The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-09
PROSPERITY
IN STEEL
Annual Statistical Report Of
Association for 1902.
IMPORTS ON THE DECLINE
Despite interruption by Coal Strike the
Production in 1902 Was Very Much
Larger than Any Preced-
Ing Year.

THE annual statistical report of the
American Iron and Steel Association for
1902, Which has Just been published, Is
record of extraordinary and continuous
prosperity In the industry in the Unted
States. Accompanying the report and
really forming part Of it. are instructive
tabulatcd statistics for the various
branches OF the trade.
1T is pleasure" says the report,
which Is compiled by James NJ. swank,
general manager Of the association, Ito
ha able to say that the extraordinary
prosperity which prevailed a year ago.
has continued to the present time and
bids fair to continue for some time to
come without serious Interruption"
ruptions to tho general prosperity In 1902,
caused by tho anthracite coal strike.
''No other strike OF the year." con-
tinues the report was either SO gen
eral or of SO far-reaching effect. The
shipments of anthracite coal In 1909 were
%, III gross tons less than In 1901. Tho
scarcity of anthracite GOAL from May to,
October greatly restricted the operations
Of Eastern iron and steel manufacturers,
Tho increase in our imnorts OF iron
and steel had indeed commenced In 1899
and the decrease in our exports In 1901,
but the increase In imports became more
marked In 1909 as the months passed, In
tho years Immediately preceding 1872 our
imports of iron and steel had greatly de-
cllned, and until 1901 our exports had
greatly increased; now the conditions
we're reversed Tho foreign value OF our
Imports of iron and steel In 1909 exceeded
that of any year since 1891. IN 1909 we
Imported 625.3sS tons Of pig iron, spegel-
olsen and fero-manganese. 1oab 80 tons OF
scrap iron and scrap steel, 63,522 tons of
rails and 2s9,Sls tons OF steel billets bars.
structural steel, ETC. At the present mos
ment the indications are that IN l9H the
Imports of iron and steel VIII greatly DE-
cline as compared with 1909, but there Ia
slight probability that our exports Will
Increase. The home demand still taxes
the capacity Of our iron and steel works
In all lines.
THE YEARS PRpuCTION LARGE.
''!Although, AS has been explained, there
was much interruption In 1909 to the con.
tlnuous operation of our iron ana steel
works, tho years production Of irJn and
steel was not only larger than that Of
any preceding year, hut 1t was very much
larger, as was also the production of iron
ore and coke. The shipments of Lake Su-
perior iron ore In 1902 amounted to 91,57l,-
121 gross tons, rs compared with 20, $685.
ES7 tons in 1901. and the shipments OF
connellsv!llo coke amounted to 14,lss7ao
net tons, against 12GO0040 tons In 1901.
Tile production of pig iron in 1909
amounted to l7s2lso7 gross tons, against
III, 1854 tons In 101li Bessemer steel
to a,13s,363 tons. against 8.7lS.s02 tons,
ana Of open hearth steel to 5,GS7,720 tons,
against 4.656,303 tons. It will not be many
years. probably only a very few years,
until this country Will make one-lialf OF
all the pig iron and one-half OF all the
steel that the world produces.
In tho Iron trade. In the mining OF
coal in the manufacture of coke and III
railroad transportation there have been
material advances In wages In the last
year.
Our total imports OF iron and steel.
including machinery, cutlery, firearms,
etc. for which weights are not obtan-
able amounted In foreign value to SILL
4Gs seq in the calendar year 1902, against
so, Sa5 .ol5 in 1901, so0.443,o11, in 1900 and
sl5,snO,57O In 1899, showing an increase
IN 1902 as compared with 1901 Of $2l,o73.-
Sill. or over 100 per cent
Our imports of pig iron Increased from
$3.50 tons In 1901 to 6253S3 tons In 1902:
OF scrap iron and steel from 2O.130 tons
to 1898 tons; OF rail from 1905 tons to
G3Se:. tons, and of bllets, structural steel.
etc., from S.1G3 tons to 2so.3ls tons. While
these heavy importations In 1902 were
due mainly to the difficulty In having
orders promptly filled at home, they un-
doubtedly show how easy 1t il for for
elgners to send their Iron and steel pro-
ducts TO our markets whenever our prices