Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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E&MJ; 150 YEARS JUNE 2016 • E&MJ; 79 www.e-mj.com all militarism, into which Germa- ny had forced the world, and the United States with it, brought on violent reactions toward theories of radical reorganization of soci- ety, which reacted again swiftly to militarism and tyrannical methods for enforcing these theories of anti- militarism and anti-tyranny… The revolutionary plots, accom- panied by widespread strikes in this country, disclosed to a sleepy and optimistic people the real danger; and energetic measures are being taken. The remedy, for this country, is deportation, Ameri- canization, and reform. The frst is being put into effect. The second should be carried out strenuously; and the third should be earnestly sought for. Let us beware, how- ever, of the swing of the pendulum. The Davey law, now before Congress, to repress sedition, and advocated by the Attorney General, is altogether too drastic; as it reads, it strikes at popular liberties. Let us keep the middle of the road. It is up to the engineers, used to balanc- ing pros and cons, to use their infuence for conservatism, both right and left… The great activity in American mining during the war subsid- ed suddenly with the armistice, what, with the stocks on hand and the great falling off of the demand. The war-mineral indus- tries—manganese, chrome, graphite, and others—were partly or entirely paralyzed. During the year, with all the furry of high prices, the demand has centered on things to wear and to eat, which the mining industry does not supply. The high cost of supplies of all sorts has raised the cost of mining. The margin between the producing costs and selling price of copper is less than at any other recent period, with a consequent low level in the prosperity of this great industry. Gold mining, with fxed price of product and rising costs, is being exterminated, with no help in sight. Income and excess-proft taxes promise to absorb the reward of the occasional successful mining venture… For the industrial situation, we believe one of the main fac- tors in checking the rising fever of high prices, and in hastening defation, would be an in creasing emphasis on the necessity of real money—gold and silver... Progress by Cooperation January 19, 1929—"The outstanding event of 1928 of especial signifcance and grati- fcation to the members of the mining in- dustries of the world was the selection of the Hon. Herbert C. Hoover as the next President of the United States. With abun- dant hope, with ample justifcation for that hope, E&MJ; looks forward to an immediate future of orderly progress and steady ad- vance in the industries it serves and rep- resents, confdent that Mr. Hoover's trans- lation to a post of the highest responsibility and the greatest world infuence will stimulate confdence and engender mutual respect among the elements of a far-fung group of technologists and engineers. Obviously, it was inspiring to E&MJ; and its readers to see a member of their fraternity elected to such a high position. Hoover advocated for service and effciency (or eliminating waste). What this man was able to accomplish between the end of his mining career and becoming president is mind boggling. He revolutionized relations between business and government, rejecting the adversarial approach of his prede- cessors. Hoover, however, had ruffed a lot of feathers at home and abroad, along his life's journey and he was not as well-liked by everyone else. The U.S. stock market crashes nine months after he takes offce as president. Some blame him for the Great Depression and he loses a re-election bid in 1932 to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mining and Milling Methods Advance The management of multiple mines by large companies draws signifcant interest. In October 27, 1928, E&MJ; published a special Phelps Dodge edition, which detailed the manifold phases of a large mining organization. "Satisfactory coordina- J.E. Spurr A.W. Allen H.C. Parmalee Demand for copper drops signifcantly as the Great Depression begins.