Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-06-22
IRON g. STEEL INTERESTS.

The Manufacturers Record OF this wee
will publish an extensive Interview wit
Hon. Abram s. Hewitt, one OF the world
most noted iron masters, reviewing tn
progress OF the iron and steel interests ant
pointing out the rapid increase In the con
sumption OF iron throughout the world
After pointing out that the world Is practi
cally rebuilt about every thirty or thirty
five years and illustrating it by the fact thai
thirty-fve years ago his firm furnished The
Iron work for the first iron hre-proof office
building erected In New York, and that to.
day that building is being demolished to be
replaced by another iron building more in
keeping with the advance OF recent years.
Mr.. Hewitt says:
"The consumption OF iron has increased
more rapidly than anyone ever predicted.
Nearly fifty years ago, or In 1855, in an adj
dress before the American Geographical So
ciety, indicated that judging by the past it
would be conservative to estimate the pro-
duction OF pig iron In the world for 1895 at
$4,000, 900 tons and In 1915 at AZ, 900, 600. On
this basis the output OF 1899 should have
been about 81, 600, 900 tons, but as matter
Of fact 1t was about 40, 900 coo tons. In 1890
Mr. Edward Atkinson, without knowing Of
my prediction mad In 1856 in an elaborate
article written by him for the Manufacture
ers Record, estimated that we could safely
count on the worlds consumptve demands
requiring 5000, 90 tons by 1900. His esti-
mate, like mine, seemed to many to be too
high, but last year the world consumed over
10000, 600 tons, and yet the demand was
greater than the supply.
"These facts, which are familiar to think
Ing people, indicate the wonderful strides
which the whole world has been making in
the consumption OF iron. But iron and steel
are now going into so many new uses that
we may more reasonably look for an accei-
Grating rate OF growth as compared with
population than for any decrease. Steel-car
making, an industry OF only few years. in
fact, an infant industry, is already consum-
Ing about 400, 900 to 100000 tons OF steel a
year. These cars, carrying 100, 900 pounds
OF freight instead of the 40, 900 or so. 600
pounds carried by wooden cars, are reouir-
ing heavier locomotives, heavier rails.
heavier and stronger bridges, and so their
introduction almost forces the gradual re-
building of many OF our railroads. Large
office buildings, even costly private dwell
ings. are now almost exclusively framed OF
iron. The whole world IL busy In building
ships for war as well as for commerce eyerv
town must needs have its water-works and
sewerage systems; electric railways are no
longer confined to cities, but are spreading
out into suburban districts and connecting
smaller municipalities. The appetite for
iron and steel seems almost Unsuitable.
'In this new era in the worlds iron trade
we have entered upon period Of perma-
nenty higher prices. do not mean that
we shall not have periods Of activity and of
depression as in the past, but we shall proba.
bly, never again get down into such depths
as we had few years ago. The increasing
consumption Of iron and steel, the increas-
ing cost of production in Europe and the |
Capitalization OF these industries In strong |
hands instead Of being In weak ones will
keep the business on basis Of steady and
reasonably profitable operation"