COPPER World production of copper for the 10 years ending Dec. 31, 1900, was 4,158,513 short tons; for the io years ending Dec. 31, 1927, 13,157,500 tons, and for the io years ending Dec. 31, 1939, it was approximately 17,175,00o tons. In the earlier periods, the U.S. furnished 52.3% and 53.9%, and in the last only 28.8%. South America's proportion rose from 8.4% to 16.2% and then to 19.2%. Africa's from about 2% to 51% and then to 16.2%. Canada furnished 11.8% in the last decade. Africa and Canada are now supplying as large a proportion of the total as the U.S. The following table shows this change : While most of these official estimates are of recent date, 1937 or 1938, current estimates would doubtless show some increase. In the case of the United States such important producing areas as Butte, Montana, and Jerome, Bisbee, Morenci, and Ajo, Ari zona, are not included. In addition there are the European, and Asiatic countries, including Russia and Japan, with a potential production (see Table I) of 447,000 tons per annum. It is safe to assume that conservative estimates of reserves in these areas, would bring the grand total to well over 100,000,00o tons of cop per metal recoverable by present methods. At the rate of con sumption of the past io years, this would last nearly 6o years. The total recorded world production of copper from 1800 to the close of the World War in Nov. 1918 was about 23,500,00o tons. In the ensuing 21 years, it has produced and consumed about 33, 840,00o tons of newly mined copper. However, there has been little change in the rate for the last two decades. This suggests
strongly that the "explosive" effects on consumption of the intro duction of electricity has about run its course. In the meantime the electrical industries still absorb in excess of 50% of the pro duction. This represents a decline of perhaps 20% from the peak. There have been increases in the requirements of the building trades, automobiles, air conditioning, refrigeration, etc., and evi dence of a growing use in alloy steel.
There is nothing to suggest that the present generation need have any fears of a shortage of copper supplies. There are un questionably enormous tonnages of material in the proven dis tricts, which are too low grade to be of commercial value at the present range of cost and price, but would become available when needed. Beyond all this lies the fact that copper is practically an indestructible metal, and the great bulk of that now in use can be reclaimed for new uses, when the structures and machines in which it is incorporated are worn out or become obsolete.
In view of world conditions of 1939, it is interesting to note that more than half of the proven reserves of the world lie within the political boundaries of the United States and the Eng lish speaking portions of the British Empire in Canada and Africa, and that another 30% in South America are owned by American capital. Similar proportions hold with respect to pres ent facilities for production. (A. Nor.)