TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION F. 



683 



The statistics given below from the Board of Trade returns for the last three 

 j-ears amply prove what a small proportion of the copper imported is sold at Swansea 

 public sales, and how much by private bargain. 



4. Weights and Allowances. — It used to be the custom at Swansea and elsewhere 

 to weigh the ores, reguluses, and precipitate in hand barrows of 3 cwt. each, by beam 

 a,nd scale, thus giving seven weighings to the ton of 21 cwt. For some years, how- 

 ever, this custom has been departed from, and 2 cwt. barrows substituted, thus 

 requiring lOi turns of the scale for every ton of 21 cwt. But over and above this 

 allowance a draftage of 24i lbs. per ton of 21 cwt. is demanded from sellers of 

 foreign or colonial ores. Why this anomaly exists it is impossible to guess, when 

 no such allowance is asked for in Cornish ores. What even is the use of maintain- 

 ing the 21 cwt. to the ton except to complicate and obscure accounts ? Refined 

 copper is not sold at 21 cwt. to the ton ; and no such absurd allowances as 24^ lbs. 

 per ton, nor is it weighed in 2 or 3 cwt. lots. Ingots, cakes, and tiles are all 

 weighed carefuUy in 10 cwt. lots with just the turn of the scale, and the seller 

 makes an allowance at the time of about two pounds to the ton, as it is found by 

 experience that a certain amount of scale comes off in handling and transit, and 

 this allowance is to insure delivery of nett weight to the purchaser on delivery, and 

 experience shows that this allowance is ample. In selling or buying Chili bars, 

 which are partially refined copper of about 96 per cent., an allowance of 4 lbs. on 

 the ton of 20 cwt. is all that is allowed, and I think this is perfectly fair, for 

 the refiner has to sustain the risk of scaling and abrasion both to and from his 

 refinery. 



