The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-02-02
RYAN AND KELLEY
ON BRASS DEAL
ANTICIPATE STERILIZATION OF
COPPER INDUSTRY IN
MONTANA.
Success of Wire Mill at Great Falls
Led to Study of Fabrication, and
the ABSORPTION of American Brass
Company by Montana Mining In
terests.

John D. Ryan, chairman of the
board of directors, and c. F. KEEL
ley, president OF the Anaconda
Copper Mining company, author
ize the following statement:
1T has been a growing convic-
ton of the officers of this COM
pany that the large investment re-
quired to carry on the business of
mining, smelling and refining cop
per and zinc was inadequately pro-
tected, that the business lacked a
stabilizing influence, so long as the
producers could not reach out to
the ultimate consumers of their
product and take the steps which
it is believed necessarily must be
taken if the copper producers are
to meet the competitive effort of
the producers of other metals in
marketing and distributing the
same.
"The initial result of this con
viction was the establishment of
the wire mill at Great Falls. The
results achieved have demonstrated
the wisdom of this step. Since the
beginning of the operations on
June 9, 1918, to the end of 1921,
the wire mill has drawn into rods
and copper wire a total of 166,-
100000 pounds of copper, which
has been distributed at a manufac-l
turing net profit of $85O,OOO, the
total investment having been ST.
057,730.38, reduced to $855,OOO,
after allowing for depreciation.
when it became necessary last
February to take the forced steps to
shut down all of the mines of this
company, as did also most of the
othed large producers on this hemi-
sphere, the necessity for acquiring
such an outlet for production was en-
phasized by the fact that the produc-
ton of the wire mill was sold ahead
for many months, so that during
practically the entire period of the
shutdown it has been able to con-
tinue the manufacture and sale of
rods and wire at a substantial manu-
featuring profit.
"About this time the officers of
the company undertook an intensive
study of the manufacturing and fab
situation III the United
States. From this study it became {
apparent that further building of {
plants would merely add to an al t
ready over-constructed mill capacity '
and thai an effort in this direction I
by the company would result in add
Decentralization rather than sta
bilization to the situation. (
1.-THE second proposition that be- Y
apparent was hat the Ameri- c
can Brass company dominated the Q
manufacturing and fabricating situa- 4
ion in copper and grass, it's plants d
a capacity %equaling approx d
nately 40 per CEN of the total cop 4
per and brass manufacturing bust a
of the United States. This vol a
lme would utilize the maximum pro- p
of copper and zinc capable S
If being made by this company. v
Negotiations we're therefore I'M il
lertaken for the purpose of determin- t
ng whether or not it was possible to t.
secure the American Brass company,
,r a control of it's stock, for the Anal r
.onda Copper Mining company. b
"In addition to the direct advan- t
ages embraced in securing such con- s
ro1, the indirect beneficial results il
AVE been carefully considered. il
"As an illustration, during 1921, p