Commercial Control
Control Through Ownership of Mines.
—All the productive bodies of copper in the United States are owned by Americans, except a small number controlled by English capital. Before the war, there was evidence of German affiliation and potential control in the copper industry, but this centered in refining and selling the metal. Accordingly, the German grip on the industry was highly centralized, and direct and effective measures were used in breaking it.
Five leading groups are in control of copper production in the United States. Certain of these have additional important ownerships in South America and Mexico, which will be discussed under those countries.
Table 38.—Leading Financial Groups in Control of Copper Production in United States
| Pounds | |
|---|---|
| Group 1. Hayden-Jackling “porphyries” (closely affiliated with group 2) Utah Copper, Ray Consolidated (Ariz.), Nevada Consolidated, (Nev.) Chino (N. Mex.) and Butte & Superior (Mont.); 1917 output (custom ore not included) | 448,887,253 |
| Group 2. Morgan-Guggenheim (American Smelting & Refining Co). Kennecott (Alaska) and a large number of smaller mines owned by Americans which have their ore treated at plants controlled by this group. The 1917 output of Kennecott and eleven of the chief customers of American Smelting & Refining plants (smaller custom shipments to smelters must be added) was | 156,954,722 |
| Group 3. Rockefeller-Ryan: Anaconda, Inspiration, North Butte, Utah Consolidated, Mountain Copper (Cal.), Balaklala (Cal.), Walker mine (Cal.), and Arizona Copper Co., 1917 output (custom ore not included) | 357,308,558 |
| Group 4. Phelps-Dodge and affiliations: Arizona and New Mexico only. Copper Queen, Detroit, Burro Mountain, Commercial Mining Co. (Phelps-Dodge); 1917 output | 123,000,000 |
| Calumet & Arizona—New Cornelia (Briggs-Congdon); 1917 output | 79,360,000 |
| United Verde Extension (affiliated with each of above); total 1917 output | 63,242,784 |
| To which must be added custom business which is important, e.g., Arizona Commercial mine, etc.; 1917 business (other custom ore not included) about | 10,000,000 |
| Total for group 4 | 275,603,113 |
| Group 5. Calumet & Hecla: 1917 output, Calumet & Hecla mine and subsidiaries | 168,765,033 |
| Total 1917 output of these five leading groups[111] | 1,407,518,679 |
[111] Exclusive of the small mines (shippers of custom ore) partly controlled through smelting and refining contracts by same interests.
Important smaller groups may be listed as follows:
| Group 6. W. A. Clark: United Verde, Elm Orlu (Mont.) and Ophir Hill (Utah); 1917 output | 88,390,038 |
| Group 7. Adolph Lewisohn: Miami and, by sale of output, Shattuck-Arizona; 1917 output | 57,058,666 |
| Group 8. U. S. Smelting, Refining & Mining Co. Custom ore and Mammoth mine, Cal., Utah Apex, and Tintic (Utah) mines; 1917 output | 22,600,000 |
| Group 9. Lake mines (other than Calumet & Hecla): Copper Range Co., Mohawk, Quincy, etc.[112]; 1917 output | 99,700,000 |
[112] Ten different interests.