The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-02-02
ASK LOWER FREIGHT RATES.

The following statement was mad,
to the chamber OF commerce of Lo.
Angeles on January 9Th by James 5
Douglas of the U. V. X. Copper Mining
company, OF jerome, Arizona.
III the United States of America
has a serious regard for the revival OF
business and for the future of her min
/ ing and industrial activities, COM
plete readjustment OF freight rates
must be made at once At present we
are entitled to a IS rate on unrehDed
copper from Arizona TO Los Angeles
harborand we are going after it if we
have TO carry the controversy to Wash
ington. Before the war the rate to the
eastern seaboard on copper was $3.50
per ton Today it is $16.5O with copper
at the bedrock price of 10 cents per
pound. The shutting down of many
mines in Arizona with the postwar
slump has brought that industry to
turning point dependent upon a fair
freight rate to the Pacific coast. and
unless that rate is established the re-
turn to normal of the mining industry
there will be retarded indefinitely. At
normal 10000 tons of copper por month
Arizona. which at todays low price
represents a valuation of S124.S00. 900
per year. We propose to turn the bulk
OF that output through Los Angeles
harbor, which perforce will mean the
establishment of a great electrolytic
refinery adjacent to this port
THE logic and innumerable reasons
for this turning of shipments to the
west coast with a haul of $40 miles.
compared with 5000 miles to the Allan
tic seabOard. are indisputable. For
years this colossal wastage of motive
power man power and time has been
tolerated. but today the tide has
turned
Think of it, the Pacific ocean comes
within a few miles of washing the |
soil of the state of Arizona. and vet !
the entire copper tonnage Oft
that state goes 5000 miles by rail
through the heaviest congestion of /
traffic to get to the Atlantic seaboard /
for refinery Now is the time for a |
refinery at the port of Los Angeles, /
and | may say that the very future |
of the copper industry depends upon
it, but the enviable opportunity is en-
trely controlled by the freight-ra
situation
Nov to prove that a IS rate is en-
tirely reasonable. consider these fig
ures: The rate from Salt Lake City to
San Francisco on this commodity is
$3.50 and that distance is POO miles
longer than from Clarksdale, Arizona.
TO Los Angeles harbor. The rate yields
the railroads IL mills per ton mile
A IS rate from Clarksdale to Los An
geles harbor would yield the Santa
'e SO miles per ton-mile. I say again
we are entitled to it and are going
after it. We also will ask a 81 rate for
Export business.
I'VE expect to open mp the United
Verde Extension mine within 40 days
m a scheduled output of 1900 tons
FER month and to employ 500 men
md we want our entire shipment to 3
Ome to Los Angeles. The establish
nent of a refinery here would open up {
10 end of manufactures where copper I
nd brass are used. such as wire and I
beet mills and plants for making elec- {
rical appliances and storage batteries {
nd numerous other lines of business b
to the copper industry The v
eal stumbling block is the fear that b
Il railroads have of steamer competi- h
on ont Of your harbor. But ask you. il
hat was the Panama canal built for f.
its tremendous expense to the gov g
'nment if it is not TO be used? Indi- c
dual endeavor and use of our re-
iurces are the things that will bring al
e United States back to normal II
'osperity." al