarter of 1918,
128,075 was the output of smelters,
and S096 was the output Of four cleo
trolytic producers. The smelters who
produced during the first quarter had
total of 1926 retorts of which
124,104 were in operation on April l.
Operating shelters reported a total of
1850 retorts in December, 1917,
with 1918 in operation on Deem
Der Is, 1917. We may assume that
about $4,000 retorts, on the average,
were in use during the first quarter
of 1918, and that their product was at
the rate of trifle more than four
tons Of spelter per retort per annum.
At first sight these figures might
appear somewhat paradoxical for
they show almost as many retorts in
opel alton on April 1. 1918, as there
were on December Is, 1917, although
their has been lately a good deal Of
talk of smelters suspending and cur
failing operations, and it is well
known that some plants have been
closed. On the other hand, there were
two new plants that came into oper-
alton in the first quarter, these being
the tail end of the new construction
instituted in 1917. while some other
plants that began smelling in 1917
completed their construction and put
additional furnaces into operation
early in 1918. Furthermore, certain
smelters who during March ANNOUNCE
ed closing had not actually done so
by the end of that month, being en-
gagged in working off accumulations
of ore. Several of these plants will
become cold during April, and a re-
port of date May l will surely show
much less smelling capacity in use
than on April /.
We do not regard the statistics OF
the first quarter of 1918 as revealing
a situation so bad as had previously
been conjectured. The production of
10000 tons in a quarter is still a
very large productions; and that, in
; the face of it. stocks in smelters'
: hands, accumulated only 1000 tons, is
not very bad showing. On the 9TH
er hand, there is no doubt that the
quantity of spelter in transit was con-
siderably larger than three months
previously, and good deal of the re-
cent dullness in the market is ex-
plainable by consumers getting their
supplies from railway deliveries,
heretofore delayed, and not being
obliged to enter into new contracts
right away
On the other hand, the real curtail-
ment in production is yet to come, the
curtailment that is to ensue from the
driving out Of business Of the last
group of uneconomic plants, plants
that are uneconomic either due to an
tiquated construction, to increased
cost of gas supply, or otherwise. The
final step, however, and the one that
! will ultimately control the situation,
is the position of the mines. Strange