The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-25
A Comprehensive Survey Of the Iron
Trade of the World.
SITUATION IN GREAT BRITAIN.
There is a General Disposition TO An
ticipate the Scarcity OF Raw Mate
rial-Long Era of Prosperity in
the Iron Trade Probable.

| tribute 10 this weeks Manufacturers Re.
cord material giving the basis for a sur.
vey Of the worlds iron trade. showing a
condition Of activity and prosperity al the
! same time Ia every iron producing coun-
/ try PROBABLY without parallel. with
the wide sweep Of the worlds trade into
Asia and africa. the general vlgor OF
| European and American trade, and the
! acoeieaung rate OF iron and steel con-
sumption as compared with the growth
! Of population. there is a universal rush ~
iron business and a shortage Of output
/ compared with the constructive demand.
Whether conditions are favorable for a
continuance Of this unprecedented situa-
ton, a question of worldwide interest, IS
discussed In these special articles Mr.
Jeans, who shows that pig iron alone
| controls the industrial situation. finds
that IN Europe there Is a general dispO-
sitiOn 20 anticipate a scarcity Of raw ma
terial, and that there has been a vigor-
oussand persistent overhauling OF all the
possible sources of supply. that on the
continent there is as much pressure be-
ing put on supplies OF raw material as I'm
Great Britain. Germany being most typical
or continental countries and he concludes
as follows:
40 APPREHENSION.
III is probable that IN tho United States
where events move rapidly, the average
market quotations would give higher fig
uies than those here quoted. but what
ever lhose figures might be, they are not
hkely TO be high enough 90 create any ap-
prehension on the part OF American
makers that their own markets are in
danger from outside competition IL IS
true that some orders for plates and
other products have lately been placed
on this side for American consumers. but
IN Europe we have AZ present enough 20
DO IN attending 10 our own business. and
hsh as American prices are now, they
VIII not In my opinion, invite any mate
RAJ competition from outside countries
TOT al any rate some months 20 come. and
not at all so long as the existing relative
range or values and costs is maintained.
IN snort, the American market is as
sured 10 American makers. so that II
present prices are not maintained in the
United states g. viii not DE because OF
ANYTHING that Europe is likely 10 DO or
indeed can do 10 the contrary.
IN all this. as 10 seems 10 me. there
is very much hope and encOuragem for
The South. NJ district i'm Europe nor
indeed anywhere else. that l know or can
make iron on a large scale SO cheaply.
IN Europe the tendency is 90 increase the
cost of making iron In the Southern
states the tendency IS I'm the opposite
direction. Luxembourg is the only dis
trict IN Europe IN which pig iron can 10
made on relatively cheap scale and
Luxembourg foundry iron is TODAY nj
u.s. per ton. / do not think this price
can be maintained over very long ne
Rod. but so long as it exists. Alabama
virginia and Tennessee should reap
golden harvest If they make the most OF
their opportunities"
DEPOSITS or ORE.
mr. ID. Allen Wiley I'm STAFF cores
pondence. discusses az length the CONT.
mental ore deposits and says.
Ore beds in northern Europe are At
tiacing much attention from the British
iron producers. The excellent quality of
swedish iron has been known for mann.
years on both sides Of the Atlantic
Makers OF high grade steel such as tho
Jessops OF Sheffield. use many thousands I,
OF tons annually The idea of brinoiro
magnetic ore in IFS crude state to tho
furnaces by the shlpl0ad IS Of comnara
i've recent origin What are known MS
'ne CellFare mines are now being work !
GU 20 slch an extent that 300 tons daily |
are Deng extracted. Most Of the orr |
sDts 10 Lu-es harbor. on the Swedish |
coast Where 10 is placed on shinboard II
is Of very high grade n,,ob ~ q, a., ~
tanning from o. 20 7O ner cent OF nuro |
ron. with but a trace Of phosphorus Zone |
TENN 20 one-haf per cent? The GaIIi,e-o
1ep'siis cover an area of about three IN. 1
two miles I'D
O',er deposits OF excellent grade ore /
nave been discovered ~ the same section |
al AiIunavaara and LuOssavaara. They 4
are ABOUT ITO miles from the nearest sen.
''i L. ana a railway IS being constructed
~ ihe district from Victoria harbor On the
"csian coast. These ores are cons'd-
cred lnoHhauslble in extent and Il ,s
calculated 10000 tons of ore can he
npped from there annually with the
abroad completed. This will require four
'ears. however, ar cost OF y.5o0oo0.
But great physical difficulties liza I'm
The way Of securing the ore I'm large
Quantities. The long winters cause most
~ tfe hTbors 10 become ice-bOund for
several months IN the year while the high
iaes on the coast would compel "A very
'ostly system Of protected docks. as the
use ana fan at times is as much as twenty
.cct
HIGH-WATER MARK.
Mr.. Barns thinks that prices of iron
md steel have reached high-water mark
md says:
Broadly speaking. though. the outlook
or both the first and second quarter Of
iext year is very favorable 10 a highly
sustained degree of prosperity. although
lrices may be expected to be somewhat
more favorable than al present to buy
rs covering forward wants.
mo disaster threatens the iron trade
mir hf |
have an era OF lone-sus-
aimed and profitable activity before them
Foreign markets will afford an ample ont
~ for surplus production and thus con-
ubute 10 stability which has hitherto |
'een lacking I'm prices"
The broad view Of the prospects for the
ron trade taken by Mr. Findlay is opu-
nistic. lie says.
THE worlds needs in iron and steel
ave expanded marvellously in the past
wo years, and seem still 10 be expand
ne. with exports TN the last.dscal year
epresehung the equivalent OF more than
'1VVW tons o. pig iron. We have made
MY a beginning In the foreign trade. and |
ne PROBABILITY % an output above 1900
W IONS IN 1900 may be regarded without
ear OF material recession in prices. II
NY IN view OF tho splendid present buy
ne capacity Of the 70. 90 60 persons at
ONE"
ACTIVITY IN IRON
Illustrating 10 remarkable degree
be activity in iron and steel. and at the
anne time accounting for 1t 10 large
egree, is the remarkable vigor displayed
1 all sections by industries connected
lore or less with The metal trades. In
'sponse 20 inquiries on the subject the
Ianufacturers' Record has received let