The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-24
PRODUCTION
 DECREASING Iron Ore in South is
 Short. MEsABI RANGE THE CAUSE Increased Production of Easily
 Mined Ore. sn Pennsylvania Has Made Southern Ores Less DesirabIe--How Ed- ward EcLeI Explains the
 slump.

Baltimore, August 23.--(SpeciaL)- The great increase in pig iron produc- ton in the South during the past twen- ty years has caused many persons 10 overlook the fact that other sections of the country have shown vastly greater increases during the same pe- riod. Discussing this situaron, MT Edwin c. Eckel, long connected with the United States Geological Survey, says in this weeks issue or The Man ufaeturers Record:
 While the South produced in 1854 almost exactly 12 per cent of the Amer ican total, in 1880 her production had fallen to barely six per cent. From this year on a relatively rapid increase in southern output carried the percent age to IS in 1891, to IS 3-4 in 1895, and finally to a maximum of l9.1 per cent in 1896. Since 1896. though the Southern output has increased quite regularly. the increase is small com pared with that snown by other sec tions. The result is that the South ern output is steadily becoming of less relative importance, the percentage having steadily fallen off until during the first half of 1907 it was barely over 10 1-2 per cent.
 ''The cause to which the relative lack of growth of the Southern iron industry is perhaps most commonly assigned is the great impetus given to the Northern industry by the discovery of the Mesabi range. This undoubted- ly contributed to the result by furnish ing Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and New York with an enormous tonnage of easily mined high grade ores. By increasing the possibilities of the Northern iron trade it diverted from the South capital which otherwise would have been available for South ern furnaces. The increased output of the lake ranges must, therefore, be re- cognized as an important factor in the result, but it was by no means de- cisive factor. Had other conditions been satisfactory. the opening of the Mesabi alone would not have put the South into it's present condition. Three other causes have, in my opinion. ex- erted sufiicent influence to be consid- cred as important factors in the prob lem. These are, CD, the condition of the local market, (2) the labor ques- tion, and, (3), the policy, as to devel- opment, of most Southern iron compa- nies.
 ''In times of general business depres- sion Southern furnaces are able to keep in operation longer than those else where, and to operate at profit when
 
 is in times of national depression that the Southern iron trade makes the best relative showing. When the crisis is passed, however, and general prosper ity is at hand. little or no attempt has been made to provide for increased output in the South.
 "A summary of the matter might be that three conditions must be observed before we can hope for any great in- apA relative to the remainder of the Amer ican trade:
 'U.) The labor supply must be in- creased and it's quality improved. It would be better to have the entire Bir- mingham district unionlzed, provided that would secure an adequate supply of labor, than to attempt to keep on with the miserably inadequate supply now at hand.
 "(2.) Development work in the mines should be carried on during periods of depression, so that the mines can respond quickly to any suddenly in- creased demands.
 "(3) The output of steel making iron should be increased, and provision should be made not only for their con- version into steel, but for their local manufacture into finished products.
 Progress Is now being made along all three of these lines. Within two years it is probable that the steel making capacity of the South will be more than doubled. Several companies are making intelligently directed att tempts to SO develop their large ore reserves that they will be able to readily meet the demands of the fur naces in times of extra pressure. The labor question, though still not by any means in a satisfactory condition, has been taken up during the past year or so with particular care. and there are reasons to hope that the next boom in iron will find Birmingham at least with a fairly good labor suppIy