The New York herald., 1922-02-26
Virtually Killed by Over-Pro-
duction During War, 1t
Feels Demand Coming.
MINING TO BE CAUTIOUS
Resumption of Work, to Begin
April /, but Not With
Full Forces.

industry mas arisen, SlldheH oil 10
shroud and on April will give promise
of being on its way back to normalcy'
according to reports from the copper
sections of the country.
War, or rather the end of the war,
delivered the temporary death ploW'
The armistice found the mines win
great quantities of copper on hand. De
mand suddenly ceased The market
collapsed Through a year of general
depression the copper industry was
among those hardest hit.
But the resurrection is at hand. Re-
vival OF copper mining on cautious
scale 10 start about April l rs an
nounced by the Calumet and Hecla COM
pany. the Utah Copper Company and
the Anaconda Copper Mining Company
Al that time more than a million acres
OF land will renew their yield OF red
metal.
j Several mines are already operating.
Others have started preliminary work
to have everything ready for the miners
within few weeks.
/ With all mines operating at capacity
and this IS not expected for many
months-approXima fifty thousand
men are employed in the countrys cop
per mines. Montana and Michigan with
60, 900 each provide the great majority
OF work with Arizona and Utah making
up the rest.
At the time of the shutdown a year
ago however. no mines were operating
at near capacity In 1916 Michigan cop
per mines employed 10000 men. This
dwndled until in 1920 the number was
$500. In 1921 the nomber shrank to
300 A similar percentage of en-
ployment decline prevailed in other cop
per fields
About half of normal production is
expected this spring reports from the
four chief copper mining areas indicate
Michigan.
Resumption of work at the Calumet
and Hecla company hinges upon the dis
posal of surplus metal April / is ex-
pccted to see many mines operating, al
though with short forces. Fifty or
sixty per cent normal is the estimate Il
production at the beginning Six months
will be required to build up an organ
zation replacing that scattered following
the shutdown.
-Four properties of The Anaconda Cop
per Mining Company resumed operations
January 16 of this year after being
c osed eight and one-half months. These
min $. together with the reduction works
ut Nnaconda and Great Falls, employ
Ing about one-thisd capacity. according
tn cures furnished by John Gillis, man
arer of mines for the Anaconda Com
pan-
Arizona.
Gro has resumed its flow to the Cop
per queen smelters of the Phelps Dodge
Corporation The Calumet and Arizona
company mines will shortly resume op-
eratioEs on a cautious scale, accord
ing TO Col. J. G. Greenway, general
manager. From May. 1921, to the pres
ent all Arizona smelling plants have
been idle.
The Queen Copper Company. close j
in the general shutdown. will reopen at
comparatively early date" an official
Of the company declared. During the
inactive period only 200 men have been
employed at the mines. which at peak
production in 1918 provided work for
5000.
The depression from which the indus
try is to-day showing signs of recover :
ing was the greatest it ever experienced
The war emergency led to overproduction
and subsequently, to disastrous under
consumption which paralyzed the in
dustry. In Michigan four mines-the
Quincy, Mohawk. Wolverine and Copper
INduSc-COlltl1ueQ 10 operate, but opera :
tions were only half of normal.
In Arizona and Utah the industry
was prostrated and in Montana the
situation was not much better. although,
according to John Gillis. Anaconda
mines manager, payroll of over q
half a million dollars monthly was
maintained throughout the entire period
for the purpose of preserving the COM
pany's properties. Quite large num-
her participated in this payroll by
means OF rotating and dividing work
\ majority of the employees worked one
third time and some were employed for
half time during the entire period of
suspension.
Relief Work Necessary.
In tho Calumet and Hecla area relief
measures were necessary. A majority
of the thousands of miners employed
there left the community. those that re-
mained finding work i'm other lines dur
ing the summer and fall. With the
coming of winter. however conditions
became more critical. The Calumet and
Hecla company took immediate steps
- care for all its former employees
needing help Orders were issued on
stores for the actual necessities Of life.
Food. fuel and clothing were provided
Through the schools the proper nour-
citizens committee at Houghton. COOP
ert ting with the company. assisted in
The relief work.
Some mining men arc still pessimis-
tic over the early revival of the indus
Try. +. G.. Splsbury. president of the
Arizona Industrial Congress and an au-
thority on mining declares that re-
sumption Of copper mining on scale
approaching normal is mot likely In
the face OF existing conditions" Re-
duction OF freight rates, he said. would
mean a great stride in the direction of
hringng copper mining back.
\ great portion. however agree with
:" r. Willis. editor of the Arizona
haing Journal. who points out that a
renewal of production lis inevitable"
because only 176.000.00 pounds Of re-
fined copper are available for domestic
use
no general decision as TO wages to
ID" paid I'm the mining fields have been
"nnounced. \ reduced scale was In
effect Mt the time OF the shutdown and
according TO officials OF the Calumet and
Hecla company. no action upon revision
Of this scale has been taken.
MRS. w. T. HAYS ASKS DIVORCE.
snc Accuses Her Husband Of
VnfideI:tx m