The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-30
THE FUTURE OF THE IRON IN
Dfr- TRa.

Buzsness IN the United States has beer
greatly depressed BY the cheapnsss -
wheat and cotton. aue largely 10 the II
creased proGzctloa Of these staFdes ~ Ar
gentlne, Russia and Egypt The prices Of
wheat and cotton were never before 50
low. Economists look forward 70 tie tine
when tie United States will 10 longer
export wheat 10 Europe, and, although
fhls country SIN grows most OF the
wor!a's cotton. Russia Egypt and Peru
become more vigorous competitors each
year.
The iron industry OF the United States
has also been Affected by The record
breaking prices OF iron and steel. yet the
manufacturers look 20 TIE future without
alarm. The United States Is and always
viii be the chef iron-Tn&kias country of
tbs world. 1t has cheap ore and cheap
faei whne ENGLAND has cheap fuel and
Germany has cheap ore.
Il Is The English ir0nmaster who looks
ahead with much concern Not only are
the United States and Germany taking
the foreign market fran Great Britain,
bat the home market IS being lost The
British Iron Trade Association has re-
Gently made al exhaustive study OF the
not likely 20 restore the peace 81 mind
og England. In Is7a, Great Britain In
ported from ali countries only I9-,eso tons
OF iron and steel. These imports had risen
In 40 20 szi1o tens. ~ far the larger
portion Of which was supplied by Ger
many. > hlch country n IsaS exported 70
England and SIX principal British col
oules $500 tons % steel and sron. being
about IS per cent OF the total German eK-
port for that year. This was 300 tons
more steel and irCn than Germany ex-
ported during that year 20 the entire
American continent. excluding Canada as
a British dependency. which received
from Germany oaly 2.774 tons. Barely nifty
years ago Germany received fully oue-
half OF her entire supply of iron from In
gland. This reversal OF trade IS due pr
marty to the discovery OF the bas4c-steel
process. By which enormous deposits OF
iron ore we're made workable. and the
substitution % coke blast furnaces for
charcoal furnaces.
Although the Germans have not as
cheap coal as England, they save the gas.
tar. ammonia aud benzole which are de-
yel0ped by the ooklng process. England
throws these products away. AID 50 DO
the United States. while thu Germans
utilize them and get millions OF dollars
thereby. Starting with chsap ore. the
Germans are able. through superior skill
and economy in coke making. to balance
the higher cost OF domestic coal Ia the
next place German wages are lower. and
strikes are not so frequent Again. the
railroads are owned BY the state and
charge reasonable freight rates. These
railroads have To strikes. 10 enormous
salaries to pay. no stock jobblng and
townslte booming. and. although their
charges are low. they yield The state an
enormous SURPLUS.
All signs point TO stu further restrie-
ton Of rhe English iron output while the
United States may make herself better
able 70 compete with Germany by adopt
Ing her improved process The production
OF pig iron ~ the United States In lN5
was 7.I8g3 tons; CT Englaad. s.S-9.sil
tons, % Germany. 4&5i4S tons; Of
France. 20ss 5s7. Germany IS likely 20 take
second place, but not 10 displace the
United states.