Evening star., 1900-10-12
LEADS THE NATIONS
The Iron and Steel Trade Of the
United States.
oRIMACY IN PRODUCTION OF IRON Ore
Consumption Surpasses That of
Any Other Country.
GROWTH IN OUR EXPORTS

The treasury bureau of statistics has
just issued commercial monograph on
the iron and steel trade Of the United
States. treating Of the resources of this
industry, its development and its relations
to the domestic and foreign markets. In
this document the progress of the iron
and steel trade is illustrated by maps and
diagrams showing the distribution of iron
ores in Europe and North America, the
comparative development in the produc-
| ton of pig iron by countries since 1873. the
growth Of the steel output of the several
leading nations, the change in the rela-
ton of iron and steel exports and imports
and the course Of prices for pig iron and
steel rails in the United States.
The United States is now the worlds
greatest producer of iron and steel and
coal, as we'll as of copper, cotton, bread
stuffs, provisions and many other articles
entering into the daily requirements Of
man.
Iron Ore Production.
In comparative survey of the worlds
Iron situation the remarkable fact 1s
brought out that the United States In
1899 produced 30 per cent Of the worlds
ore or 25.0OO,OO0 tons out of a total Of
S5,O00,0OO tons, in round numbers. This
quantity is somewhat less than the COM
bthed ofe output of both Great Britain and
Germany, including EuXembuTS, Which pro-
duced. respectively, II and 21 per cent Of
the worlds ore supply. This alone gives
the United States the leadership among the
worlds great ore producers; but this fact
must be taken in connection with coal
production on which the iron industry de-
pends and of which this country produces
So per cent of the worlds output, while
| p~tt H., a,,I
Germany - per cent. With primacy in
coal and iron ore the position of the United
States Is one of undisputed and permanent
ascendancy in her control of the raw ma
terials of iron and steel production. This
primacy in raw materials gives the United
States a self-sufficing position, as compared
with that of her foremost rivals-Germany
and Great Britain.
While the DOrtmund, Germany. furnaces
have to go to northern Sweden for iron
ores and the furnaces of Cleveland eng
land) have to get their ores from northern
and southern Spain, the United States is
far freer to locate her iron and steel in
dustries with direct regard to the condi-
tions of maximum economy in the accumu-
iatton of raw materials and the distrtbu-
tion of the finished products. Therefore,
as coke has displaced coal, the tendency
the world over is for the furnace to leave
the colliery and move toward the ore
mines. Hence the iron and steel industries
of this country are gradually being drawn
around the southern shores of Lake Erie.
within easy access of the vast depos-
its of the Lake Superior mines.
The prepondernace of this single source
of one production Is apparent from the
fact that the Lake Superior region fur
nished 73 per cent of the 25,000,OO0 tons of
GRE consumed by our furnaces in 1899,
while the southern states furnished 10 per
cent and the eastern states but per cent.
One of the most wonderful developments
In modern tUade is that of the ore-handling
facilities from the Lake Superior mines to
the furnaces of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Pig Iron Production.
Among the worlds great pig iron pro-
ducers the United States first attained the
leadership in 1890, but in 1894 lost it to
Great Britain again. only, however. for
the time being. In 1895 the United States
finally outranked the united kingdom. In
1899, the five great pig iron producers stood
in the following order of Importance:
Countries. Tons
United States. IL $40 7o3
Great Britain. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. a3o3313
Germany ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 2017
russia '.--....-.......-.. y..-....-..-' ID Zi3E
France 2,o6i $50
There are other nations to be mentioned,
such Austrfa-Hungary and Belgium,
each Of which produces million tons, and
Sweden, whose output is half a million
But the mere fact of primacy in pig iron
production on which the steel industry de-
pends directly, has the utmost significance
are also the greatest consumers of our
iron and steel products. The development
of domestic consumptive capacity has
been a feature Of the national policy toward
the iron and steel trade. 1t has been fol-
lowed by tbs growth of a national demand
unequalled by any other nation. The vol
ume of demand thus developed has re-
/, suited in that gradual reduction in the cost
of production which has brought this coun-
try fully equipped to enter the worlds
markets on level with the best Of her
rivals. Her position in the worlds mar
kets Is. therefore, not ephemeral, but
during because it is based on highly de-
veIOped and rapidly enlarging home mar
ket, such as no other nation now enjoys.
Growth of Steel Industry.
The growth Of the steel industry is next
taken up, and the transition from the iron
to the steel age Is indicated by the substi-
tuition of steel rails for iron rails in railway
building. Here again the United States
holds the primacy, because of her produc-
ing almost 40 per cent OF the worlds steel
output, while Great Britain produces 1917
per cent and Germany, q per cent No
other nation converts so much of its pig
iron into steel as the United States does.
OF the worlds pig iron output, 10000 900
tons, 10 per cent is made into steel; where
as this country converts Il per cent Of its
pig iron tonnage into steel. amounting to
10. $780, S:3S tons out of the worlds total out
put of 27.110,OO0 tons. The United States
the world a single city having consumed
125,U0 tons In a year for building purposes
alone, and one car company having required
10000 tons OF steel TO meet its yearly con-
tracts.
In 1879 about one-third of our pig iron was
made into rails, but since that date steel
rails have ceased to be the chief form of
steel production, their proportion in 1898
being but one-sixth of the whole. The con-
sumption of steel per capita for non rail
uses In 1879 was 75.4 pounds; in 1889, 213.2
pounds; in 1898, 1862 pounds, showing how
other than rail uses of steel have devel-
oped in twenty years.
Now an Export Nation.
In our iron and steel trade with foreign
countries covering the last twenty years
our position has been exactly reversed.
Within the last five years We have actually
changed from an importing TO an exporting
nation. In 1880 we imported five times as
much IN value as we exported of iron and
steel products. Now We export six times
the value OF our iron and steel imports.
In, tod