The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-29
The Consumption Of Iron Per Capita.

There is no doubt that the most civil
lied nations use the highest quantity
per capita of any product. They are
able to supply themselves freely with
the necessaries of life, to furnish them
selves deliberately with the convenien.
ces, and to lavish upon themselves
abundantly the luxuries of existence.
Civilized nations not only surround
themselves with plenty of food and pro-
cure 1t in great variety. but they clothe
themselves well, they furnish their
houses with completeness, they use ma.
chinery in their varied occupations, they
bridge streams, they provide for them.
selves the most comfortable and speedy
means of transportation, and in every
way they add ease, comfort, conven.
fence, and even pleasure to the perform.
ance of the ordinary duties in life. II
Is therefore, quite common among po-
litical economists to measure the ad.
vancement of Nation toward the plane
of high civilization by its consumption
of such products as indicate the devel-
Opment of mechanical skill or the wide.
spread existence of diversified industry.
Wood, sulphur, iron and other useful
products are each referred to as fur.
nishing tests for comparing the relative
advancement in the arts and sciences
of different peoples.
To those who are interested in such
Investigations and comparisons table
Of some value will be found in Mr.. j S.
Jeans recent report to the British Iron
Trade Association, of which he is Sec.
rotary. Mr.. Jeans has made careful
calculation of the annual consumption
of iron per capita of almost every coun-
try in the world according to the latest
advices. We presume. however. that
in this case the rule laid down by polit-
ical economists will have to be varied
from little, if it can be made
sufficiently flexible, for surely the
Falkland Islands cannot be the
center. of the civilization of the globe
yet their per capita consumption
surpassed all competitors, being 367
pounds. New South Wales, too, car
hardly be regarded as in the foremost
rank of enlightenment. but it comes
next, with 1862 pounds. These antipoda,
regions seem to be immense consumers
of iron according to their population
for South Australia comes next, with
81 pounds. Great Britain is RELOCATED
to the fourth place in this list of irOr
absorbers, consuming but 2S74 pounds
Nevertheless, she triumphs over hel
lusty child, the United States, which
appears rs using only 271 pounds. Bu
along come two more of Great Britain's
children-Queensland. with 269 pounds
and West Australia, with 262 pounds
1t is, indeed, remarkable that all the
countries so far named are English, OF
of English origin. Belgium now ap
pears upon the scene, with 23S pounds
But back the banner goes to two NOR,
English colonies-Victoria, with POP.
pounds, and New Zealand, with Is,
pounds. And now comes France
though so wonderfully clever, far dowI
in the list with 149 pounds. Thrifty
Holland ranks next. with 139 pounds
Then follows the Anglo-Chinese settle
ment of Hong Kong, with 133 pounds
and Uruguay, with 40 pounds, pre-
ceding (can it be possibility Germany
with only 1921 pounds. Surely this
cannot be good test of civilization, oil
else there is something wrong with the
figures. But what comes next afteI
Germany? The FIJI Islands, with 121I
pounds. Then our neighbor, Canada
follows these islands of the South Sea
with 1901 pounds. No other country
reaches consumption of 100 pounds
Sweden comes not far from it; ther
comes Tasmania. Newfoundland, the
Cape of Good Hope, the East Indiar
Straits settlements, Natal, the Argen
tine Republic, Malta. Denmark, Aus
tria, and Norway. No other country
not even Spain, Portugal, Russia, OF
Italy, reaches consumption of thirty
five pounds.-Iron 1ge.