Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-15

IN considering the general indus
trial situation. with special refer
ence to iron and steel and cement
and other building materials It Is
well to bear IN mind that the pres
ent small consumption must 30
made in the not distant future by
a consumption very much greater
than the high point reached last
year. There is no let-up in the IN
crease in population. There Is no
material decline i'm the rate or de-
siruction which is going on of rail
road rolling stock and roadbed.
There is no decrease in the wear
and tear on wooden trestles, an
only a temporary hating in the re.
quirements OF the country which
make for the largest use Of iron
and steel ana cement and lumber.
With an increase in population o'
100000 a year, with an enormous
increase in consumptive require
ments by virtue of improved labor
saving machinery and modern
methods, the activity of 19O5-19O6
and the early part of 1907. great as
ii seemed ut the time, will soon be
but normal condition. Our regular
volume Of business, considering the
growth of the country. must in the
very near future fully equal that
of the period mentioned. while tho
abnormal or special periods OF ac-
tivity will run as far ahead Of that
as that was ahead OF eight or ten
y ars ago. Railroads must be recon
structed ami new lines built at a
cost OF many thousands of millions
of dollars. EconOmS conditions will
force this even if great deal OF
money could only be had through re-
ownership certificates. No road can
stop improvements for any great
length OF time without being bank
rupt physically, and this would soon
mean financially. If money cannot
be had through the usual channels,
it will of necessity have to be found
through the work Of receivers. for
construction and development must
go on. AS disastrous as such con-
dition would re to owners Of securi-
ties who could not hold on until the
inevitable reaction would come the
railroads mus expand and practi-
cally dauble in mileage and in equip
ment within the next ten or twelve
years; in fact, a very large amount
of it must be done within the next
hVe or six years. City growth has
only fairly begun. The great cities
OF the country, with one or two ex-
ceptions, are not much more than
overgrown villages. Municipal i'm
provements on scale never seen
in. our country must go forward.
Good roads must be built at a cost
of hundreds of millions of dollars.
and every other line of work needed
by virile, vigorous population of
S5,OOO,0OO people at present. to be
lO5. 100000 people ten years hence
and 130,000,0O0 twenty years
hence backsi by resources uequaled
elsewhere on the face Of the earth
must go forward upon such a scale
commensura. e with our natural adj
vantages and the worlds wonderful
material progress. 1t behooycs the
wide-awake, far-seeing business
man to recognize these conditions
and to prepare for this coming ac-
tivity
Now, when labor is cheap aud
abundant. when building material is
lower than It has been for some
years when iron is down in price
when machine shops can accep. and
hll orders within reasonable time
is pre-eminently the opportunity for
the far-seeing men to prepare for
the future and for the hustling man
or concern - secure business. In
this time OF guinness and low prices
when the tim.d folks are unwilling
to spend a dollar for fear prosperity
viii never return, the man of
strength and force and business
ability should be putting his factory
into shape. re-equipping it with the
best machine y. charging his plant.
in order to enable him to- produce
TO the best advantage and at the
lowest cost his is a great time.
time Of opportunity for the business
man who wants to be ready to- reap
his full. harvest OF prosperity with
The next swing OF the pendulum
from present depression to- The high
water mark of the future. Nobody
need lima zine for one moment that
fhis country WIFI not soon right d.
self Nobody need imagine that pub
Tic opinion uiIl not be- ON the side
pI property -iehts and the upbuid-
Ing forces OF the country. COMPEL
ing legislators TO join in construct
I've rather than destructive work. I'm
Tine Manufacturers Record of Janu-
arg 2 Mr. Charles S. Moore pros.-
dent of Manning Maxwell e. Moore.
.he great machinery builders and
handlers discus ing tha outlook for