The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-23
Labor Saving Devices Art Wanted, Says David Baker
 of Philadelphia
NEW METHODS SHOULD
 ALSO BE INTRODUCED
With These the Price of Iron Produc- ton Would Be Reduced $2 Ton. Industries Should Be
 Diversified.

David Baker of Philadelphia. one of the most distinguished metallurgical engineers in the United States. said last night that after a thorough examination of condi- tions in the Birmingham industrial field, he was convinced that the greatest need of the district was modern machinery and modern methods in place of 'the flimsy and out of date ones'' now used in many plants in the district
 MT. Baker took pains to except the Tennessee company's plants from this sweeping criticism, saying that the ma chinery and methods used by the Tennes- see company were up-to-date and sats- factory
 ''The early plants established in the Bir- mingham district" said MT. Baker were exceedingly flimsy. The blast furnace plants, so far as I have examined, had, and still have, less than one-half the amount of metal weight requisite for d modern plant.
 "The Tennessee company has recently built a thoroughly modern furnace in it's No. stack at Ensley This furnace is in excellent shape. It is the only furnace that l have inspected in the district that is satisfactory in all it's details The results obtained from this No 6 furnace justify the expenditure of the money made to bring it up to its present state of perfection All furnace companies in the south ought to put in plants similar to the Tennessees No. and thereby have the best equipment.
 Suffered From Speculation.
 "If manufacturing and industrial inter- ests get control of the raw material de- posits in the district, Birmingham will leap forward. The district has suffered from speculative desire and speculative experiments on the part of operators. What is needed now is improved mining methods and up-to-date mining appara- tus.
 "If these methods and apparatus are put in and used, operators profits in the Birmingham district will increase from s1 50 to s2 a ton in mining and smelling There would also be an enormous saving in fuel consumption by putting in modern stacks and modern equipment. Since many of the furnaces here were built great progress has been made in the blast furnace process, and in -melting the pig iron from the iron ores. The Birming- ham district has not taken advantage of these new and improved processes.
 ~''If Birmingham is to be made big iron district, persons interested in the dis tricts development should arrange to tap the Warrior river with a canal and bring water in large quantity down by the force of gravity to Birmingham. You can't have big iron district here with out a large supply of water. The rivers of Pittsburg have been invaluable to that iron center. They have been as great a factor in it's development as the rail- roads.
 Great Iron Center.
 "The possibilities of the district have hardly been cratched-provided you get plenty of water. Next to the lake region Birmingham is the greatest iron ore cen ter the continent. The lake ore is steadily getting leaner. Birmingham Is comparatively a virgin field Under proper
 
 will be most helpful in perpetuating the iron industry in the United States.
 "The labor problem here has it's diff ficulties. The hope is In the introduction of foreigners. Immigration should be en- couraged through the southern ports. Films, Austrians and Italians will be es- pecially valuable in the development of this district. Care needs only to be taken that the immigrants be selected from the laboring class and not from the criminal Or pauper element. The Birmingham dis trict Is now emphatically short of labor"
 What effect may the recent merger have on the development of the distrlct?" Effect of Merger.
 'Jts effect will think, be helpful" said MT. Baker. "I see that MT. John W. Gates is interested In 1t. l was associated with MT. Gates when he was president of the Illinois Steel company. It was his skillful management that enabled the company to weather the panic. He placed it on it's feet and kept 1t there.
 "The merger means, I think, the ex- pendture of a large amount of money in the district for development purposes. Industries here will be diversified. There is no reason why Birmingham should not roll all the cotton ties consumed in the United States. Each year the south con- sumes 50,00O tons of these ties. and buys them at the north. Birmingham ought to make all the tools used in this section and all the steel and wrought-iron pipes. A great and growing industry is the manu- fracture of cars. and especially of steel cars. The Pennsylvania railroad, for in- stance. has ordered 5000 of these steel freight cars To supply this demand for steel cars you need here plate mill, and you ought to have one.
 Period of Prosperity.
 .This is surely an era of prosperity. Railroads will be congested next year as much as they were in 1902 Progress and prosperity in all lines will continue. The railroads are striving to anticipate the growing demands upon them, but the de- yelopment of the country will checkmate them Industrial activity is wonderful, and the crops are enormous. There is an enor-