The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1920-02-26
PRODUCTION OF SILVER
HAS NOT INCREASED
is MAINLY BY-PRoDUCT OF COP
PER AND LEAD IN THE
UNITED STATES.

1t would seem that the steadily ad-
yancing prices of silver during the
past two years necessarily tends to
stimulate silver production, says the
bureau of mines. A few years ago
silver producers expected TO be faced
with practically the same situation
that now confronts gold mining Sill
yer was not a metal that had the inn
portance of an essential war COM
modify, like copper. iron and lead, and
the outlook for an increase in price
was at first discouraging. However,
the developments in the silver market
soon showed that silver was finding IA
place in the worlds commerce that
gold could not fill, and unlike gold, it
commanded a commodity price subject
to the law of supply and demand. The
acute world shortage and demand for
silver increased its price so that now,
after an almost uninterrupted, steady !
climb, the value per ounce is around |
$133. In spite Of silver, it is notice
able that there has been no increase |
in the worlds production in spite of
the advance in the value of the metal.
one reason for this is the fact that
now discoveries Of silver deposits and
their exploitation furnish relatively
small addition to the supply
By-product silver from copper and
lead mining accounts for the major
portion of the white metal An analy-
sis of the situation in the United
States, which, with Mexico, is the
most important source of silver in the
world, brings out these points clearly. {
Thus Nevada, a state that obtains
nearly all of its silver from siliceous
ores and where one would expect pro-
ductiOn to increase through new silver
discoveries, shows, in the face Of ris-
ing silver prices, an estimated drop of
over 100000 ounces in 1919 cOmpar-
ed to 1918 OF course there are factors
which must be taken into considera-
ton to explain the drop, such as Ia
Dor difficulties and the high cost of
materials, and the exhaustion of re-
serves in some of the mines The pro-
duction of other states such as Mon
tana. Idaho and Utah, is subject to the
vicissitudes common to the mining of
the associated metals but in these
states, with the exception Of Utah,
new silver deposits have been rela- =
lively unimportant.
The leading silver producing state o.
Montana, obtains about wo-thirds Of =
it's silver as a by-product Of copper p
refining, and that in only one Of these VI
states Nevada, is the greater part Of .
the silver produced from mines that
are devoted mainly to silver mining. 81
Nevada's output, which is almost pr
wholly derived from siliceous ores, 81
has been steadily decreasing. Utah o.
and Idaho are states that derive most CT
IF their silver from lead ores and a
ead-zinc ores. w
The production of silver in Mexico Ell
n 1919 amounted to 62,6SS,OO0 ounces, er
according to the Mexican department m
If industry, commerce and labor In vi
spite Of the fact that Mexico is count m
n upon to bear the brunt of the great til
demand for silver, and relieving the of
shortage in supply, this amount is but III
title more than Mexican production ia
or 1918. Production could be in m
reased considerably if the country 70
hould become more Settled political ar
Y. Mexico is capable o producing, or
Inder normal conditions, over 100 bl
million ounces of silver.