What is wrong with the British iron and steel industry?

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1868556093

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-249484

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: What is wrong with the British iron and steel industry?

Place of publication:: [London

Publisher:: The London Caledonian Press]

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: 23 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

co-operation and endeavour to secure the greatest common good of the industry and its rightful position in the national economic Life. The question is one of supreme importance to the work- people. Directly, they have more at stake than any other interest involved. In a major degree the many thousands of workpeople’ with the acquired skill and experience of the best part of a lifetime of service to the industry have thus invested therein the asset upon the use of which de- pends their economic conditions and their ability to carry aut their obligations to their homes and to society as self- respecting citizens, and they cannot be oblivious to a situation the consequences of which so vitally concern them. There have been many views expressed and reasons given for the problems of the British iron and steel in- lustry, and various remedies proposed for their solution. An examination of cause and remedy in relation to each other is necessary in order to arrive at any well-considered 2onclusions. We were the pioneers in iron and steel production, and up to the latter part of the past century this country held premier position in that respect. Moreover, it was largely the discoveries of our research workers and the genius of our inventors which made possible the enormous develop- ment of the metallurgical industries, while the experience of British skilled workmen, engineers and organisers was used to enable other countries, previously our customers, now our competitors, to establish the industry within their borders ‘and to utilise for their own needs their hitherto undeveloped resources. These countries, how- ever, had no old traditions and methods to shake off, and by the end of the century they had so developed their in- dustries, particularly the United States and Germany, that with a world production of steel of over 271 million tons, the United States produced nearly 10} million tons, Germany 5% million tons, while Great Britain came third with nearlv 5 million tons. During the first twelve years of the present century British production remained practically stationary, but in 1913, the year before the War, we attained our record production of raw steel of 7,660,000 tons. By this time, however, the United States had reached 81.300.000 tons and Germany 17.320.000 tons. While the progress of other iron and steel producing countries was inevitable, the rate of that progress as com- pared with this country was undoubtgdly due to their greater readiness to adapt themselves to new developments and new needs, their greater sense of the value of organi- sation, and their recognition of the importance of their home market as a basis of industrial policy. ( =~

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: What is wrong with the British iron and steel industry?

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation