The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-03-28
Steel PRODUCTION
PASSES ALL RECORDS

WASHINGTON, March 28.-Tne
average of this country'S steel pro-
duction for February, if constant
throughout the year, will mean a to-
tai for 1928 of 44,O00,O 900 tons. The
average for January would have
meant 4S,500, 900 tons, and the esti-
mate for March, if correct and con
slant, will mean a 5000 900 ton rate.
In short, all previous records in steel
production are going by the board,
and as sings steel, so sings the ma
ton.
Looking back over a period of ten
years and studying the censu reports
dealing with blast furnaces, steel
works, rolling mills, FORCES and
bloomeries, it will be found rnat our
ing the four years under the Payne
tariff law, 1908, there was a
fairly steady increase in production
from 26,O0O,000 to 100000 long
tons. In 1914, Notwithstanding the
advantages ~accruing to this industry
by five months of war orders from
Europe, production for the year fell
off nearly 10 per cent compared with
the previous year. The setback,
January to August, was not evened up
by the stimulus of the remainder or
that year
During the war years, from 1915 TO
1918, inclusive, production averaged
Al 600 1000 long tons. lie reached the
peak in 1920 with $4,000, 900 tons. In
that year Germany was out of world
competition, Great Britain was har-
assed with labor troubles and there
was a large demand abroad for our
building and ship construction ma
teriall. Our exports of iron and
steel manufactures that year totaled
$1,113,000, 900, but already consider
able foreign competition was in evil
dence here.
In 1921 steel production fell off to
2O,OOO,OOO tons, the lowest since 1908,
and it was not until late in the fol
lowing year that it began to pick uI
again, the Republican tariff law go.
ing into effect September %. 1t is
fairly certain that 1923 will be a ban.
Steel a hardly be mentioned with.
out reference to its sire, pig iron
Here again it will be found that there
was a slump in production immediate
ly following the passage of the Demo
cratic tariff law of October 8, 1913
During that year the industry haC
worked up to $1,000, 900 tons. II
1914 it fell to 2~3,O0O,O00. The larg
est war time production was SO 1000,
600. In 1920 it was $1,000, 900, and Il
1921 it fell off to $685. 900 tons
According to recent reports the pro
duction of pig iron has just crosses
the 10000 900 ton line, which mean
that it is being produced at & create
rate than was ever maintained dur
ing the war.
: And, of course, steel's grandson
was correspondingly affected. In III
we produced $4,000 900 tons of iro.
ore, the following year it fell off t
100000 tons; the war came alon
and boosted it to 75,000,000 in 191
, and 1917; it held at 5000, 900 1
: 1872. slumped badly in 1921; picked u
j toward the latter part of 1922; an
now the mines are experiencing trou
!. bic in getting enough operatives.
We have about 100000 operatives j
1 IRON mining; about 100000 in COS
mining; and the iron and steel indu:
: try as a whole employs probably I
Y 100000. The principal difficulty e,
: perienced by the steel industry toda
is lack of labor and the uncerralnt
of sufficient fuel. Otherwise, it
S giving expert evidence of the retur
a OF prosperity and the stabilizing il
o fluence of the protective tariff nol;c