The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-20
|V|AKERSF |NDNVG.
new Use FOR
NICKEL
industry Losing Primary Out
let As Disarmament Plans
Take Shape!
Bv MERRYLE STANLEY

Il, RUKETSER.
tcopyrtsht. 1923: By ..,. cosmoDolitan News
NEW YORK. March 2O.-Goou
business management involves g ca
pHcity for conforming 20 chanelne
conditions, instead Of q futile deter-
minatiOn to resist the tides or time.
when the rnotor.driveTl vehicle be-
gan to displace the horse and wagon
the StudebalSer people, tor example,
had the good sense to begin TO make.
automobiles. Eventually they dis
continued the Manufacture OF
wagons. And, today, instead Of be-
ing ruined by the advent OF the
motor car, the Studebaker concern,
having developed with the country,
il at the summit of its career.
Disarmament, even the modified
form which grew out OF the Wash
ington conference, came as an al
verse blow to the various industries
which thriyed on processes essential
to war making. Specifically, the
nickel producing industry lost a pri-
mary outlet for its product, for
nickel is an important element IN
armor plate.
seeking New Uses.
Instead Of submitting and being
satisfied with smaller place in the
sun, the International Nickel Com
pafly, under the leadership OF Will
lam +. Graham, It's president, Is bent
on turning q liability into an asset.
In place Of.arYnor plate, the research
division OF the company is seeking
new uses IN the arts of peace for
nickel, and its officers bellows that
the company il on the verge OF
opening up significant new markets
for itself and the whole industry.
h One of the senior officers told me,
The new peace-time uses Of nickel
constitute the most favorable deyel-
look forward to"
Among the new uses is the
greater utilization of nickel instead
Of other metals as an alloy in the
manufacture Of steel and also the
making OF miscellaneous nickel
ware, including pots and pans. The
main outlet Of the international
Nickel Company, the largest factor
in the industry, and it's competitors
h now the steel companies, whose
present activity reflects the busy
state, Of general trade throughout
the country.
The unprecedented productivity Of
the automotive industry has wide,
qualifications. All the trades which
contribute raw materials and parts
are indirectly benefited, and the
nickel industry has already felt the
stimulus.
Now Looking Up.
Like the affiliated copper indus
try, the nickel trade had been ex-
ceedingly depressed for q number OF
H~sSA AHaexi ~
shown gradual Improvement. Dur
ing the last three months the Inter
national Nickel Company has made
the most marked strides toward
recovery. I learned yesterday that
the company's mine in the Sudbury
district of Ontario, which was re-
opened last September after pro-
tracted period Of idleness. Is now
operating up to- so per cent of
capacity, and that the smelling
plants are running UP to 75 per.
cent Of capacity. The officials OF
the company expect very satisfac-
tory trade for the remainder of the
year, at least.
Possibilities Look Good.
The common stock pays no divi-
dends and none has been paid since
1919. No plans for g resumption
are known. but obviously the pos
sibility hinges, first. on general bust
ness conditions in the industry. which
are fast improving, and secondly on
the success of the present efforts
to find out new uses for nickel and
convert the conclusions of the labora-
tory workers into the convictions OF
business men.
The company recently opened a
monel metal plant at Huntington,
w. Va, and the officials feel that
success of the new unit came more
quickly than expected. Monel metal
contains 81 per cent nickel, % per
cent copper and 5 per cent other
metals. 1t represents the ore as
taken from the ground without cop
per extracted. In making nickel,
the company separates the copper.
1t is thus an involuntary producer
of copper, and has shared in the re.
cent improvement in the demand for
the red metal.