THE GROWTH OF THE KRUPP WORKS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9643, 19 January 1903, Page 3

THE GROWTH OF THE KRUPP WORKS.

lliu famous Ivrupp works at Esse.ii, m Germany, established m the early years of lust century, have giwil from smaU beginnings until they are now, it is believed, the greatest industrial enterprise m the world m the hands of si private The reputation of Krupp, which now fills the world, is said to have been originally founded by a block of steel which the firm showed at the London Exhibition of 1851. It was the rapid growth of Prussia, into a military Power of the first rank, however, followed by the unification of Germany and the consequent creation of the vast German army, wliich gave the firm its. great opportunity, and ultimately its almost unexampled prosperity, as Uie manufacturers of artillery and ammunition. Other Powers, not only m Europe, but eventually m Asia and on the American continent, followed tlie Gemittn example m their attempts to perfect their armaments, and Krupp received a great part of their orders. The business representation of the great firm was extended throughout the world, and assumed the dimensions of the diplomatic service of a. Government. Meanwhile the town of Essen developed and expanded with the fortunes •of the firm, and its population rose during the last 50 years from 10,000 to 100,000. The cottage m which the original founder of the firm lived is still preserved; but Alfred Krupp, his immediate successor, erected a number of villas close to the works, and himself lived m one of them, surrounded by the residences of his managers. He ultimately acquired an estate near Essem, on which he built the palatial Villa Hugel, where his son has so often entertained Emperors and Kings. The extension of the undertakings of the Krupp firm was not confined to Essen. There was also the artillery range at MepixMi, acquired by the firm for the 2'urpose, of testing new constructions m the sphere of gunnery; there, were the steel works at Buckau, near Magdeburg, employing 3500 workmen, and latterly there were the German ia. dockyards at Kiel, purchased and vastly extended by Krupp m order to cope with the demands for new constructions and repairs entailed by Germany's adoption of a great naval programme. It is now estimated that the firm employs 46,000 men. who. with their dependants, reach a grand total of 100,000 persons. The number of jtuns produced at Essen up to April 1, 1901, was 39,006. The smelting and smithy furnaces were at that date 1600 m number ; there were 4500 machines, 132 steam hammers, 30 hydraulic presses, 316 stationary steam boilers, 497 steam engines with ia total of 41,213 horse-power, 197 electro-motors, and 558 cranes. As the statistics of the i income tax m Prussian are published m a form which enables the incomes returned by the wealthiest citizens m most communities to be exactly estimated, the newspapers were able to state a year or i two ago that the personal income of Herr Krupp wins 15 million marks , (£750,000) ; but it is believed that since ; the firm took up naval construction this revenue has beeln increased to considerably over one million sterling per annum.