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the ways in which production has changed within the
United States during the past hundred years. Overall
levels of output by categories can be compared over
that period to establish relative changes in the quantity
and types of production that occurred.
Having established the changing nature of
production over time, we shall then examine metals needs
relative to production with particular attention paid to
the demand for new metals inputs and for ores.
Next comes the problem of finding the sources
from which metals have been drawn, either domestic or
foreign.
The final problem is one of relating increases
in production and produced wealth, through the resulting
increases in the demand for metals to the available
supply of metals. A meaningful statement then can be
made concerning the role of abundant resources in
allowing the people of the United States to enjoy vast
increases in income and to accumulate great quantities
of produced wealth. That relationship and a look at
the current situation might yield a hint for the future.