New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-21
Steel and Pig
Iron Markets
The Iron Age says:

steel production have been increased
in the past week by heavy SHOWS in
the East and Central West, causing
fresh shortages In coal and coke. The
weeks steel output in the Youngs-
town district has been only about
half of the capacity; at Cleveland the
American Steel & Wire Co.'S plants
were closed down for nine days; in
eastern Pennsylvania five furnaces
were banked; 20 were banked early
this week at Pittsburgh and in the
two Valleys; and throughout the
country the coal situation of iron and
steel works has been either worse or
unimproved.
At Chicago the shortage of coal and
coke is cutting down the production
of some companies while all are wor-
ried by the smallness of she margin
of safety. Six blast furnaces of the
Illinois Steel Co. are banked and one
furnace and one mill of the Wiscon-
sin Steel Co. are idle. One new South
Chicago stack Of the Mark Mfg. Co.
will go in blast early in 1918.
Following the Federal Trade Com
,nission's cost conference with iron
and steel companies at Washington
on Friday, at which the October
increases in production cost were
emphasized, the impression has
gained strength that no important
revision of existing price schedules
will be made on Jan. L. The steel
manufacturers committee met In
New York Wednesday, Dec. 10, and
a meeting with the War Industries
Board at Washington is expected to
be held next week.
Government, requirements are grow
ing and in the heavier lines seem all
absorbing, with steel output SO much
reduced. Large lots of plates are
given out each week. In the West an
army inquiry for 100000 bolts has
come up and in addition to $500 tons
of rivets bought by the Emergency
Fleet Corporation, 5000 to 5000 tons
for Eastern shipyards is about to be
placed. OF the 100000 tons of shell
steel on which the Government
wants delivery before June Is about
100000 has now been allotted to
the mills.
The Government is about to buy
more cars for France and from 5000
to 5000 four-whccl cars are wanted
for Italy.
Work has. stopped on Russian To-
ccmotives and many of those already
built but not shipped may yet be con-
verted for use at home. A large pro-
gram of locomotives and car building
for domestic roads, Under government
auspices is being worked out.
General export business is at low
ebb. Harassed by priority Interior
ence at mills, by the scarcity OF ocean
vessel space, by delays and refusals OF
cars and by frequent changes IN regu-
la tons, exporters are under pressure
from buyers abroad who try for the
agreed price scales. The outlook I'M
til after the war or until government
demand is more accurately measur-
able is for thin picking in exports.
One successful release of plates COW
ers 1900 tons for France. done at
4.75c, A French railroad is willing
to paw SC at mill for some 800 tons.
The volume of structural steel bus
mess for shipbuilding and other gov
eminent needs is surprising in view
OF the almost total absence of pr1-
yate building work. The Bridge Build
ers' and Structural society reports
13S,50O tons of shop capacity put I'M
der contract in November, more than
in. anv other month this year. The
average for the preceding ten months
was 94,25O tons. The monthly aver
age of bridge and building work Tor
1915 and 1916, however, was 124,OOO
tons.
An example of the large tonnage
called for at private works on govern
ment account is 1000 tons just let
for a new ordnance plant at Alliance,
Ohio, Later building at the same place
will require 5000 tons. Inc leaolhg
fabricator will be busy for most OF
next year on work already IN manu.
much of it for shipyards.
Sheet bar and billet buying mas
quieted down, chiefly because so htue
steel can be had. Some sheet mills
have been unable to contract FOR bars,
but are taking what they can get
from week to week.
Pig iron consumers feel the sltua-
ton tightening upon them. central
Western steel companies f1nd II nara
to get iron in the market to make up
their shortages, but it is known that
on Of them recently closed for 22,Ooo
tons of basic iron. Forge iron sales
of $4,000 to 10000 tons are reported
at Pittsburgh. In the East, where
activity has been greatest, the week
has been the quietest in a long time.
Pig iron producers are now re-
porting each week to the government,
giving full data as to sales, produc-
ton, destination of shipments and
stock on hand. This serves to check
up priority orders, which every week
seem to be covering a larger proper
ton of the output
All imports of ferroalloys or OF
their ores by arrangement between
the war trade board and importing
interests, will be handled by the
American Iron and Steel Institute!
This was decided at meeting in New
York this week, the plan being iden-