The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-05-28

serves of merchantable grades of
iron ore will be exhausted in a con-
siderably shorter time.
ssThis statement is optimlst
rather than otherwise. The demand
for Lake Superior iron ore is not
going to remain stationary for the
next 20 years. Population vii! IN
crease and the per capita consump-
ton will also increase.
"When we reflect that in 1900
the white population of the world
used only five pounds of iron and
steel per person in year, and that
this consumption. has increased by
leaps and bounds-in 184U 20 %
pounds per person, in 1880 to 100
pounds per person, and in 1920 TO
200 pounds per person we can see
no justification for the belief that
the increase in demand is going to
stop. !,
"The average person when told
these facts is likely to think with
some compassion well that will be
hard on the miners of Michigan and
Minnesota But, is that all? In
IOhio 1885, persons were employ
ed in industries making iron anu
steel products from Lake hyperion
ore, and 900 millions dollars of
capital was invested in these indus
tries according to the last censas.
Over a million men, women and
children in Ohio alone are depend
ent for their livelihood on the in
dustries based on Lake superior
Iron ore.
"In the northern Mississippi Val
lley states over 1,750,000 persons
are employed in making Lake
Superior iron ore into consumabls
articles; and they and their depend
ents number well over 100000
persons. In addition to these di
rectly dependent are all the other:
who serve their wants, merchants
llaborers, transportation workers ant
all the other workers in occupation:
too numerous to mention.
"Over half of the nineteen bill
lion dollars of industrial capital IL
these states is invested in industrie:
based on iron and steel.
$50 the dry statistical statemen
THAT present merchantable grades O
Iron ore in the Lake Superior dis
lttiit will be exhausted in about q
Years becomes invested with livel.
Interest to vast group of people
sOh, well,' says the optimist
well find plenty more when that
lgone' Yes, we already know wher
there is plenty more. In Brazil an,
Cuba and Chile and Sweden ar
vast reserves of good grades o
ore. But if they must be freighte'
into the northern Mississippi Vale
for use the cost will be prohibitive
and the industries dependent o.
iron will be handicapped and eventu
ally forced to move to the Sc
board to be nearer the raw mater
, ais. If this happens it means tina
the 100000 persons, dependen
on these industries, must also move
or find their occupation gone.
"In addition to the 20 years SUI
lply of high-grade iron ore in tn
Lake Superior district, there ar
grade iron ores sufficient to las
for centuries if ways can be foun
to treat them so they can be used i
the blast furnaces. At present n
| processes for this are known tia
| can compete with the high grad
| ores now available. Herein lies tn
| reason for the states of Minnesot
and Michigan interesting themselve
in the working out of such pre-
| cesses. Minnesota has already sper
| nearly a million dollars on thi
| work, and Michigan is maxim
| plans to get busy. The other state
| Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ind
| ana and Wisconsin are more tina
mere interested spectators"