The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-09
BIRMINGHAM STEEL MEETING

From the Iron Age.
 The meeting of iron and steel manu-
 facturers at Birmingham had a rare in-
 terest and significance. It was the first time the natural resources of that district and the extensive equipment for their con-
 version into pig iron and steel had come under the inspection of northern leaders in the industry since millions from the earnings of northern works had been used to give Birmingham an assured po-
 sition among the steel centers of the coun- try. Another unique feature was that the corporation which without dissent was credited with putting Birmingham where
 she is today in the steel trade. was at the time of the meeting under lombard
 ment of government attorneys as an ,il-
 legal institution which should be de- stroyed.
 Yet another outstanding feature of the
 meeting was the address of President
 Gary. who in givkss the struggle for com | mercial supremacy xo the main cause of the European war, urged that the prin- ciple of conciliation and cooperation for which the American Iron and Steel insti- tute stands should never be abandoned. The sentiment was warmly applauded by the convention, as was the assertion that steel masters can faithfully represent their stockholders and engage in the keen- est competition without doing anything destructive, oppressive or unfair. Evi-
 dently Judge Gary regards the federal l trade commission as an instrument for the furtherance of proper cooperation, rather than for restoring the .'old-tme competition" which has been aimed at | in the campaign against big busi- l ness. Such. at least, is the inference from his reference to legislation pro- viding for commission to make effective what the steel men have cultivated in ! the past seven years.
 | The Birmingham meeting did good ser
 vice in linking up the Alabama steel indus try of today with the period of pioneer ing in which so many hopes were raised
 and so few were realized. The excellent
 historical papers brought out distinctly
 the period of beginnings, in which the
 prospector and promoter figured largely;
 the period of transition in which the
 weakness of the southern situation was
 borne in upon investors, but with it a | ioiS ploiiiSc ol uitiltidlc SuSCtsos dH0 finally the period of permanence, in which 1 vast sums have been spent to get ready for rrofits making some approach to re-
 suits in the north In the old days capi-
 tai had been drawn into Alabama by the 1 lure of cheap raw materials. Juxtaposi- l ton of ore, coal and Aux, so close that i standing on a blast furnace top one could send successive rifle balls into an iron mine, coal mine and limestone quarrY-
 was the first and the last word of the
 promoter. It took time to learn that an- other juxtaposition was very necessary | a juxta position of consuming territory; 1 also that economies in practice. manage ment and organization had been very un- i wisely omitted from the early reckcn- ings. By train of events never dreamed | of by the men of vision and venture, l whose courage laid the foundations of iron making in Alabama. there came in due time the needed millions. the manage
 ment, the better practice and the organ- ixation, and today hopes long deferred are well on the way to fulfillment. The Iron and steel institute meeting was a fine revelation to northern steel masters of what a strong corporation has wrought from that which it found at Birmingham and the other indispensable things which
 1t brought in its own hands.