The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-30
IRON AND STEEL
BUSINESS PULSE
Outlook for Export Trade in
These Metals This Year
Is of Best.
AUTHORITY ON SUBJECT
Is EDITOR OF IRON AGE
Interesting Interview on Topic
in Which Manufacturers Are
Directly Interested.
BY PRESTON G. ADAMS.
.eascd Wire TO The Tribune.

BY PRESTON G. ADAMS.
BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.
NEW YORK, Jan. 29.-Charlcs Kirch-
hon, for twenty years editor In chief Of
the Iron Age, one OF the highest au-
thoritIes In the country on iron and
steel. friend and adviser OF Andrew Car
negic and Charles NJ. Schwab. on the eve
az his departure on a round the world
tour 10 investigate the advances made In
The iron and steel business abroad since
1903, when he was last In Europe. gave
n very interesting interview on the out
look for the export trade in iron and
steel Mr.. Kirchhof said:
There are great prospects for export
trade directly before American manufac-
turcrs. Our production Is now 80 great
and is advancing rapidly that We must
seek foreign fields for Il steady. legItl-
mate outlet for our products. say le-
gltlmatc, having in mind the much over
estimated dumping we hear go much
about. AS "A matter OF fact, very littlc OF
this has actually been done in recent
acceptance of the term. Wherever man
ufacturcrs do export surplus product a.
sacrifice. with n View OF making Il up
from their domestic sales. they sce the
True. II is wise sometimes to sell in
certain markets at prices lower than
what YOU arc able TO command ~ home.
But that Is done because OF conditions
gauge business TO meet the competition
and establish yourself in that particular
market as long as you can do the busi-
ness at a profit. Big volume OF business
reduces costs all along the line and II
a manufacturer can bring up his vol
ume by seeking foreign markets he rc-
duccs costs on what he sells at homo as
well even though AT present a protec-
tive tgriH may enable him 10 command
higher prices at home. he is reducing
his costs against the day when he might
..,.Nn 81 Ion, q
home.
Natural Resources of America.
Taking a broad view OF the subject,
first OF all tho United states has the
natural resources; IL has the orga gaulzation
and ability TO produce on large scale
and work in big units: IL has people OF
energy and a favorable climate In
spite OF these. however, generally speak
Ing, costs in this country arc high. and
therein lies our only menace. our high
costs must be cut down. Much Is be-
ing done In this direction, but the rem
Cdy must be far moro sweeping before
we arc on an equal footing with Euro
pcan nations for the trade of the world.
"Our great organizations are leading
in accomplishing this. Take the case OF
tho United States steel corporation. This
company Is rapidly attaining a basis of
meeting world wide competition. because
IL is able 10 bring costs OF production
down 10 the very minimum. steel plant
10 be run economically mwst b, run tu!l
United states Steel corpora ton. when
business fell of. all the plants had 10
run on partial capacity. and as result
none operated economically. Now WHOM
orders fan on entire plants can he shut
down. and what production is going on
may be done economically. because II Is
concentrated in certain plants which are
rum fun blast. More than that, the DIFF
icrcnt mills have different values as
economical producers. and the least
economical ones may be shut down first.
Reaching Across the Sea.
To still further reduce costs by in
CrCasing volume, tho United States Steel
corporation Is making rapid progress IN
reaching out into foreign markets. Dl
rect representations are established lust
as soon as any locality looks promising
and the work is conducted I'm an intel
ligent manner. AS "A rule, the repVcScn-
tatlvc is n native OF the country which
Is being opened up, rather than an Amer
lean. All correspondence is conducted In
the Language OF the country and the
requirements Of the country are studied
and complied with in the matter of
product
1T is making substantial headway IN
South America. In fact, there IS every
indication of wonderful opportunity
through Pan America. Powerful .imcu
can financial interests are Interesting
themselves there. and n large increase
in trade with the United States is sure
to result. The government railroads, FOR
instance, ar" looking this way with their
orders. Some months since a ran order
FOR 100000 tons came 10 United States
makers from Brazil. Builders OF machine
tools and makers OF railway supplies gen
orally In the United States ought to
follow this up and get their share Of the
business that must accompany railway
construction and maintenance. Argcn-
tlnn Is, OF course, q great consumer. and
with intelligent effort ON the part of
American manufacturers, should prove "A
good outlet for American products This
rule IN fact applies 20 all South America
and other parts OF the world as we'll
Center Shifting Westward.
Speaking IN general way again thc
desire Tor economical production makes
u necessary FOR entire plants OF immense
magnitude 10 work on one particular line
of product Obviously. no one locality
OF country can consume that entire pro
duction. and hence u is necessary To
seek the brondcsi possible field. In tho
domestic demand is shifting westward
This Is being taken care Of by the cs-
[ tahlishm"ni ot the great plants in our
central west Copscqu"ntly, the eastern
mills. being relieved "r q portion Of their
burden of producing for domestic require
ments, arc able to give considerable ca
since tn" completion of the great Gary
plant the Edgar Thomson plant has been
an overflow mill. The Tennessee Coal
and Iron plant has exceptional export
possibilities. and that great plant OF the
steel corporation has had assigned 10 II,
n considcrahl" tonnag" for BrAZil and
South America. In this connection IL is
! interesting TO note that an Immense wire
mill is TO lac built in Alabama BY the
United states steel corporation. which is
American Engineers Best.
The Maryland Stccl company. AZ Spar
row Point. Md, with It's tide wa ter plant is
also In an excellent position for export
business. IT Is enabled To use foreign
ores and pig iron. getting the hencfl Of
| the drawback clause nf our tariff Tho
! PcuCoyd plant OF thc American Bridge
company Is also adVnntnceOusly locn ed
! for export trade and has hccn doing IL
for long time. The Laclawanna Steel
company ships. not only 10 Canada. bu,
down the Eric canal aud thence to for
cign ports from New York. Speaking of
| tho structural plants reminds me OF a
! worry though In some cNtcut
amusing Development la our steel indus
try related tu export business. Not very
| long ago foreign BUYERS insisted upon our