Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-11-08
OUR IRON IND STEEL
Growth of the Business Illus
trates Our Great CONNER
cial Achievement
THE RECORD is AMAZING
United States Exporting Almost Twen-
ty Times as Much as 1t Did Ten
Years Aso-ArticIes of Export in
Which We Have Made Such Phe-
nomenaI Gains.

Washington, d. c., Nov. S.-Nothing
else occurring in this day of transcend
ant commercial achievement in the
United States brings home the stun
ming size of American operations as
does the current record of business IN
iron and steel.
We are told to look about us and
observe the manifold signs of an I'M
~precedented prosperity, and many OF us
are In a position to do so. AT least
we can perceive that the men from
whom we buy our necessities must be
prosperous. But to get a perspective
OF some angle of the situation at large
which will enable us to secure a fairly
accurate gage of what is meant by
national prosperity, nothing will serve
like the figures on some of the opera
tions of the people who are engaged
in the production of things made out
Of iron ore. And of all the data avail
able, nothing else reveals in that de-
SIcG Ol dCCuidSS ShJoSSu W - ~
ernmental books in which is kept an
account of the exports n imports.
Vast Growth of Commerce.
Ten years g the United States
exported and imported a considerable
quantity of iron ore and the products
thereof, and at that time the exports
amounted in cash value to more than
double that of the imports and the
nation was disposed to gloat. But to-
day. while we are importing nearly
twice as much as we did ten years ago.
we are exporting almost twenty times
as much as we did ten years ago. Dur
ing the first nine months of 1895 we
imported a little more than $l6,-
900, 900 worth of iron n steel and x
ported a little more than $34,5o0,Oo 600.
During the first min months of 1905
we imported something over $4,000
600 worth and exported to the colossal
value of $127, 1868. Small wonder
that we have earned the position OF
the greatest exporting nation on earth
when we are becoming the smithy or
the world at such a rate.
Exports Show Big Gain.
Another indication of the gait at
which we are travelling is shown In
the same figures thru the fact that,
whereas our imports ten years ago
consisted in large part of finished iron
and steel products, they now consist in
eyer-growing ratio of the raw ore. In
deed, at the present time nearly half
the United States imports.in this line
of business consists of ore n pig
iron. while only two years G the-raw
..a+a,io1 fNcr,nH only nne-eiyhth OF
he total imports. The pig iron comes
mostly from the United Kingdom and
the ore from Cuba.
The articles of exports in which we
have made phenomenal gains cover
nearly the whole range OF possibilities
including rails, structural steel, Wire,
locomotives, sewing machines, electric
al machinery, printing presses, type
writer's, builders hardware, cash reg
listers. Woodworking machinery. etc.
Steel rails and structural materials
have made the greatest gains IN the
foreign trade in recent years, INC TINS
in spite of the fact thai the entire Pa
ciic coast has bought a considerable
share of it's rails from Belgium, the
water haul enabling the Belgians TO
compel with us there when they are
not able to do so in either Canada or
Mexico. and will not be able to DO SO
even on the Pacific coast when the
Panama canal is completed.
Plate Imports Fall OF.
In some lines of the metal trade the
Imports are showing a rapid decline,
while the exports are growing emo
enally. Thus, for instance, the imports
of tin plate will soon altogether.
from present indications, while the x
ports are increasing by tremendous
leaps. At the same time the imports OF
pig tin are growing enormously, which,
with the foregoing, tells its own story.
To sum up, it is the opinion OF the
government experts that the iron n
steel business in the United States
! was never beore in SO healthy a condi-
ton as at the present moment, and
most interesting fact of all, 1T is held
that IL the Americans get a fair start
in the fast growing development OF
| China. the iron and steel industry in
this country, marvellous as it is, may
, still be only in it's infancy. Those who
have the work of studying the matter
say China will have to have in the not
distant future more miles of railroad
/ and more locomotives and equipment
than are now in use in the United
| States. which will mean the expendi-
ture Of billions of Chinese money for
the things which American makers
produce faster, and in many respects
better. than those of any other coun-