The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-14
GOVERNMENT VII
FIND NO TROUBLE
|NSECUR|NG STEEL
Producers Are Giving Navy
Department the Prefer
ence in Filling
Orders

.. Cleveland, September 3.-(Special)
The. Iron Trade Review today says:
The government will not have any diff
ficulty in contracting for all the steel
necessary to carry out its extensive
naval programme, which, it is esU
mated, will call for from $4,000 to
10000 tons of plates this year for hull
construction.
Although no public announcement
has been made, 1t Is understood that
steelmakers have given the navy de-
partment assurance that 1t will be pro-
tected. Shipbuilders making vessels
for other than naval purposes, realiz-
ing that the government will have first
call, are now endeavoring to contract
for their own needs for delivery during
the last half of next year or earlier
One company has received inquiries
from private yards in past week for
from $4,000 to $4,000 tons Of plates
and has quoted on $4,000 tons, tnclud-
ing requirements of government.
Business in prospect amounts to full
ly 100000 tons for domestic use and
from $4,000 to $4,000 tons for export.
An eastern Pennsylvania platemaker
has declined to bid on new inquiry Of
5000 to 10000 tons for Japan, and one
for 10000 tons for Great Britain. Italy
is in market for from 5000 to 5000
tons additional. Owing to extremely
heavy demand for plates for vessels
other consumers are having difficulty
in placing orders and some are COM
planning that their business is being
greatly embarrassed by inability to OBJ
tain material. Boilermakers in eastern
Territory n r in OF
The pig iron market continues to de-
velop strength, this being especially
noticeable in basic on which prices have
been advanced in the central west and
also in eastern Pennsylvania. The to-
tai basic sales in the east in the past
week amounted to $4,000 tons and there
has also been liberal buying in the
central west A Cleveland company,
which usually makes large tonnage of
basic. expects to make an unusual
tonnage of Bessemer for export. Very
little if any basic is obtainable in the
valleys for delivery this year.
In the Chicago district there has
been increased buying of various
grades, but prices of malleable and
foundry grades have sagged so cents
In the south the situation is much
stronger and prices are higher. A Can
ton company is reported to have closed
remainder of this year and early part
of next year A Youngstown company
has purchased round tonnage basic
from a Cleveland company, which ac-
CURED iron in an ore deal some months
ago. Westinghouse Electric and Man
company has purchased
from 5000 to 5000 tons of northern
foundry grades from two Cleveland
sellers. Fair tonnage of foundry iron
has been sold at s1S.75 valley for
No. g.
Placing of contracts for new indus
trial plants and additions is more ac-
tive. Among important projects pend
ing are new power plant for the
Philadelphia Electric company, Chester.
Pa, which will require about 10000
tons and the plant of the Westing-
house Machine company, Essington,
Pa, requiring 5000 tons.
New structural shop to be erected
by the government at the Norfolk
navy yard will require $4,000 tons
Typical contracts for extension are
1000 tons for the American Rolling
Mill company. Middletown, O., to the
American Bridge company; 1000 tons
for the Youngstown Iron and Steel
company Youngstown to the Fort Pitt
Bridge works, and 500 tons for the
Bonner Steel company, Buffalo, to Nc
rlintic Marshall company.