Precisely why the lifting-magnet should have taken so long to establish its virtues, both in this country and the United States of America, is somewhat inscrutable, especially in the latter country which, as a rule, is disposed to introduce time-and labour-saving appliances with alacrity. No matter from what point of view it may be regarded, it represents the biggest time-and labour-saver as well as money-maker yet introduced into the steel industry. One reason advanced for its comparatively slow adoption is rather interesting. It was averred that to the men, accustomed as they were to seeing loads slung by chains, the sight of a mass of steel clinging to the face of the magnet by a force which they could not understand verged on the uncanny. They knew little or nothing about magnets except in the form of a toy, and could not understand that sufficiently attractive effort could be exerted to keep the mass adhering to the flat face of metal. The fact that the moment the current was switched off released the load was something equally beyond their comprehension. Forthwith they arraigned the lifting-magnet as dangerous, and, while not openly condemning its use, declined to work in its vicinity. Whether this was so or not has never been fathomed, but it is generally observable that men working with such an appliance observe a wise discretion, and refrain from working or moving beneath it. This very respect for the apparatus has achieved one distinctly valuable result: accidents are few and far between, even in America, in which country respect for human safety is declared to be at zero, where the handling of huge masses of metal is conducted by the lifting-magnet. But, eliminating the psychological effect upon the workmen, it is to be feared that employers were slow to visualize its advantages. Certainly in Britain there are many employers, who, notwithstanding the impressive array of figures advanced in its favour, and who have been brought face to face with the economies it is able to effect, still cling tenaciously to antiquated practices. So far back as 1911 Mr. H. F. Stratton, in drawing the attention of the American Foundrymen’s Association to the possibilities of the lifting-magnet, presented some illuminating figures. At that time the American steel industry was handling 10,000,000 tons annually by this system and thereby was saving over £200,000--$1,000,000--a year. So far as scrap was concerned he emphasized the opportunity it presented in this field, because, out of an annual melt of 6,000,000 tons of pig-iron and scrap, from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 was represented by scrap-iron and steel.