The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-27

was sold In the domestic markets of the United States. These figures are effieiai having been prepared by the statistieians Washington.
 A few days ago the annual report of the United States Steel corporation for the year 1913 was published, The total earnings and sales were of the money value ef s7se. .oooeoo, round numbers. If the testimony which has recently been given by independent manufacturers and experts In the proceedings for the disso- lutien of this corporation are accurate, the corporation does not control, on the whole, more than one-half and In some eases much less than half. of the total Iron and steel production in the United States It has been assumed by those who read the report carefully thpt If this testimony were correct, then ihe money value received by the corpora ton for Its output of Iron and steel was eer- tainly not more than one-half of the money value received in the aggregate for the entire production in the United States of this kind.
 This assumption seems to be Justified by the figures which the government stntistieans have prepared. Taking Into account the increase since 1g10 1t ls fair to presume that of the total production of Iron and steel in the year 1o1a tho United States Steel corporation made and marketed its proportionate amount. a little under one-half. A considerable pro- portion of the gross sales and earnings of this corporation came from exportation of iron and steel products.
 Whatever the exact figures which rep resent on the one hand, the money value of the Steel corporation's output aad on the other hand, that of the output of the Independent companies may be, it Is a fact, officially reported, that in the year 1910 the total money value of iron and steel products in tho United States was 2. .s77, ,00o,000. round numbers. of which the domestic market paid q. .26o, ,0oo, 900.
 A Phenomenal Review
 differences of this kind, which can be drawn from the official statement made by the Washington authorities, are, how ever, of less consequence than is an- other amazing report contained in the general statement which was made a day or two ago by the Washington authori- ties.
 It is only within two or three years that the public has begun to have good understanding of the magnitude of the increase In our expectations of iron and steel products. Twenty-Five years ago. when Abram S. Hewitt ventured to say to the authoritative body in Great Britain of iron and steel manufacturers that the time was near at hand when the United States would gain re-eminence among the nations of the world in the manufac- ture of iron and steel, he was spoken of as visionary, an American citizen who permitted his enthusiasm to affect his Judgment. Had MT. Hewitt lived a few years longer he would have seen the rec ord which proclaimed the accuracy of his prediction. He died in 1903, at time when the large combinations of capital. ability and skilled artisanship were preparing through cooperation to advance upon the markets of the world, as we'll as to stimulate production of iron and steel In the United States.
 The statistics recently published at are sufficient of themselves to inform the public of the truly marvel ous growth of the United States in this in- dustry Only 10 years ago, or just about the time the large corporations were per fected, the United States produced less pig iron than did Great Britain and Ger many together. But in 1912 this coutnry caught up with Germany and Great Brit ain, and surpassed their united produc- ton of this commodity in a single year by }, 100000 tons.
 As soon as normal business times re- turn, this production, apparently, should increase each year. Even now the United States stands pre-eminent among the na- lions of the world in the production of pig iron. Upon that foundation must rest, in the opinion of competent business men,, no small part of the future prosperity of the United States.
 Story of Our Gains
 Gratifying as are these statistics, they are not more so than the official record which tells the story of our gain in the in other lands of American made steel and iron products. Ten years ago the authorities of Great Britain re- ported the money value of the exporta- lions of iron and steel from the United Kingdom which showed that British man. lfacturers were first in that respect among the nations of the world. Official figures prepared in Germany were suf- icient to show that that nation stood second. while like authoritative statistics gave the United States third place. The money value of our exportations of iron md steel products in 1903 was s117, 1000 900,