The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-09-17
COPPER CO. OFFICIAL WRITES BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN
 THE EAST

That business conditions in the east, as affecting the copper industry of the west, are anything but satisfactory, is explained in detail by prominent official of one of the copper produc- ing companies in Arizona in letter addressed to the general manager of the company in Arizona.
 The Era gives the letter which was written on September 3, to it's readers as reflection of the views of busi- ness man in the east on the future business situation, and is as follows: have been trying to gather and summarize in review as it appears to- me the future business situation.
 The Anthracite Commission have now announced an increase of wage to. the anthracite miners. The re- suit is dissatisfaction and about twenty five thousanA .nen or more quit work in the anthracite mines. ac- cording to reports In addition to this a strike has been called in the coal mines of Alabama. Even the Rail road men are dissatisfied because the schedule of wages is irregular,-posi tions, which have been considered in the past to be of greatest importance than others, areanow receiving small CT wages and salaries than the minor positions. These increases of wages to the Railroad men and to the coal miners are given at a time when the textile mills of the E.St are closed; when cotton has dropped in the mark ct pretty nearly fifty percent in face of a sixty percent crop; when wool is unsalable at fifty percent of its price of a year ago; when the market for leather is stagnant and boot and shoe factories are reducing forces and going On shorter time; when an or ganizer of the clothing trade state that they are working only three hours day and that the conditions in the trade are worse than they have been for five or six years; when the rubber-tire industry is reducing forces and complaining that the touring season has been bad and the auto mobile industry is closing down en- tirely or going On three-quarter time. Even the jeweiry industry is com mencing to curtail. Thus it seems that all along the. line manufacturing through the country East of the Mis- sissippi is being to slough off. with the possible exception of the steel industry where they have orders enough to keep busy for several months to come. However, quite re- centlv some of the automobile corpo- rations cancelled orders for steel re- uuirements which have made some of the steel producers. uncertain of the future
 Coal will cost the miners of iron ore in Michigan and Minnesota this wear from eight to nine dollars per ton. At this date shipments of coal to Lake Superior ports are six million tons behind last year and the year before. 1918 and 1919 the docks along the lake had a carry-over in the spring at the opening of navigation of about five million tons of coal. In 1920 the docks were bare, 80 that there is a coal shortage in the north west of from ten to twelve million tons It would seem that this must ahec' the iron and steel business very mat erialy.
 While the railroad men argue thai the increase in transportation charges should not materially affect the re tail price to ultimate consumer, then argument is insincere because it ig nores the additional cost of the raw material from the producer througr the manufacturer to the jobber, whole sa1er and retailer, so that the manu facturer is going to find his cost mat e,iaIiv increased The retailer vii he foreed to cover the additional cos and lower consumption probably VII be the result .,,
 Ii would seem to me that there will h all probability. be great man, men throughout the East this winter > who are either out of employment ol else are working upon shorter tlmt and that in nearly every line or m dustry there will be an actual reduc tion of wage. :,
 So. far as the Copper Industry II concerned, the end of August would sbow about five hundred million hounds of refined copper at the ie finerv ready for denvery to th' fabricators. July and August prop ably would show slight increase owe June 3Oth because deliveries were no equal to production. Practically h' conner is sold for future delivery ant with business in other lines going OH as it has in the past sixty days, ther' is no reason why any fabrlcator O conner should buy thirty days ahead of his requirements. In my oplnlel if will take the better part of tw' years to git rid of the surplus rehne' copper.
 The intimation given that the con sumner of copper will he compelled t pay the additional cost On account Q increased freight charges is absurd il view of the situation. With fiv hundred million pounds of copper ol hand that cannot be sold at 1S1nc. pound, it is absolutely absurd to sa, that another cent pound can b. placed upon the selling price and tha copper can be readily sold at the ir