The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-04-02
WAR SWEEPS
INDUSTRY TO
A HIGH POINT
Although But 40 Years Old,
Aluminium Supports $500
FOundries
(BY w. VI. BKACCHER)
Especial COrrcspOndcnD

Aluminium. the flower of a clay bank
has blossomcd in the rich garden Of
the worlds greatest industrial era.
Science has placed il among the big
rest, the most fruitful and most use
ful plants in that garden.
Twenty-threc pounds Of aluminium
were produced in the United States
in 1885. Eleven years later million
pounds were produced. Nov the
world uses 250.O0O.o00 pounds year.
counting the scrap that is melted
again.
Aluminium sold for ST. pound IN
the early 'sos. The discovery. III
1850, by Charles Martin Hall Of an
ELECTRICAL process for producing the
metal, smashed prices. In 1910 an
inyoi purchased BY the manufacturer
cost - cents. Today the average con
tract price i n cents.
To The High Point
The war swept aluminium to the
high point Of its romantic develop
mcnt. The metal that Louis Napoleon
a half century before had wanted as
armor for his cdiaiscrs turned out
to he mess kits for millions Of dough
boys. airplancsl and frames Of the
dirigibles that held Allied cities un
der the spell Of terror; castings for
engines, fuses, Il deoyidizcr for steel,
flares. and dust used in the manu-
facturc Of ammonia for ammunitions.
The war changed the pict are.
From being "A prosecutor of the
Aluminium Company Of America. the
government became its best customer.
One April day in 1917 came the re-
quest:
How much for 100000 pounds? ?"
II was the aluminum's company
chance to win Il powerful friend.
The chance was not passed up.
'IIow much do you think its
worth" was the answer.
Wild Market
The open market then was wild.
rAlunninum was bringing as much as
GO cents. The government paid
27ls.
A few days later the same customer
came again.
How much for 100000 pounds ?"
The answer was the same. So was
the price.
Streaming up from the fields of the
south came flood Of bauxitc. The
mighty factory on Niagara's bank
toiled overtime, but could not meet
the need. 1t was lesson for the
aluminium company. Millions are
being spent now on the Little Ten
nesscc river and in North. Carolina
that such shortage may not occur
again.
After the first few millions of
pounds, the Federal Trade Commits
sion fixed price for aluminium at
SO cents, which did not change while
the. war lasted But with the armis-
ticc, bringing peace to the world. the
old differences between the govern
mcnt and the company were renewed.
More Charges
In 1924 the Federal Trade Com
mission preferred new set Of
charges against the company, brand
ing it as monopoly. holding that
the 1912 decree against illegal prac
tices Of merchandising had been
violated. The present tanglc at
Washington, involving Il cabinet Off
Ger. two government departments,
several senator's and scores Of office
holders. resulted.
Charles Martin Hall. the man
whose discovery made possible the
commercial manufacture Of alumni
mum on wide scale. did not live to
see the greatest fruits of his work
He died in 1914. and left his old
school, Obcrlin College, an cndow-
ment in the form Of shares now esti-
mated to be worth $lO,OOO,OOO Dur
ing the war this stock might have
been disposed Of for about twice that
much.
Aluminium is still commercial
baby. Though but forty years old.
the industry supports $500 foundrics
in the United States.
The last chapter in the romantic
story Of the metal has not been writ
ten. But, some day another chemist
like Hall may discover a way to take
aluminium frsm common clay Then
the story will be complete.