The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-24

Shapes Being Sent to the Yards
Trade Is Skeptical About Change in
Prices.
pITTSBURG, Dec. 81 There has
been q slight Improvement in transpor-
tstion conditions in the past day or two,
as affecting the operation of blast fur
Hsees and steel mills, and hopes are en-
tcrtained that the iron and steel indus
nv viii shortly recover from the adj
ditional curtailment in production that
has occurred as a result of the cold snap
Of two weeks ago.
There is practically no hope Of the in.
!dustry operating at capacity in the near
future. The production Of pig iron for
the year now ending may be estimated
~ about 3s,Ij0,OoO gross tons, as against
.N,tOO,O0O tons IN 1916, while the steel
ingot production may be set at -, 900.
600 tons, against 81 100000 tons last
wear. Fully supplied with raw mate.
rails and labor, the blast furnace should
Ice able TO produce more than 5000 0oO
tons wear, while the existing steel in
got capacity is set at 100000 tons a,
conservative estimate.
The total steel making capacity of tn,
central powers. including that of occu
pied territory, is about $4,000 600 tons
aud all this cannot be operated. Never
theleSs, the objective is to marshal al
The iron and steel productive capacity
of the United States as an aid dircctl,
and indirectly 10 win the war.
AdviCes from Washington are that 4
comprehensive program is being worked
out looking to the providing of add
tional facilities, in rolling stock an,
other necessities. The work has in
volvcd survey Of existing facilities
for producing cars and locomotives anC
furnishing the necessary raw materials
for the rolling stock and other facilitic
that may be needed. While nothing cai
be done at the moment, the full infor
nation is TO be available when Con
gressional action has been taken as t,
what is 10 be done with the railroads
Eventually there doubtless will b.
heavy buying OF iron and steel agaius
this program The restriction Of no,
and steel production lately. through in
sufficient deliveries Of coal and coke I
the works. has been the most severe o.
the lake front, the Youngstown distric
coming next. while the immediate Pitts
hnrgh district has Jared better. til
restriction has been light in the East
and the Southern district has operate
relatively well. The country as a Who'll
has not lost great deal in output, pea
haps less than 10 per cent.
OF the 100000 tons of shell ste,
orders involved in the present program
Tor delivery by the middle of mex
jane, about ,20000 tons have bee
placed, the orders being widely distril
uted among the mills. Large order
for fabricated steel have been place
IN the Last two months for shipvard an
factory extensions, involving fully 30
GOO tons of plain steel. The progral
0f shipyard extension now is practical
completed, while the flow of plates an
structural shapes to shipvards and {
plants making parts for ships is col
stantly increasing and will not reach i
maximum for several months TO come.
The pig iron market has continue
stagnant in the last week. not bccau'
there are no buyers but because the
are no sellers. The steel works Ia,
experienced q greater restriction Of .
iron output, on account of coke shor
age, than have the merchant furnace
and practically all of them would bl
pig iron to exc out their own supple
bat the merchant furnaces have h;
a reduced make and cannot furnish fl
deliveries against their existing 90
tracts.
Sales, if there were any, would be