The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-01-18
MANUFACTURING
new POSSIBILITY
SURVEY SHOWS MONTANA TO BE
PROMISING FIELD FOR SEW
ERAL NEW INDUSTRIES
Iron and Steel Mills and Paper Manu-
factories Are Among the Potential
tiles; Success of the Copper Rod
and Wire Mandatory.

combined with the vast fuel and
power resources and "the growing
importance of the western and
oriental markets." in the belief OF
the state department of agricul-
.ture. The views of the state de-
partment are expressed in an opti-
mistic review which is soon to be
issued by the division of publicity.
The booklet is in effect survey
of the states industrial resources,
present and potential, and G. ID.
Greenfield, Jr., is the author.
According to experts" the review
states, 1.-The prairie Ignite of eastern
Montana, if made into producer gas
and then the energy be changed into
electricity is equal in energy value at
$500 a ton to Pittsburg bituminous
coal at 5000 ton.
Growth May Be Slow
"The emergence of industry in
Montana from the extractive to the
manufacturing stage, however, will
not be a sudden transition but slow
growth along two lines. One will be
a more complete fabrication for sale
in western and oriental markets OF
the raw materials now produced in
large quantity. The other will be a
development of industries, utilizing
resources of Montana, that in the be-
ginning at least will primarily manu-
facture tools and appliances required
by the extractive and other industries
already established. The copper rod
and wire mill at Great Falls is an in
stance of the industrial transition
along the first line; the manufacture
of some mining machinery, such as
hoists and ore cars in the mining dis
tricts, and the assembling and par
tial fabrication of oil drilling equip
ment by machine shops in the oil dis
tricts, are instances of the second
line of development to be anticipated.
In other words the development will
be in accord with the axiom that near
ness to market is the most important
of location considerations to the larg
est number of manufacturing enter
prises.
"There are some real opportunities
for new manufacturing plants in
Montana to supply the needs of the
present available markets. Locking
at the matter from the angle of the
needs of extractive industries already
established and the possibility of fill
ing these needs with products made
out of Montana resources, the predic-
tion would appear justified that the
next step forward in this state will
be the establishment of iron and
steel mills and then of paper mills.
1.-THE coal, metal mines and smell
ters use large quantities of iron and |
steel products. The northwestern oil
fields are big users of pipe and steel |
tanks. The building and other mis-
industries are users of iron
and steel products. The farms of
the northwest require barbed and |
woven wire fencing. Establishment |
of iron and steel works in the state
would make possible the establish
ment of many specialized plants serv-
ing markets now available for such
products as gas engines for farm use,
wind mills, pumps, certain kinds of
farm machinery, tin cans for the
and intermountain can
neries, and large variety of present
metal goods-buckets, cups, dishes,
and novelty goods, hardware of va
rious sorts and speciality goods.
First Step Pointed Out
at is likely that the first step look
ng to an iron and steel industry in ]
Montana will be plant doing ma
,hine work and making steel castings
from scrap steel in an electric fur :
lace. Scrap iron from the agricul- ]
.ural and mining regions is compare
lively abundant and is of the high
est grade for reworking. There is {
no plant in the northwest utilizing t
the scrap, although the market is
large for steel castings. 1t is assert /
ed that the differential in transporta- {
ton costs in favor of such a home Y
plant would insure its success against :
present holders of the market. In ]
California there are over so such {
q
cat present such castings must i
come from either Minneapolis or Salt /
Lake. The demand for such a plant y
of steel castings for mining e
and smelling machinery, railroad i
equipment, oil field equipment and S
many small repair parts for tractors I
and farm machinery. h
ga plant turning out metals of S
which large quantities are used by ex- h
,ractive industries already establish c
ed in the northwest, would logically t
seem to follow, especially in view of a
he fact that Montana is one of the G
largest producers of the metals in d
such alloys. q
1.-THE first essential in any contem- t
plated Industrial program will be de-
allied and comprehensive survey of '
he raw and process resources of v
Montana, not alone of their location, ]
tut of their properties, chemical and c
physical, and also of their quanti-
les. n
''Missoula is the first and, so far
IS known, the only community in the