The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1914-12-12
INDUSTRIAL
OPPORTUNITIES,
Extracts from address by
Geo. Otis Smith, Director,
United States Geological
Survey, before American
Institute Chemical Engi-
neers, Philadelphia, Pa. ~ ~


Institute Chemical /. Engi-
neers, Philadelphia, Pa. NJ =.
Four constituents enter into the
reaction that we term industry.
Two Of these, brain and Drawn,
are organic compounds and two
are perhaps to be regarded al in
organic money and material.
None of these compOnents il want.
lnR here In the United States and
in fact their abundance affords
the best reason for M optimistic
outlook upon the present indus.
trial situation. or these four con
stituents, labor and capital and
brains are sll more easily trans
ported generally than the crude
| materials upon large tonnages of
| hitch the industry must depend
Thus, cheap coal attracts manu-
facturers just - cheap land at
tracts farmers
With distribution OF raw mate
rial is linked the influence of mar
kets upon the location Of indus
try. The development Of trans
portstion systems makes the prob
lem Of markets . most complex
one. The industrial independence
Of the small community Of q cen.
fury ago has given way to the sys
TEN under which your dinner ia.
HE may represent the tribute
from several continents. Even In
q country so diversified Is ours In
it's natural bounties domestic pro.
duction OF every thing consumed IL
not desirable nor profitable. Elk.
change Of commodities with for.
eien countries becomes necessary
40 II follows that industrial IDd-.
pendence Il the goal toward which
a nation should face, hut not 9
goal which it should have either
the intention or desire to attain.
To increase industrial prospect
ty this country needs to expor,
finished rather than crude pro
ducts and to import raw materials
rather than manufactures. IT is
the product OF American labor
rather than the bounty Of our IA
tursl resources that preferably
should 60 into the worlds mar
kots. Az the engineers Of Ameri-
ca study this matter Of expansion
Of manufacturing, it becomes owl
dent that the distribution Of raw
material and Of power is the key
to industrial opportunities.
Petroleum and nstusal gas In
their distribution in some degree
sapplemt ut coal. Tbus, the larg-
est oil Ae.d both In present pro
dnctiOn and probable reserve IL IN
California, Q State with only neg.
lixi5le coal resources Taken
together, these mineral fuels con
stitute q national asset compare.
BILE with the soil resources of this
country, but the larger part Of rhe
value OF the natural gas, petrole,
nm. and coal to the nation il in
their relation to manufactures.
The wide distribution of ores of
the principal metals sufficiently
rich and extensive to be mined in
large quantities means that the
metsllurgical industry 10 impor-
tant on both the Pacific and the
Atlantic seaboard, 10 most Of the
Rocky Mountain States "A we'll a.
In several OF the Middle States
Even In the two metals which at
once suggest to ne Capitalization
copper and steel-there IL wide.
spread production. In the min.
ing Of copper last year % States
contributed, and no less than %
States furnished iron ores to the
furnaces Of the country.
The raw material resources Of
this countrg ere 90 widely distri.
buted that industry has been de-
veloping At this rapid pace at
many points. The tendency is
away from geographic centraliza.
ton OF industry rather than to.
ward 1t. A few opportunities for
expansion need only to be sug
gested: the south with ito happy
combination OF coal and iron ore
in the same districta makes pig
iron production possible ct mini.
mum cost the West with its ny.
dro-electric possibilities available
as Q source OF relatively cheap
power for chemical and metallur.
gtcsl industries: the Rocky Noun.
tain region With It's vast nuutiliz.
ed sources Of suIphuric acid and
equally great unnliued stores Of
phosphate rock.
The ingredients necessary for
producing prosperity appear ct
hand. The new financial system
already promises moro mobile
credits. A more sympathetic At
titude Of the public toward big in.
ddstrisl operations 10 Indicated.
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