“SLIM” COPPER HUNTERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144828, 4 November 1915, Page 7

“SLIM” COPPER HUNTERS.

At present a copper hunt on a grand scale is going on throughout Switzerland’s valleys, says a Zurich paper, in ardor to hunt up as much of tho precious metal as possible/ and they know how to exploit to tho utmost tho inexperience of the inhabitants. Whenever a herdsman’s hut contains any copper utensils they leave no stono unturned to get possession of these. With tho air of a connoisseur they say: “Your big copper boiler is almost burnt through, and yon will soon havo to got a new one.” Then follows the offer of a brand new boiler in exchange for tho old one. Of course tho peasants who agree to such an exchange are cheated, for tho now article is made of inferior material. The tremendous profits mado from this copper hunt may be judged from the fact that about half a franc per kilo is paid for tho copper, which when resold brings in 10 times as much. Tho writer recently watched old copper being pnt on board a train at Lenk station (in tho Valais). On asking where it was going, tho reply was: “To Germany,” and tho remark that tho export of copper was forbidden elicited tho answer that it was for compensation in order to get other goods. Germany, however, manages to get copper from Switzerland in other ways. Apparently no Swiss machinery factory lias a brass foundry, so that this alloy, has to bo procured from abroad. Now German brass foundries are demanding in exchange for brass supplied by them an equivalent weight of copper, and as brass is only half or three-quarters as heavy as copper it will at once bo seen that a considerable surplus of the latter remains over which can he used for army purposes.