The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-12-18

xwyylTH THE labor question
Nv seemingly settled on basis
" that indicates a long period
of Industrial peace in the
Occur d'Alene district, the matter that
most concerns the operators and
therefore the people of the district is
market for lead and zinc, Conditions
in this respect for more than year,
or to he explicit, since the armistice
was signed, have been disappointing.
The great demand for metals during
the period of reconstruction following
the close of the war, SO confidently an
ticipated while the great conflict was
On. did not materialize. The close OF
the war found large stocks Of lead and
zinc in the hands of both the govern
ment and private owners. With the
war demand suddenly terminated,
these large stocks necessarily had
demoralizing effect upon the market.
Many zinc mines were forced to sus-
pend altogether and curtailment OF
ally all the lead mines, some of which
also suspended production for a time,
The restoration of normal conditions
following the war proved to be diff
cut and complicated problem. The
labor unrest and the high cost OF
building operations have been the
chief factors in holding back con-
sumption of lead and zinc in this
country, while the unsettled and un"
stable condition of affairs in Europe,
applied to both industry and govern
ments, has deprived metal producers
of a foreign market. However, the
close of the year finds conditions
somewhat improved, and the outlook
iustifies the expect9 tion that by spring
the mines of the Occur d'Alene dis
trict will all be running on a basis OF
maximum production, as well as car
rying out extensive operations for the
development of new ore bodies.
The one bright spot in the mining
situation for the past year and a hall
has been the high price of silver ana
the assurance that the price has come
to stay. Silver in Occur dAlene LEAD
ores has always been factor OF I'M
portance even when it was down to 5o
cents per ounce. When, therefore, the
government in April, 1918, began
paving 81 an ounce for the metal and
in August of that year fixed the max
imum price at $1.01h, 1t meant tre-
mendous addition to the profits OF the
silver producers of this district and In
some cases probably made 1t possible
for some mines to continue operation
The embargo on exporting silver prac-
tically limited the price to the arpi-
trary figure fixed by the government
although 1t was pointed out that silver
exported by the government to Chlna'
India and other oriental countries I'M
mediately advanced to a figure rar
above the government price. Thus
the foreign speculator in silver secur-
ed a profit to which the American
producer was entitled. This situation
was remedied by the government I'm
May of this year, when the embargo
on exporting silver was raised. Inc
price of silver Immediately advanced
and has continued, with slight tluct-
uations at times, until the price Is
now $1.33 per ounce. What this means
to Coeur d'Alene operators may DC
gathered from the fact that last yeai
this district produced upwards or -
100000 ounces of silver and has pro-
duced as high as 100000 ounces
Best of all. the high price of silver ha'
come to stay, and it will prove a ire
mendous factor in the encouragement
Of mining development in this dis
trict.
The industrial condition both in thi
country and in Europe must becom'
more settled before long, IL for M
other reason than through sheer ex
haustion of the contending and dis
turbing forces. When that time come
the resumption Of industrial actlVit.
In this country and the real recon
struction Of the war-torn countries o
Europe will begin, creating deman'
for metals such as the world has neVe
known before. The curb on the pro
duction of lead and zinc viii then 0
released and mining in the Coeu
d'Alene district will reach proportion
such as have never been seen beforf
Even under present conditions the de
mand for these metals Is grown
stronger daily, as evidenced by IN
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