The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-23
SOUTH POSITION
IN iron WORLD ] |'| /.
No Tendency Shown Of Losing Its
Notable Place.
THE ADVANTAGES POSSESSED
The Fuel and Orc Arc in the Same
NciGhborhood. and Boil, Arc Near
T,dc-xVntcr-lTirinn Of Cot
ton Market Explained.

BALTIMORE, MD. Marca s2z--Spccial---s
The South, which during the past three or
four years has held such a notable posi-
ton In the unfolding OF the history OF the
iron world, Is showing no tendency 10
lose any OF its prestige. The rather Is II
assuming even greater Importance in cir
culAtions about the demands and the
means 10 meet them ia the future. The
fact Is constantly being brought home TO
students OF the situation in this country
and. abroad. IT Is recognized and noted
with emphasis In this weeks issue of the
Manufacturers Record BIZ Mr.. Stephen
Jeans. OF London. one Of the worlds au-
thoritics on the subject, and for many
years secretary OF the British Iron and
Steel Institute. He reviews in an clab-=
crate article the outlook of possible sup
plies or material in European and
American fields. discusses the relative i'm
pnrtnnce OF Bessemer and basic ores. and
in conclusion, says: Ito those who pos
sess iron-ore properties. or whose manu-
featuring and general Industrial interests
are bound up III the Southern states, II
should be matter of satisfaction TO know
that the future is likely TO have in store
vast increase OF demand for the ores
OF ma,ita, Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky
and Tennessee possess such great stores.
those specially suited for the Basic-steel
Industry 1t is probable that in respect
of such supplies the South does not pos
scss any special advantage over the Mes
aba range, but the South does possess the
nunouestionable advantage OF having the
Sores and the fuel in juxtaTosition, while
the Mesaba ores arc nearly a thousand
miles from the most convenient coai
field. and are, moreover, much larlhel
from tidcwater than the chief deposits OF
/, the South. If this means anything, II
surely points to the fact that the SCUM
could hardly go wrong in throwing spirit
and enterprise into the development oil lis
lsaslc-steel Industry. which in all countries
alike, is so likely to become the steel busi-
ness par excellence of the future.
INCREASED OUTPUT
at may reasonably be expected that be-
fore / close this article 4 should attempt
TO offer some suggestions as TO the PROP
able future of demand and prices. ms,
however. IS q risky undertaking, and do
not claim to be any wiser than my friends
and neiE1lbors. although my business 1or
a quarter of century. has been TO Waich
and record the movements OF the trade III
different countries. Rather more tilail Two
vrlontf,s OF the year 1900 have already pass
cd into history. During those two. mon'hs,
SO far as the figures are at command. Inc
output of pig iron has been considerably
larger than that of the corresponding Pc
Rod of last year. In the United states
the rate of pig iron output has been nearly
800. OGO tons a year in excess OF 1873 IN
Great Britain The increase OF output has
been at the rate of fully 50.Goo tons over
1889, and In Germany and Belgium Inc al
vance has been quite equal to that OIL ahe
frs, two months of 1899 No one anti
ciuates that the total make of pig iron IN
1893 viii 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 III prices. On the other
hand, there is no general expectation lnat
the prevailing boom will be continued al It's
present level much beyond the current
year 1t must not be overlooked that II
hes already LASTED longer and has assumed
greater dimensions than any previous Pc
riod of prosperity. In Europe 1t began IN
the year 1896. 80 that before the end oil
1900 1t will have had a life of about i've
years, which is about twice the durauoh
of the previous bcums of lS12-t 1917 81
and 1SS9-'9o. 1t is no doubt true that ever!
boom has its own special genesis. anu Is
to a large extent a law unto itself mat
law. in the present case, may be summed
up in three words-armaments. electricity
and sanitation These Sllibboletlls are still
prominently to the front and appear IKE
~ to remain so. The numbers 1 minor
demands is legion. and these are al
pressing their claims so that there IS
reilly good cause to suppose that we nave
reached permanently higher standard o.
iron and steel demands and OF hlSher
prices. In Europe al any -ate, At IS not
anticipated that iron ores, coal ana coke
vii! again be SO low in price as they nave
b.ln. II the United States can conunne
10 supply these commodities in the future
as cs1eaply as they We're supplied up 10
ahcus year ago, well. so much me pet-
.cr for the United States
A careful investigation has been made
r,,fa ff,1y R
mol Alfred b. Shepperson. cotton statlst-
can. Of the quantity of unsold cotton IN
the leading cotton snarl1ets of the country
IN summing up the situation Colonel Shep-
person gives some facts from which we
take the following:
COTTON STATISTICS.
Mail and Geographic 'advices from thor-
oughly re,iable sources make it very clear
that the quantity of cotton possible 10 be
bought in these markets is infinitely less
than would be supposed from the PUBLISH
ed figures of their stocks. The port
stocks on the 10th instant, and the guam
tity unsoid were reported as follows:
Galveston $500 bales unsnld out OF stock
f,r 10S 700 bales; Norfolk, 5000 out OF $1,000
h.les. savannah $500 out Of 12eS00;
( charleston 1000 out of al.5Oo: Wilmington
1,Oa out OF 1850: Baltimore $500 out OF
1850. Philadelphia 1000 out OF lo,6oa 81.
Louis repnris 5000 unsoid out OF ls.oD
bales, and 5000 OF the bales are unsolu
cotton held considerable above present n.
prlces Augusta reports stock WV wv
bales. Of which 5000 are for sale and 1-oso
are held for higher prices, while 5000 are
sold and awaiting shipment. From otner
cotton centres the same story is told. Inc
difference between stocks at the various
.narkets and the quantity reported as ni-
,p1a. IS cotton. which has been sold ana Is
merely awaiting shipment abroad or 10
domestic points. The rnsold cotton IS
held alrrn,y and much of 1t conslderabiys
ntore present prices. These investigations
VII give the public better idea OF the
n,,a,,t.ty OF cotton Immediately ayailaole
and make i, palmer why southern markets
continue SO firm. 49,
THE new industries announced LOT Inc
weak by the Manufacturer Record in-
Guided 1sne following: Sl.o1G0 orac:--sss
Uorks at New Decatur. Ala: $1,000, iu1l1-
her rn,,l company at Mobile: $4,000 paos.9
.,ha,e nlant at Early Bird. Fla: sa e so.s
a,id-rninine companytat Sachochee: Ssv,-
nrso roid-mining company At Dah,onesa.
E, oo1. 600 cotton mill near Gainesysi!e; sSe.-
ooo cotton-1,sll addition at iiart~ell. SO
ma brick works at caftersvii ie--ail IN
sr-.crrt a ~seS.00O cotton-ail mill at Royce
Nh. $4,000 automobile manufacturing
comnary at Baltimore, Nd: s. eo.o GOO cot
80 Iii al kings Mountain. s10,0ta Hour