Tombstone epitaph., 1921-04-10
DOUGLAS EXPLAINS
METAL SITUATION

@Ct AL Stt OAttON
 DOUGLAS. April 7.--Walter Doug las. president of the Phelps Dodge cor poration. arrived in this city Sunday from New York. and will make a tour of the southwest. visiting all the dis tricts where his company has inter- ests before returning to the metropo- lis.
 Discussing the stopping of copper production in this country. Mir. Doug las said it had been agreed this was the only manner in which condition which has been going from bad to worse for many months could be met. He said the price of copper recently has afforded no opportunity for profit in it's production to the mine owners of the country. Consumers. he said. had only been buying wnar they useG from day to day or week to week be- cause of the continually declining price. IL is now hoped that the man. ufacturers needing copper will start campaign of buying which will soon consume the present large copper surplus in this country.
 Great Surplus on Hand.
 Speaking of the copper surplus. Mir. Douglas said it amounted in the United States to 1.250. GOO, 900 pounds Just how long this supply would meet the demands for the red metal could not be even guessed at. He said thIt the Ales of copper in the country last year amounted to l.7o0. .0o0. GOO pounds.
 At this rate of buying the surplus would only suffice for about eight months, but he pointed to the fact that since the first of the present year copper sales in this country had amounted to more than S0.oo0 900 lbs monthly.
 He further said that the producers would not remain idle until the entire surplus was dissipated
 Will Assist Employees
 Mr Douglas expressed his regre; al the disturbance in the mining dis tricts where work in the mines and reduction works has been ordered dis continued and confirmed the report that the Phelps Dodge corporation would do all in it's power to assist those who have families and homes here and at other points. He advised that everyone adopt a retrenchmelt program during the present period of non-activity and he predicted that with careful cooperation there would be little real distress. though he said
  gait they have been going during the recent years of abnormal prosperity.
 Lack of Realization.
 Mr. Douglas expressed his surprise al what. he regarded as a total lack of realization of present industrial conditions by many state legislatures in session during the winter. includ- ing those of New York and Arizona, where there seemed to he no disposi- tion to conserve the welfare of the property owners by practicing policy of retrenShment as a means Of lower ing the taxes which is one of the big items of expense in recent years, caused by a result of participation in the worlds war by the United States. The condition of the mining industry. the stock industry and the farming industry in Arizona. he said, was not such as to warrant the heavy appropriations authorized by the legis- lature which recently concluded its biennial session at Phoenix.
 Will Continue Development
 The Phelps Dodge corporation, ac- cording to its president. has not lost confidence in the future of the cop per industry; 1t will continue import ant underground development st Bisbee and the work on the Sacra- mento Hill and at the new mill: Mr. Douglas did not think that more than twenty-five per cent of the present force of the Copper Queen branch would be effected by ;he abandonaieI; of production of copper.
 JUDGE WRIGHT DIES
 SUDDENLY IN DOUGLAS