The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-24
The Story of Employees

II there were great depression in the business lie or the country in 1913 thai would be demonstrated by the enforced ioieness of large numbers of artisans. Ii business were fairly good these artisans would be kept in employment and the number of them would be increased as compared with earlier years. s,rhe cor. pofauon s' report of the number of em. ployes Tn the year 1913 was 22S. .906. where as in the next preceding year the tota Of employees was 221, ,O0O Here then is an increase of employees of about 5000 in 1911 as compared with 1912. Furthermore. "the corporation" paid for salaries and wages s2Vh2O6,ooo round numbers, in 1913. as compared with $S9 351, 900 in 1912 More over, the average salary or wage for em- pioyes last year. including the general administrative and selling force, was s2. .92 as compared with $2.75 in 1912.
 Ihese statistics contain no other mean Ing than that the business of ''the cor porat1on' last year was greater than wa the case in the year next preceding. But II this be true of the corporatiop., if should be true to certain extent of the ron and steel industry of the United otates. The impression in this city is that these statistics do, as far as they go. reIiect business conditions in this industry winch were better in 1913 than in 1912. The Business Done
 A like impression is gained by reading the statistics which report the money value of the business done during the year. In dollars and cents the total of gross sales and earnings was $796, ,OO0, ,S94 round numbers, whereas in the preceding year the total was $745, ,505 900. Here then is an increase in the business done represented by the sales and earnings in the year 1913 as compared with 1912 of
 
 taken by themselves, may not be accepted as reflecting great increase in general business throughout the United States in 1913 as compared with 1912. Yet they do show increase, considerable increase. The gain was a gratifying one and unless some unforeseen business conditions arise it should be continued through the year 1914
 The Export Business
 One of the striking phenomena of the commercial expansion of the United States within the past 10 years is the increase
 in the exportation of manufactured com modities. This has been so great that now the United States exports manufac- tured products of a larger money value than that of it's export of foodstuffs and of cotton. To this increase in exporta- ton of manufactured commodities ''the corporation" has contributed greatly, In fact, the increase in exportation of iron and steel commodities was first observed year or two after the organization of this corporation. In 1912 "the corpor- tion' exported manufactured commodities aggregating 2,2s0.000 tons.f round numbers. whereas in 1913 the exportation of this kind was 1.s13,00o. or decrease of about 46I, GOO tons.
 A superficial reading of these figures would lead to the impression that 1912 was perhaps the year of the high water mark of the exportation of iron and steel products, high mark perhaps not again to be reached for some years But there were especial reasons for this falling of not attributable to any lack of energy on the part of "the corporation" in main. tainfng foreign markets already obtained There was heavy money stringency in al- most all of the foreign markets and that compelled a falling off in the demand for commodities of all kinds. These were conditions which were created elsewhere than in the United States. They were reflected in the export trade of other countries than the United States. The falling off in exportations to Mexico needs of course, no explanation. Another reason for this decrease in the shipments of iron and steel commodities to other lands Is found in the inability of mills to furnish sufficient material for exports between the first of January and the first of July last