Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-03-09

| coo to S,OOOOOO pounds monthly and,
with the increase contemplated, it is re-
| garded as likely that the output will be
placed around 1900 600 pounds month
| ly. Engineers of the company. 1t Is
stated. have solved practically all the va
| rious vexa.iops problems associated Wlth
| the reduction of complex zinc ores by the
| wet method, and that the Anaconda Is
| slated to occupy the commanding position
! in the zinc industry Is the belief OF stu
dents of the situation. BY the process
| employed in the Anaconda's electrolytic
| zine plant at the Boston Il Montana
works at Great Falls, the company can
| treat ores of grade which cannot be
handled with profit in the furnace plants.
The Anaconda. of course, mills its low
grade ores and ships its concentrates to
the zinc plant this concentration matsr
rally lessening freight and handling
chargeS and IN addition. reduces the
amount of silica to be contended with in
the final reduction Of the zinc concen-
trates. The elimination Of the silica is
one of the chief factors in the successful
treatment of zinc rock in the Great Falls
plant.
The general run Of the grade of the
Anaconda's zine ores is more than II
| per cent zinc. with more than six ounces
]
recovered at Great Falls together with
the lead and gold marking a saving Of
! associated values quite to be desired
these credits materially reducing the cost
of the production Of the spelter per
pound. The entry of TIE Anaconda into
the so-called wet field for the reduction
of complex zine ores steadily Is working
to bring about revolution in the zine
industry, according to the belief of meta.
lurgists. and will result in so materially
lessening the reduction cost that spelter
producers will be able to exist on lower
prices for their product. Aside from
few Of the larger zine producers. every
thing in the line of speter production
either has suspended operations or else
is making no money. and in this class
are found the independent zinc producers
Of the Butte district, chief among which
is the Butte and Superior. In the case
of the Butte and Superior. however. the
situation is relieved in 4 measure by the
silver content in the ore. which manages
to pull the company through with the
credit ofsa small earning.
The independent zine producers of the
Butte district are hoping that the in
creased activities of the Anaconda in the
zihc line will mean that in the near fu
ture there will be Il resumDtion of custom
shipments to the Anaconda Such a re-
sumption would mean much to the Butte
and Superior, whose contracts for the
treatment Of zinc concentrates by east
ern and southern smelters will expire
within the course of about GO days. The
treatment rate altered by the Anaconda
is lower materially than that of the
other reduction concerns and in addition.
the proximity of the works of the Ana
cnnda means far lower transportation
expense to the Butte and Superior
There appears to be a better feeling in
local copper producing circles. particu-
larly among Anaconda officials. and it
is believed that confidential advices had
from the committee Of the Copper Ex-
port association, which is abroad in con-
nnction with furthering foreign pur-
chases of the metal. convey note of en-
couragement. which iniects a ray of sun
shine into the copper situation and seems
to point to a veering Of adverse winds
The opinion prevails in Butte metal cir
cles that the 1j-cent quotation will wit
ness the extreme swing of the copper
pendulum and that the price of the metal
gradually will be found to be working
upwards. and once the trend is shown to
be in that direction. the copper market