Evening star., 1926-11-22
BANNER YEAR SEEN
IN ORE INDUSTRY
Seasons Total Movement Is
Estimated at More Than
100000 Tons.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
epecial D.spatch 10 The Star

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, November 22.-The
volume ~ iron ore which is necessary
to keep the steel plants Of the coun
try up 'c present volume OF produc
ton is still coming down the lakes
but cold weather is reducing the out
put of ore in the Lake Superior dis
trfct. Concentration plants are being
closed and activity at the open-pit
mines is being curtailed. The season
has produced results, however, which
make it evident today that 1926 will
be one of the banner years In the
history of the ore industry.
The total volume of ore for the
season undoubtedly will exceed 58,'
100000 tons unless some extreme OF
temperature closes the waterways to
traffic prematurely. The total to No
vember was 54,568,371 tons. or over
half a million tons more than was
shipped in the entire year OF 1925.
Season Started Poorly.
6ucers were disappointed by the con-
tinued 'ow prices for iron ore and
the slsck season demand. Then, too,
navigation opened late and the early
shipments fell far below those OF
previous years. When the Spring
season slump changed into unusual
activity demand increased and ship
ments bounded upward until in Oc-
tober they reached the highest point
ever known for that month, with a
total of 1887, ,463 tons. The best pre-
vious mark was 9.116,196 tons-in Oc-
tober. 1916.
Mine operators, encouraged by the
stiffenIng tendency Of pig iron and
steel products. anticipate that ore
prices will be increased. In recent
years the price levels have been cut
81 80 a ton to the present basic quo
tation of s4.40 for Mesabi Bessemer
They expect some of this lost ground
will be regained, They say this sea
sons profits will be small, since the
State tax levies heavy toll on the
iron properties.
Only Moderate Carryover.
The reserve stocks of ore at the
Lake Erie ports and at the furnaces
are not excessive, and while 1t Is un
likely tho, there will be any shortage
before navigation opens in the Spring
there will be only a moderate carry
over when the end of Winter permits
renewal Of shipments.
A considerable amount of explora-
ton will take place during the Winter
on the Mesabi range, and underground
mining will be maintained at a normal
pace, according to Indications. but the
open-pit mines are about through for
the year. The ore from the under
ground workings is put into stock piles
along the railroad, where 1t can read
fly be loaded by steam shovel for
transport to the lakes.
Chemists and engineers are search.
ing constantly for methods Of reduc
ing costs. The volume Of high grade
iron ore in the Lake Superior ranges
is variously estimated. but If the
lower grades of ore are to be used. as
eventually they will be, new methods
Of mining. concentrating and shipping
must De Invented. The outlook for
this is sopefui not only for iron but
for othe- metal mines The iron and
steel ind .stry through standardiza-
ton and efficiency of management and
workers will show profits around 25
per cent higher this year than in 1925.
Coal Mined Cheaply.
Coal IS being mined more cheaply
than ever before. and some of the
methods used in coal properties are
being adapted to the metal mines.
FOR example, the coal industry is in.
Producing the Tong WALL system, by
which 300-foot stretches of the vein
may be worked at once, the roof being
held by steel jacks instead of mine
timbers.
The non ferrous metal producers
are struggling with similar problems.
On he copper ranges of Michigan the
labor and cost saving devices have
enabled producers to mine 14,475, 900
pounds of copper in the last month,
although normally these properties
are known as fairly highcost pro-
ducers. In many of the Western cop
per properties the slump in silver has
forced sharp watch on costs, since the
silver content of many ores is count
ed on to pay goodly part Of mining
and smelling expenses.