The Washington herald., 1908-05-14
Mr. CARNEGIE's SPEECH.

Mr. CARNEGIE'S SPEECH.
IN view OF the SOLDERING facts presented,
the thoughtful man is forced 10 realize.
FIRST, that our production and consumption
OF minerals are increasing much more
rapidly than our population; and. second,
that our methods are so faulty and ex-
travagant that the average waste is very
great. and in eoal almost as great as the
amount consumed. The serious loss of life
| in the mines is a feature that can no
longer be overlooked. Nor can we fail "a
realize that the most useful minerals will
shortly become scarce and may soon reach
prohibitiVe cost unless sterg 20 lessen
waste are taken in the interest OF the
future
! II have for many years been impressed
with the steady depletion OF our iron ore
supply. II Is staggering 10 learn that our
once supposed ample supply OF rich ores
can hardly outlast the generation now
1 appearing, leaving only the leaner ores
/ for the later years Of the century. II is
my judgment, as a practical man accus-
toned to dealing with those material fac
| tors on which our national prosperity is
/ based, that 1t is time 70 take thought for
/ the morrow. I fully concur in the opin-
| ion Of the President that the state Of our
| resources raises one Of the most serious
issues now before the American people
and hope that this national meeting will
/ lead 10 wise action
I'VE are nationally in the position OF e
large family receiving a rich patnmony
| from thrifty parents deceased fntest8te;
/ the President may be likened to the eldest
/ son and the governors 10 younger broth
ers, jointly responsible for the minors
/ the experts assembled may be likened To
the family solicitors. Now, the first duty
Of such q family is 10 take stock of its
lpatrimony; the next 10 manage the assets
/ in such manner that none shall be wasted
| that all be put to the geratest good Of the
living and their descendants. Now we
/ have Just begun 10 take stock Of our ma
| uonal patTimony; and il is witt. the deep
/ est sense Of responsibility imposed on me
/ by the invitation to this meeting, to the
nation, and TO coming generations Of all
/ time, that / speak as one OF the junior
/ solicitors. In my opinion, we should
watch closely all the assets and begin
both to save and TO use them more wisely.
Conditions of Iron.
Let u begin with iron: We must In
all possible ways lessen the demands
upon it, for II is with iron ore we are
least adequately provided. One Of the
chief uses of this metal is connected with
transportation, mainly by rail. Moving
1000 tons Of heavy freight by rail re-
quires an SO-ton locomotive and twenty
five &-ton steel cars each Of acton ca
pacity) or $50 tons Of iron and steel. with
an average of say ten miles of double
track with 90-pound rails), or 81 tons
additional; so that, including switches.
frogs, fish-plates. spikes, and other Incl
dentals, the carriage requires the use of
an equal weight OF metal The same
freight may be moved by water by means
OF 100 70 go tons Of metal. so that the
substitution Of water carriage for rail
carriage would reduce the consumption
OF iron by thTee-fOuFths 10 seVen-eighths
IN this department. At the same time
the consumption of coal for motive power
would be reduced % 10 70 per cent, with
a corresponding reduction IN the coal re-
quired for smelling. No single step open
10 us to-day would do more TO check
the drain on iron and coal than the sub
stitution OF water-carriage for rail-car-
riage wherever practicable. and the care
tul adjustment Of the one to the other
throughout the country.
''The next great use Of iron is in con-
struction, especially Of buildings and
bridges. Fortunately the use of con-
crete simple and reinforced, is already
reducing the consumption Of structural
steel. The materials for cement and con-
crete rhnnrn IN re of
try and while the arts OF making and
using them are still in their infancy. the
products promise 20 become superior 10
steel and stone in strength, durability.
convenience. and economy Of use. The
cement industry is growing rapidly, large
ly in connection with the making Of iron
and steel so that the substitution OF the
new material will not involve abandon
ment OF plants or loss of invested capital
The hitherto useless Stag hills, Of which
many may be seen around blast furnaces
are now being made directly into cement
and yielding high profits. It has become
a by-product, the extra cost scarcely
more than the former cost Of piling the
Stag away.
Wars Use of Steel.
"A large current use OF steel OF the
highest quality is for battle ships, ord
nance, projecules, and small arms. Hap
PLY there are signs of an awakening of
the public conscience and Of the sense
of national righteousness, whereby civil
lied nations must be led TO adopt those
moral standards which already regulate
individual conduct; the world is soon to
learn that war is not only too disgrace
fully inhuman but too wasteful to be
tolerated. and this serious drain upon
our iron ores will cease.
a promising mode Of reducing iron
consumption is opening through the de-
Yelopment Of iron alloys. The making
OF steel was first an accident, and long
q secret art and mystery il was not
until after the republic was founded that
steel was recognized as an alloy Of iron
and carbon, and it was only within the
memory OF men now present that nickel.
silver, zircon, tungsten. and other min
erals were scientifically alloyed with
iron TO yield those protean modern steels
adapted TO an ever-increasing range of
uses. An the end is not yet; every expert
knows that metal alloying is in its IN
fancy.
I'VE now come 20 coal. How shall we
save that? Current uses-or rather cur