Evening star., 1924-03-28
METAL. PRODUCTION
| SHOWING DECREASE
Non-Ferrous Output CurtaiI-
ed, Despite Apparent Prog
reSS in Industries of Land.
BY j. G.. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW WORK. Morob % IT.


NEW YORK, March 2s.-The pros
poets of the non-ferrous metals. ac-
cording to men in close touch with
mining, are interlocked tightly today
with the progress of building con-
struction, automobile output and
manufacture of electrical equipment
Each of those industries is progress
ing at remarkable rate, yet condi-
tions in certain mining fields are en-
forcing curtailments of metal produce
ton or seem likely to do so.
Heads of two of the important
Michigan properties state that unless
the price of copper works higher soon
many upper Michigan mines will close
ana some Will be permanently aban-
doned. These men declare 14-cent
copper does not justify working ores
from which only IS to II pounds Of
copper a ton can be extracted Michi-
gan representatives in Congress will
pc requested to present a high tariff
raw. michigan producers say that
TINS IS the only thing possible to coun-
teract competition from low-cost
MeXican and South American prop-
critics.
Lowers Its Production.
The Calumet and Hecla Company
plans to keep its production Lest. 900
pounds lower than has been the case.
Inspiration Copper is said TO have
put similar reduction into effect,
Anaconda has suspended work at two
| mines and Greene Cananea is prppar-
ing To cut off 100000 to 1000 900
pounds of monthly production
nevertheless, the output seems
destined to continue high. since the
Utah and other producers can max e
| copper with a profit with copper
/ seiilng under 10 cents, and these
companies have taken no steps to
| curtail. In addition, the imports
| from low cost foreign countries give
| indications of increasing rather than
| diminishing
| The main object Of the low cost
domestic producers seems TO be to
| increase demand by furnishing brass
| and copper fabricators with a steady
large supply of copper at relatively
low prices. So long as their margin
! of profit exists they seem likely to
/ take little interest in tariff revision
| programs.
Lead and Zinc Output.
| Lead and zinc production has been
exceedingly high since January l. and
| while the technical position of each
| metal still is relatively strong the
peak of the buying movement seems
| to have passed for the moment and
| prices have slackened in consequence.
! In the tri-state fields production is
/ being held down closely TO coincide
| with demand and prices for zinc ores
| nave improved in consequence in the
! last week.
| Lead producers are unworried BY
! sliding off of quotations They point
1 to the fact that paint manufacturers.
automobile makers and battery man
ufacturers have bought tremendously
| IN antlcipat ton of a prosperous sea-
/ son. Tire manufacturers are using an
! additional amount of lead oxide the
! telephone and telegraph companies
n ill.,. ...k
| programs and the development of ra :
dio has opened new lead-consumin. :,
| field. Production, however. promises
TO continue high. Surplus stocks of
zinc, 1t is believed, have not declined
| this month and the position of that
! metal is not so strong as lead
| One of the recent outstanding fea =
itures of the midwest lead zinc situa-
ttion was the acquisition of the In
tterstate Zinc and Lead Corporation
in the Crestline, Kan. field by the
Eagle Pitcher Lead Company
Price of Tin Advances.
/; Heavy consumption and lack of
prompt supplies have combined TO
raise the price of tin 20 cents a pound
iabove the 1928 low level, but heavy
shipments from the far east are ex-
Ipected this spring. However. tin plate
mills are running almost at capacity
and the statistical position of the
metal is strong.
/ Aluminium is now quoted at 90 cents
| a pound. or cents higher than a wear
ago, and metal for spot demand is
Iscarce. However, it is believed that
the automobile trade buying, which
| takes care of about % per cent of
4! the American output. will be some
what lighter in the next two months
Silver production has been slightly
larger than year ago, when the Pitt
man act was in effect, but prices this
month nave shown considerable
strength.