Knowing your subject before writing helps. Having worked with O’Neal Ind. a steel co. for seven years – a company currently the largest steel supplier in the U. S. with affiliates in several foreign countries.

Why did financiers like Andrew Dale Carnegie, John Pierpoint Morgan and John D. Rockefeller lavishly invest in steel mills, railroads, shipbuilding and coal production. Why – a market existed in America. Steel production was vast – while today a pundit reported this week 130,000 steel plant workers is sufficient to furnish that amount of steel and Aluminum where we remain competitive with foreign imports.Consider logistics, our nearest market offshore is 3000 miles distant, (freight becomes a deterrent to sales.) We are outproduced incredibly by world markets.

I trust that Pres. Trump has sought council with U. S. Manufacturers who I believe have advised him against import tariffs. Removing competitive world pricing on Steel and Aluminum imports – will result in higher manufacturing cost and ultimately increased consumers cost for all Americans.

Our significant steel industry fell prey to two world wars. American as we are we felt duty bound to replace steel mills in each war zone. Replacing the mills in Japan with fully integrated modern mills, capable of handling basic iron ore, which Japan purchased from Argentina exclusively. The furnaces had a capacity of 300 tons of iron ore, connected to continuous casting directly from each pot. (Bethelem Steel would not fully commit in the 1970’s to continuous casting)

Will our Democratic Republic recognize mass markets in time to save our destiny, as we depart the “Industrial Age” and enter the “Marketing Age.”

— Tom Rogers

Moultrie