THE PRODUCTION OF COPPER.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43095, 21 May 1907, Page 4

THE PRODUCTION OF COPPER.

/ Ono hundred years ago the mines of; the globe produced an average of about 10,000 long tons of copper yearly—less than the present yearly output of either nickel or aluminium —while in 1906 production is at the rate of 15,000 long tons per week, and there is much talk of a copper famine —to which colour is given by the present price of the metal, which, is higher than for 25 year's past. According to the “Copper Handbook,” just issued by Horace J. Stevens, of Houghton, Michigan, U.S.A., in 1905, there were 15 : individual companies, each of which produced more copper than all the mines of the world made during the first five years of the nineteenth century, the twto mines in question bo ing the Calumet and Heola, of Michigan, and the 'Anaconda, of Man tan a. Of, the 15 mines of the globe that made 25,000.000 or more pounds each Of refined copper in 1905,. 10 are in the United States, while there is one each in Mexico, Spain, Germany, and Japan, and one the'American Smelting and -Refining Company, generally known." as “the Smelter Trust” —-thatdraws its’copper ores from numerous small mines in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Tm 1905 there were 183 properties credited with a production of 1.000.000 or more pound® of fine copper each. Of the 100 leading producers, one^—the Smel-,' •ter Trust—drew.ore® from nearly all' of 'North America, while the others Were * as follows : United 1 States 46, Mexico IT, Chili 10, Japan 6, Canada and Australia 5 each, Spain Russia and Cape. Colonv 3 each, Germany 2, Tasmaniai, Norway 1 . ‘ltaly, Turkey i and Newfoundland 1 each. Ndnetvfour of these 100 properties made more than* 3,000,0001 b of fine copper each in 1905.