The suburban citizen., 1900-04-07
NO. H..
SOUTHERN DEVELOPMENT.

oUU 0EnW UGbElUE MEVNbs
The South, which during the past three OF
Tour years has held such notable position
In the history OF the iron world, Is showing
no tendency to lose any Of It's prestige. The
rather, 1t Is assuming even greater import
ance in calculations about the demands and
the means to meet them in the future. This
fact is constantly being brought home to
students of the situation In this country and
abroad. It is recognized and noted with
emphasis Ia this weeks issue OF the Manu-
facturers' Record by Mr.. Stephen Jeans, OF
London, one Of the world-authOrtiss on the
subject, and for many years Secretary OF
the British Iron and Steel Institute. Ne re-
views In an elaborate article the outlook OF
possible supplies Of material in European
and American fields, discusses the relative
importance Of Bessemcr and basic Ores aad
In conclusion says:
"To those who possess iron-ore properties,
or whose manufacturing and general indos-
trial interests are bound up In the Southern
States, 1t should be q matter OF satisfaction
to know that the future Is likely to have In
Fiore vast increase OF demand for the orea
OF which Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky and
5Tnnessee possess such great stores-those
especially suited for the basic-steel industry
1t N probable that in respect OF such sup
plies the South does not possess any special
advantage over the MesabR range, but che
South does possess the unquestionRble sd-
vantage OF having the ores and the fuel In
iuEtaposition, while the MssRba ores are
heaEly thousand miles from the most CON
venient coal field and are, moreover, much
farther from tidewater than the chief de-
posits of the South. Ie this means any.
thing, It surely points to the fact that the
South could hardly go wrong In throwing
spirit and enterprise into the development Of
its baslc-steel industry, which, In all coun-
tries alike, Is so likely to become the steel
business par excellence Of tho future.
at may reasonably be expected that be
fore 1 close this article / should attempt to
offer some suggestions as to the probable
future Of demand aud prices. This, how
ever IS a risky undertaking, and do not claim
to bo any wiser than my friends and neigh
bors, although my business for a quarter
of a century has been to watch and
record the movements OF the trade IN diff er.
ent countries. Rather more than two
months of the year 1900 have already passed
into history. During those two months, 80
far as the figures are at command, the out
put Of pig iron has been considerably larger
than that OF the corresponding period Of last
year. In the United States the rate OF pig
Iron output has been nearly 100000 tons
year In excess Of 1899 In Great Britain the
increase OF output has been at the rate Of
fully $50, 900 tons over 1899, and in Germany
and Belgium the advance has been quite
equal to that Of the first two months OF 1899.
No one anticipates that the total make OF
pig iron in 1900 will be under that OF the
previous year. Very few people expect that
before the end OF the current year there will
be any material slump in prices. On tho
other hand, there IS no general expectation
that the prevailing boom will be continued
at its present level much beyond the current
year. 1t must be overlooked that It has al
ready lasted longer and has assumed greater
dimensions than any previous period OF
prosperity. In Europe It began ln the year
1896, go that before the end OF 1900 1t will
have had liie OF about five years, which ia
about twice the duration OF the previous
bOoms OF 1924, 1881 anc 1599-90. IL is
no doubt true that every boom has Its own
special genesis, aud is to a largo extent
law unto ITSELF That Law, in the present
case, may be summed up In three words
Rrmaments, electricity and sanitation.
These shibboleths are sill prominently to
the front, and appear likely to remain so.
The number OF minor demands is legion, and
they are all pressing their claims so that
there Is really good cause to suppose that we
have reached permanently higher stand
ard OF iron and steel demands and Of higher
prices. In Europe, at any rate, # is not an
sicipated that iron ores, coal and coke will
again be so low In price as they have been.
II the United States can continue to supply
these commodities In the future as ohesply
as they were supplied up TO about u year
Rgo-Well, so much the better for the United
States"