New-York tribune., 1917-12-23
Non-Essential
Industries Seek
Wax Contracts
Many Makers of Steel Prod
ucts Feel Pinch of Govern
ment Demands

Separation Of essential and nom
essential industries is being worked
cut in the iron and steel trade with ?
rapidity that is disquieting TO manu-
facturers in all lines whose products
contain iron or steel in any form.
While it has been apparent that gov
ernment authorities will not attempt
to classify so-called non-essential in
dustries, the same result is being
achieved indirectly by reason of the
enormous demands for pig iron and
steel for war work. Such a narrow
margin is left for government
work that many manufacturers arc
now focking to Washington TO obtain
war contracts to save their factories
from being closed through lack Of ra"
materials.
The government Is taking practically
all Of the country's output OF plates
and structural shapes. Despite the
fact that new construction of build
ings, except government building work,
is at the lowest ebb in several years,
every fabricating shop in the United
States and some in Canada are being
rushed with work for the fabricated
steel ships being built at several ship
yards on the Atlantic seaboard.
Many Contracts Expire January !
Government demand for shell steel
is enormous. This affects the produc-
tion of commercial steel bars to such
an extent that relatively small quanti-
ties are available for plants not on
war work. With the coming OF the
new year many contracts for steel VIII
cxpire, and manufacturers, who thus
far have been protected by at least a
martial supply, will be unable to obtain
their full requirements for next year
Steel manufacturers admit that II Will
be impossible TO take care Of wsr or
ders at the rate they are now coming
to them and also provide Tor other
manufacturers. As an example OF the
situation, an Eastern steel mill, which
in ordinary times would take contracts
this month from regular customers lot
their requirements during the hrsI
three months of 1913, declines 70 enter
into any contracts, and has notlhed ltS
customers that the best II can 90 IS
TO give them whatever steel is hvali-
able after government needs are ilied.
With government work absorbing
such a large percentage OF present re-
duced output, the steel trade is Obliged
TO curtan shipments TO other consum-
ers. Railroad embargoes also prevent
manufacturers not on war work from
receiving consideration on shipments
the roads being so congestcd with war
freight that anything else has ittIe
chance Of getting through.
Many Industries Feel Pinch
Builders and contractors OF road
machinery. textile machinery. me'a!
furniture and csskets, hardware, agt-
cultural implements, motor car aGes9-
sories. automobiles, pianos, taking
machines and similar products are
feeling the pinch Of war times: Agr'-
cultural implements, for example nave
recently been shipped minus me
wheels. which the manufacturer s+iu
would be shipped later. the delay oe1hs
due TO shortage OF steel.
Manufacturers Of machinery no'
used for war have been seeking TO di-
vort their equipment to war purposes;
Furniture manufacturers OF Gfano
Rapids. Mich, have banded together 10
take aeroplane manufacturing Worh'
large talking machine company IS maE.
inc fuses; another is making aircraft
os.oras Detroit manufacturers, IN
cinJing several automobile makers
80 orqanized a $2,OOO,0O0 company,
which has received a $3O,oOO,oVO she.I
m,t Printing press builders are
r,aking machine tools. Sucn instances
lid lid be multiplied many times ana
sSoly the drift of manufacturers toward
% ,ysy work, Those who do not obtain
sncb work will surely suffer, II not
sirssdv affected, BY present conditions
e. Iabor shortage. transportation con
gestion and the insufficiency OF coal
IRON and steel for both war aud non
war work.