The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-14

,sise the demand ten-foid if not more :: While the stock of copper In the ground has not been estimated tmlners and vpeHrstors pnH deeming the supply uniim-
 thought iron inexhaustibiel. unless the
 quantity exceeds the indications. 1t
 clearly can not long withstand the de.
 reduction S" iS pree Tosid uniess D1w is n does so tne use of copper can not seriously check the drain upon our iron resources.
 Zine. lead. silver and other ores
 ton is steadily increasing. Neitner the original supplies nor the time they win
 last have been estimated; it Is known
 another has been worked out. or the
 depths of the workings so increased as
 to raise the cost to pronibitive figure and compel aoandonment The current and avoidabio waste in mining ad re-
 ducing these and the copper ores is estimated by experts to average 30 per
 -As. iron and coal are the basis of ind0strial values, so gold is the basis of commercial values. Though there Is enough gold-bearing mineral try powerful influence in maintaining parity of gold. the aggregate supply has not been estimated -inueed 1t cam not be. since nearly all rocks and earths various quantities, so that production Is controlled wholly by the market price. Our production Is large and steadily increasing: though the in that of such staples as corn, cotton. wheat, sugar. iron. coal, copper, silver. lead and zinc. Doubtless the dura- ,ion uoon of tns sSppy will dgsnd soss ss waste in mining and reduction has al- ways been large, ranging from twen- y-five per cent to fifty per cent-indeed 1t is not uncommon for later miners 10 fhnir hest from wnFk- ing the tailings left by their prede- cessors.
 Production -outstrips Population.
 :In view of the sobering facts pre- sented. the thoughtful man is forced to realize first that our production and consumption of minerals are in- creasing much more rapidly than our population; and second, that our meth ods are so faulty and extravagant that the average waste Is very great, and in coal almost as great as the amount in the mines Is feature that can no longer be overlooked. Nor can we fail to realize that the most useful miner als will shortly become scarce and may soon reach pronibitive cost unless steps to lessen waste are taken in the interest of the future.
 T have for many years been i'm pressed with the steady depletion. or our learn, that our once supposed ample supply of rich ores can hardly outiast the generation now appearing, ieavfnk only the leaner ores for the later years a practical man accustomed to dealing with those material factors on which our national prosperity Is based. that ft row is f1lly ase concur in the opinion o the President that the state of our re. sources raises one of the most serious issues now before the American peo- pie. and hope that this national meet fnR will lead t0 wiRe action.
 We are nationally In the position or a large family receiving a rich patri-
 nony from thrifty parents deceased In. testate; the President may be likeneo to the eldest son and the Governors to younger brothers. jointly responsible for the minors; the experts assembled may be ,likened to the family solicitors to take stock of It's patrimony: the next to manage the assets in such q manner that none shall be wasted. that living and their descendante. Now we have just begun to take stock Of our national patrimony; and 1t Is with th" deepest sense of responsibility tni- meetings. to the nation and to coming generations of all times, that I speak as one of the junior solicitors. In my opinion. We should watch closely all the assets and begin both to save ana to use them more wisely.
 Must Lessen Demand.
 Let us begin with Iron: We must Tn all possible ways lesen the demands least adequately provided. One of the chief uses of this metal Is connected with transportation, mainly by rail. rail requires an s0-ton locomotive ana twanty-five 20-ton steel cars leach nf 40-ton capacitY), or $50 tons or iron and steel with an average or say ten miles of double track (with so-pound raiIs). or 317 tons additional; so that including switches, frogs, f1sh. h.platea. spikes. and other incidentals. the car. rlage requires the use of an equal be moved. by water by means of 100 to 250 tons of metal, so that the substi- tuition of water-carrfaBs for rail-car. iron by three-fourths to seven-eighths in this department. At the same time the consumption. of, coal for motive power would be reduced fifty per cent responding reduction in the coal re" quired for smelting, No single step open to us today would do more 10 check the drain on iron and coal than the substitution of water-carriage for rail carriage wherever practicable, ana the caeful adjustment of the one 70 the other throughout the country. q. Tns 9HSs sssst ssspeeias of of Sudnss and bridges. Fortunately. the use oI concrete. simple and reinforced IS aI ready reducing the 1so consImp,siIon lnn,ar,sIs ,Sr cement and concrete abound in every part of the country; and while the arts of making and using them are still n their infancy. the products promise 10 become superior to steel and stone m strength. durability, convenience. ana econonly of use. The cement industry is growing rapidly, largely in connec- ton with the making of iron and steer, so that the substitution of the new ma teriaf will not involve abandonment oI plants or loss of invested capital The hitherto useless slag hills. Of wnlch ma ces. are now being made directly m to cement and yielding high pronts. It has become a by-product the extra cost scarcely more than the former cost of piiing the slag away.
 "A large current use of steel or tne highest quality is for battleships, ord- nance projectiles and small arms Happily there are signs of an awaken ing of the public conscience and Of the sense of national righteousness. where by civilized nations must be led 10 adopt those moral standards which al- ready regulate individual conduct; the world is soon to learn that war is not only too disgracefully tnhuman put too wastefuI to be tolerated, and tnis serious drain upon our iron ores Will
 "A promising mode of reducing iron Is open through the de- velopment of iron alloys. The making of steel was first an accident, and long a secret art and mystery: 1t was not un- til after the Republic was founded that steel was recognized as an alloy of iron and carbon, and 1t was only within the memory of men now present that