The border vidette., 1931-05-30
WHAT rs THE MATTER WITH
COPPER MINING?
By George w. P. Hunt, Cover
nor Of Arizona.

of this country. To almost any.
one who lives in Arizona that is
obvious. The tax collectors are
we'll impressed with that fact
aud the families of thousands of
unemployed mine workers are
having it brought home to them
in no uncertain fashion. Once
thriving mining communities are
fast becoming ghost towns and
the commerce that yesteryear
crowded the rails and highways
is no more.
Arizona's copper mining has
an honorable history. It is the
achievement of q half century
or more of hardy pioneers. The
annals of no other state bear as
thrilling and credita BILE q record
of faith, energy. courage and
sacrifice in the upbuilding of an
American industry and an Amer
ican commonwealth.
It is with forethought that I
link the copper mining industry
and our wealth. for cop
per mining runs through the
warp and woof of the states
fabric. TIE production of cop
per is our leading industry. It
employs more men than any
other aud represents half of the
states property values. It pays
nearly half Of the states taxes.
A little more than a year ago
copper was selling on our domes
tic markets at 18 cents a pound.
Suddenly the price dropped.
Today all that it will bring is
about eight or nine cents q
pound. A short time ago the
United Verde Copper Company
at Jerome, Arizona, announced
that it would soon discontinue
production. The fires are to be
drawn from under the company's
last operating smelter furnace.
Mo.e miners will come from un
sderground to swell the ranks of
/, the unemployed.
Copper mining ia this country
10 in q precarlons condition.
While the worldwide economic
depression has caused q twenty
to thirty percent decrease in
commercial aud industrial activi
ties, copper mining in the United
States has become more than
SIX five percent inactive. What
is the matter with copper min
ing?
WAAT THE MATTER is
Within recent years great de
posits of rich copper ores have
been uncovered in equatorial
Africa, Chile, Mexico, Canada
and other foreign lands. Ia
most instances these ores lie on
or close to the earth's surface
and may be easily mined. In
addition to this convenience,
labor is much cheaper than it is
here. In the Congo. the black
native obtains less for his day 3
work than the negro slave of the
South. In the Andes, the native
Indian fares about as poorly as
the African worker. With richer
ore, easier mining and cheaper
labor, the Congo mine-.owner can
deliver q pound of copper at Ne W
York for six cents or less. 10
the absence of an import duty,
that copper is permitted to enter
this country duty free and un.
dersell American copper that
cannot be delivered at New York
for less than twelve cents a
pound. Who will buy American
copper at twelve cents when
copper from abroad may be had
for six cents?
We're it simply matter of
warding off foreign competition
the situation would not be so
bad. Another difficulty arises
iu American investments ia for
eign mines. Fortunes made in
the bills of Arizona and other
copper-mining states of this
country have been invested in
mining property in Africa and
other countries to such an ex
tent that it has become protita
Bile to those American investors
to curtail production in the
United States 30 that greater
profits may be made 10 the for
eign metal:
This curtailing has been going
on until the present day sees
domestic copper mining two.
thirds stagnant. Many mines
have ceased PRODUCTION alto.
gether. Organized financial con.
troll of the copper mining prop
nut;os of tho uorld ia tho norvo