“THE CINDERELLA OF METALS.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2032, 18 March 1907, Page 4

“THE CINDERELLA OF METALS.”

THE ROMANCE OF COPPER. No. 4. One of tho most important considerations in respect to copper is the question of tho permanence of the lodes. In view of the very largo domads for tho metal which lias nlifatly been referred to, tho question, “AVill copper lodes last?” becomes a grave consideration. Tho permanence of copper lodes may ho judged by two factors, viz., duration of operations and tho actual depths el workings combined with the extent of output. Tho first of tin.so tests is applicable to deposits whose tally history is obscured in tho haze of intervening centuries, and tho lattor to the mines in operation. It is satisfactory to bo able to state on excellent ovidence that ill whatever light the question is regarded, tlie answer to the question is strongly in favor of tho permanence of copper lodes. Judging by history, lodes of this metal are amongst tho most persistent metalliferous repositories in nature. „ Of this Japan furnishes remarkable instances of tho longevity of copper mines. AVada Tsunashiro, director of tlio Mining Bureau Department of Agriculture and Commerce, recorded tlie fact that tho Yoshioka and Osanizawa copper mines which wore startod in tlie ninth century, were still working. Mr. Rekii ICanda, Alining Commissioner for Japan, states that rocent vortical shafts sunk under his engineering supervision to depths of over 1000 ft, had revealed early workings extending oven below that level. In England, tho Cornwall tin mines wore worked in tho time of the Phoenicians, as also was the famous Tliarsis and Rio Tinto mines of the Sjianish Peninsula wore worked by the Romans, and arc still in operation on a scale of great magnitude. In 1895 1,372,,376 tons of cuperiferous pyrites wore extracted by one company, tho Rio Tinto, making a total extracted by tho company to that date of 23,000,000 tons, with an estimated quantity in sight equal to 135,000,000 tons. Tlie copper mines of Portugal worked by the Romans aro still in operation, and tlio celebrated San Domingo mines yielded 196,922 tons of cuporiferous pyrites in 1894. The Italian mines worked by tlio Etruscans, and during the Middle Ages, wore brought to a standstill in 1630, for more than a century wben/oporations wore renewed and are still in force, the thousand foot level being passes. Swedish copper mines have been worked from a very r/fmote period, and the Fahun cuperiferous pyrites deposit has produced 1,200,000 tons of copper since the year 1200, and now produces annually about 500 tons of copper. In India also very ancient copper mines still exist. It must, therefore, bo taken as proved abundantly that the permanence of copper is an undoubted fact.

Returning once more to the demand for copper. Air. Larcombe, of tlie New South AA’ales Geological Survey, who lias been in charge of the mineral exhibits in tlie New South AVales court at the New Zealand International Exhibition, furnishes some very interesting particulars. He points out that a very large amount of interest had always attached to copper mining in New South AVales and in New Zealand; the subject was a particularly live one at the present moment. The present high price of copper should act as a stimulus to the exploitation and working of any known copper deposits. Just recently the prico of copper reached a record, namely, £lO9 2s Cd per ton, tlie next highest price being in 1888, when it was £lO5 per ton. In 1888, however, the prico appeared to have been the result of an endeavor to “corner” the metal, which brought disaster to the promoters. In the present instance such is not tho case, and in this connection tlie Australian Alining Standard said: “The world’s trade is on the up-grade, and the demand for the red metal has progressed in ratio. Copper is enquired for now from new sources; the electiical manufacturing industry has exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and there is no sign of abatement, and generally there is a larger and more eager demand. As to whether tho price is likely’ to bo maintained it is difficult oven to conjecture. AVhile the x>rescnt level may be considered slightly out of proportion to the supply and demand, indications go to show that it will romain in tho vicinity of tlio century for some time to come.” Tho Australian States wore making tho best of this opportunity, and it behoved New Zealand to do tlie same, or at least a stimulus should be given to prospectors who search for the motal.

Copper and its mode oi' occurrence possessed much interest .to those who sought for its discovery, for it was doubtful if any other metal occurs io nature in such a variety of combinations with other elements; but those of commercial importance were limited to seven or eight—namely, native copper, carbonates, oxides and sulphides (primary and secondary). In order to show the importance of the copper industry in the development of any country, lie pointed out what had been done with the copper mining industry in New South Wales. Copper was perhaps the first metal to bo worked in that State—for records of copper mining dated as far back as 1845—hut it was not until 1869 that the first great impulse was given to copper-mining by the discovery of tho Great Cobar, the mainstay of the industry of the State. One mine alone now produced ninety tons of metal every week, and employed over 1000 moil in its operations, while the freight bill paid to the railway commissioners was something like £50,000 per year. The following figures might be valuable to New Zealanders who were interested in copper mining: The value of the copper (metal and ore), tho product of the mines of New Soutli Wales exported to the end of 1905, was estimated at over seven and ahalf millions. The value of the exports for the year 1905 was over half a million, an increase of more than £'loo,ooo on that of the previous year. This was the largest yield on record, the best previous output being in the ytSar 1883. Those figures spoke for themselves, and with tho development of the utilisation of electrical power and. other methods of using copper, tho demand for this metal must continue to grow in increasing ratio. Copper, therefore, became one of tho most important economic minerals in the development of any country.