The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-18
Contracts Already Awarded for
1873 Merchant Vessels.
About Evenly Divided Between
Wooden and Steel Crafts.
GOVT FIXES STEEL PRICE
Put Crimp in Steel Companies
Price Boosting.
President Wilson Refuses to
Approve of Prices Sought.

Washington, June 1S.-AdditionaI
contracts for ten complete steel cargo
carrying steamers and twenty-four
wooden hulls, have been let by the
United States shipping board, it was
officially announced today.
The total number of contracts to
date for the emergency fleet to cope
with the submarine menace call for
twenty-eight complete steel ships
thirty-two composite ships of wood
and steel, thirty complete wooden
ships and forty eight wooden hulls.
The Seattle Construction & Dry
Dock company was awarded contracts
for ten steel steamships complete;
first and second to be delivered in
June. 1918; third in July, 1918;
fourth and fifth in August 1918;
sixth in September, 1918: seventh and
eighth in October, 1915 ninth in No
vember. 1918, and tenth in December.
1918.
One Every Fifteen Days.
The Foundation company, Newark,
n. j.. was awarded contracts for ten
wooden hulls, the first to be delivered
March l, 1918, and one every fifteen
days thereafter.
Twelve wooden hulls were awarded
TO the Groton Iron Works, Noank,
Conn. 1t promises to deliver the first
hull in five months after receipt of
lumber for keels and one hull every
fortnight thereafter.
Two wooden bulls will be built by
the Ship Construction q Trading COM
pany, Stonington, Conn. Its first is
TO be delivered by February IL, 1918,
and second month later.
The government will fix prices paid
for steel used in constructing Amer
ica's food fleet.
on the heels of reports that steel
companies have boosted prices and
plan to make enormous steel profits
ON contracts with the government it
was learned today that any such move
i'll be met with sharp check
Confer to Fix a Price.
For the last ten days. the raw ma
terials committee of the Council of
National Defense has been working
with the heads of the countrys big
steel manufacturers fixing on
reasonable price" for steel plates and
shapes.
The price determined upon-ex-
pected within a few days-will, if APP
proved by the president, be the one
paid by the shipping board in steel
ship construction.
If prices determined by the steel
companies are not agreeable to Pres
ident Wilson, the government has the
authority now to commander all steel
products and if necessary the plants
turning them out.
Reports of threatened high prices
in steel for the government grew out
of tentative agreements reached be-
tween General Goethals and steel con-
Germs for certain contracts for ships.
These contracts provided that the gov
ernment pay approximately $S5 a ton
for steel plates while the navy is pay
ing only about $50 a ton.
Cocktails Explains Agreement.
Goethals explained the situation to-
day as follows;
THE agreement to pay Az cents a
pound for steel plates and 31a cents
for steel shapes, was one previously
reached by Los Angeles firm with
q steel company at Birmingham, Ala.
The figures were taken merely as a
Il working basis for other construction
plans but no other contracts have been
4 let on that basis.
The question OF steel prices has
been left entirely to the raw material
committee of the advisory council IF
the Council of National Defense. They
win determine what is fair price. 1
will not assume that responsibility.
4 Their prices will be the ones used by
us in our contracts.
'If the tentative arrangement to
furnish steel at Az cents for plates
and 3 a cents for shapes is found by
the committee to be too high, the fig
ure will be reduced in the contract. If
il is found too low, we will pay the
difference"
Navy Gets Steel for $25 Less.
Regarding the charge that the
prices quoted are more than those
paid by the navy for steel, General
Goethals stated that the navy is Sc
curing steel now at figures contracted
for in 1916-approXimately $25 ton
less than those now quoted.