Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26

Armstrong; Speech.
I asked Frank @. Armstrong, New
York copper leader, whose recent speech
before the American Academy Of Po-
litical and Social Science on the cop
per industry made a profound impress
sion throughout the country, for his
estimate of the worlds copper outlook
during the next 10 years.
with annual production capacities
now of nearly 5000 10000 pounds and
consumption surely not over 100000
900 pounds for 1880, and figuring
continued increase of copper consump-
ton at the rate of per cent per year
from 1890, we must come to the in
known production capacities, plus stocks
on hand at october l of this year, APP
pear sufficient to supply even this
greatly increased estimated consuIinp-
ton for the next 10 years" said Mr..
Armstrong. New production rapidly
equipping and developing in Africa and
elsewhere will further extend the time
In which consumption can be expected
to overtake production.
From thsee figures, you see that the
United States can produce and consume
about half OF the copper OF the world
now" continued this copper man. But
it has reached a crisis. think we
ought to face the facts. No purely
American copper company can compete
in an unrestricted free trade market
with the present and rapidly developing
cheap foreign coppers. Not only is the
labor element too big a factor, but the
high-grade ore Of foreign coppers adds
to the difficulties.
For example, let US take one typical
American copper property-the Nevada
Consolidated-and compare its produc-
ton record with that of the big African
producer-Katanga Katanga's record
shows that 1t recovered last year 1913 O3
pounds Of copper from each ton of ore
mined and treated, while the Nevada
Consolidated-one Of the finest, largest
and most capably operated of Amer
lean roperties-recovered but 20. 66
pounds of copper from each ton Of
ore-a tremendous difference!
Cheap Foreign Production.
But why are foreign companies able
to produce copper cheaper than Amer
lean companies
Il have given you part of the an
swer-the richness of the ore. But the
other, and great, factor is the cheap
labor used in producing the copper from
foreign mines. Let us refer to Katanga
once more, the large African copper
mine. According to the latest reports
wages paid to unskilled laborers by this
company varied from $1.46 to $729 q
month, rations being provided (Which
amounts to 1914 cents day., while
semi-skilled workers received s1215 q
month.
OR take the mines of Chile. The
official figures show an average, in
American money, of 81 .08 a day. Com
pare that with American labor getting
from 81 10 81 day for the same work. ;"
One of the difficulties involved in the
present copper situation is the fact that
the two largest American copper cor
| porations--the Anaconda and the Ken
| necott-both are largely interested in
| foreign copper. The figures show that
during the present year, while Amer
| lean copper production is decreasing,
: that in other parts of the world 1t is
/ increasing.
! L do not believe the statement that
! foreign copper can be laid down in New
/ York City at anywhere from to 9
| cents a pound can be contradicted, "
continued Mr.. Armstrong. Such a
condition absolutely demoralizes the
copper mines of the United States, and
American workmen are forced out of
work by such procedure. Had the
! United States Steel Corporation pursued
a policy Of competing with itself, seek
ing out foreign countries where iron
and steel could be produced more
cheaply than in the United States, and
supplying the products therefrom to the
world markets, including the United
States, duty free, it, too, would f1nd
itself in the same predicament that the
international copper interests are IN
today"
Urges Tariff on Copper.
Then what do you suggest as way
out OF the present dificulties? asked
him
Instead of allowing foreign copper to
enter the United States duty free, q
duty sufficient to keep foreign copper
out should be imposed. Why shoule
copper be Disseminated against, while
iron and steel, and aluminum-in fact