New Britain herald., 1918-11-07
Steel and Pig
Iron Markets
The Iron Age says:

The Iron Age says:
How fast and how far the war de-
mand for iron and steel will now fall
off is the uppermost question in the
industry. The shortening of the pro-
gram of shipyard extensions was the
main feature last week OF greater
significance are the moves made this
week in the reduction of munitions
and ordnance orders. now that peace
is more plainly in sight.
While the project for the Neville
Island gun plant has not been aban-
doned, as report had it, a revision of
the plans is under way, reducing con-
siderably the scale of operations. IT
is quite certain also that work will
not go forward on the 12-inch how
itzer shop which was to have been
built at the Midvale works at Nice
town.
In barbed wire a, virtual cancella-
ton of $4,000 tons for Great Britain
and $4,000 tons for Italy is reported.
France was to receive $4,000 tons
in the first half of 1919 and both this
and 10000 ton contract for wire
rods for France have now been held
up,
Steel works and rolling mills may
he nearer the end of their work for
shell steel than is commonly thought,
even though the war go on for some
months. In the past ! 1 months close
to 100000 tons of shell steel orders
have been distributed for rolling. Pro-
badly 100000 to 100000 tons Of
this is today between the rolling mills
and the ships that are TO carry it to
Europe--at FORCES, finishing shops.
11nn ,n1r,
is probable that rail mills that have
been rolling large rounds for shells can
soon turn to rails, for rails are needed.
Considerable shell steel is still on
the books for the Allies and the first
cancellations are likely to come on
these contracts rather than those of
the United States Government
So far as concerns work immediate
ly in hand, however, Government
agencies are urgently calling for de-
liveries, and those in charge of steel
production and distribution are seek
ing in every way to reduce the effect
of fuel shortage due to influenza in
the Connellsville coke region
There is unofficial advice of plans
for the continuance Of the price fixing
committee of tho War Industries Board
for six months after peace is declared.
This is presumably in answer to in
quiries that have been going to wash
ington from the steel trade concerning
the future of Government control.
Influenza defeated the well laid
plans for new records in October at
blast furnaces and steel plants. Pig
iron output was 3.486.941 TONS or
12,4S2 tons a day, as compared with
3,41S,270 tons for the 80 days of Sep
ever last months record was only eX-
ceeded once previous to September,
the month of Octobev 1915, showing
113, 189 tons a, day.
Twelve furnaces We're blown in and
IL were blown out in October, so that
365 furnaces were active on Nov. l
against 365 one month previous.
Hesitation is evident among buyers
of pig iron and finished steel, await
ing the development of the Govern
ment's policy as to cancellations. On
the belief that considerable American
and Allied forces will be required to
police Europe for many months, only
q. gradual reduction in war buying is
looked for.
The wire trade may be the first to |
develop peace activity. After some |
months of the withdrawal of its sales |
men from the field the leading wire |
interest has now sent out a consider |
able number
Some signs of kness are crop !
ping up in old material. which is or |
dinarily most sensitive to market in |
f1uences. Mills are holding back, |
on some recession. Prices |
on some forms of scrap have already !
yielded in the Chicago district
The bar iron price schedule has |
been changed, chiefly TO meet the |
situation in the Central West, where !
some users turn to steel when iron Is |
too high priced. There is now an in |
termediate price of 4.25c. for refined |
iron made from all selected scrap, |
common iron remaining at 3.50c. and |
refined iron at &c.
For some time it has been planned |
to turn several furnaces from ferro- |
to pig iron, in view of the |
q accumulation of the former and the |
great scarcity of the latter. Two |
Virginia furnaces and one in the Pitts |
burgh district are about to make this |
change. At 70,379 tons production Of |
and spieceleisen made |
a new high record in October.