61 



on the duty, which has been kept just high enough to block import- 

 ations. As a result of this, the transmission Hne outside of the 

 United States is more than likely to be constructed of aluminium, 

 while, inside our tariff wall, copper has to be the chief reliance. 



" One of the interesting minor advantages of aluminium for 

 the very high voltages as found on some of the Canadian lines is 

 that, owing to its larger cross-section for the same conductivity, the 

 tendency to coronal loss is somewhat reduced." 



Another article in the same issue states: 



" For the last eight or ten months the average market quotations 

 in the United States for the two metals have been: aluminium 21 

 cents per pound, and copper 13 cents per pound. The expenses for 

 drawing into wire are, of course, larger per pound for aluminium 

 than for copper, and the average normal cost of hard-drawn wire 

 may be taken as 27 cents per pound for the former and 15 cents 

 per pound for the latter." On the basis of these prices, the weight 

 of aluminium for the same line capacity being one-half that of copper, 

 "it will be found by simple arithmetic that any bare aluminium con- 

 ductor will cost 10 per cent less than the equivalent copper conductor. 

 Although several aluminium lines have been erected in the United 

 States, it is found, in general, that the comparatively small saving 

 is largely offset by the increased height and cost of the towers for 

 the aluminium line, and consequently there is little inducement for 

 the American engineer to adopt the new metal. Matters are some- 

 what different, however, in Europe and Canada. 



" The United States, European, and Canadian quotations for 

 copper are practically identical, and may be taken at present at 

 12-5 cents per pound. The European and Canadian quotation for 

 aluminium, however, is only 13 cents per pound as against 21 cents 

 in the United States. In these countries, therefore, the prices for 

 hard -drawn wire are approximately 19 cents and 15 cents per pound 

 for aluminium and copper respectively, with the result that the 

 substitution of aluminium for copper effects a saving of over 36 per 

 cent." 



In 1913, during tariff hearings before the Committee on Ways 

 and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, Mr. J. P. Bartlett asked 

 that aluminium be placed on the free list. In his brief, the alumin- 

 ium industry was declared to be practically in the hands of one 

 concern, the Aluminum Company of America, which controls sub- 

 stantially all the sources of aluminium in the United States. The 

 company was also charged with oppressive commercial methods and 

 practices, as evidenced by the suit filed against it by the Federal 

 Government and the decree entered. He offered the following state- 

 ment in reference to the Aluminum Company of America's capitaliza- 

 tion and profits: — 



" That company, starting with a capital of $20,000. increased 

 it to $1,000,000, of which, according to said petition, an additional 

 $10,000 was paid for in cash, $250,000 was to be paid as called for. 



