The sun., 1918-09-30
STEEL DISTRIBUTION
UNDER RIGID RULES
Conservation System Tightens
as Essential Demands
Increase.
NEED MUST BE SHOWN
Basic 8 Hour Day for q. s. Cor,
poration Men Will Not Cut
Actual Time of Labor.
NEED MUST BE SHOWN
Special Despdtch TO TIE sus.


PITrsBURo, Sept 29.--The event OF the
week in iron and steel circles, from an
Industrial standpoint, was the announce.
ment by tho United States Steel Cor.
poration Of its adoption of the eight
hour basic working day. to take effec,
next Tuesday. This will be followed by
the other Independent firms. the Cambria
already having announced It's inten.
ton Of adopting the eight hour measure.
However, 1t Is not to be supposed that
the several departments OF the steel
mills will cut down to eight hours for
days work Just at a time when tina
maximum amount of production Is be,
ing urged by the Government II simply
means that the men will be paid time
and a half for every hour over eight
that they work each day. Those who
have heretofore worked twelve hours a
day will continue and receive fourteen
hours pay. while the men already work.
ing ten hours a day will make no change
In their time. but receive eleven hours
pay. The benefits to be derived from
this arrangement are not only in the
increased salaries for the men, but thu
encouragement given to them to WORK
full time and even overtime every day,
thereby helping the manufacturers 10
answer the urgent calls from the War
Industries Board for capacity produc.
ton in all iron and steel lines.
Attention is being paid to require
ments of steel for the present half year
and rigid Investigation is going on as
TO actual requirements in certain
branches Of the finished steel industry.
In several cases It has been found tina,
slightly smaller amount of raw steel
1,.I ftNn tu hat,
practiced all along the line, as no steel
is being supplied until the actual need
has been established. In the matter Of
rails the fullest amount of raw ma
terial is being delivered, as the railroads
in this country must receive much
larger supply for repair work. as well as
to build spurs and lay new tracks where
war material Is being produced. The
authorities are even scrutinizng the ship
ments of steel to the shipbuilding yards
in order that they may receive no more
ship steel than can be put to immediate
use. No activity il being supplied
Freely, and conservation Is the watchword
in every known iron and steel avenue
| throughout the United States.
To Prevent Rail Congestion.
Strenuous efforts are being made by
railroads against a repetition OF last
winters chaotic condition Of affairs, on
| the principle that production and de.
livery must be kept up at all hazards.
Production of finished steel in the last
three months was in the neighborhooi
OF 100000 tons, and the prospects
are bright for an output of over 10
600, 900 tons in the next three months.
which will still be below the estimated
requirements announced by the War
Industries Board several weeks ago,
when it stretched the first estimate OK
20. 100000 tons to 100000.
1t Is understood the Food Admins
tration is near the end of its canvass
Of the packers OF non-perishable food
products. which had sought rather dras-
| tic curtailment in the amount OF tn
plate used by such packers. A survey
| Of the situation as it stands now il
strongly suggestive that the curtai.-
| ment in tinplate production during the
fourth quarter OF the year will be much
greater than that ordered early in tho
| month. when the mills were called upon
| to use only 10 per cent. as much steal
| as they have been receiving during the
past few months. The industry is st'l
, shipped only on Government orders
and for putting up food products. Dur
| ing the summer the food products wero
! restricted TO the perishable foods, thcrs
having been prospects that as tho Pc
ishable foods were taken care OF the
| non-perishable foods would get the tim
plate instead. With the non-porishah'o
foods restricted and the perishable food .
| taken care OF there is little outlet II
| prospect for tnplate unless there IA re-
| taxation in favor of other uses. There
are. however. fairly large Govcrnmc't
| orders for various purposes. ENpCr'
business comes under the nomenclature
! OF Government orders and pcrishabl"
foods. as the United States has been
| taking care Of the food packs of Can
ada and South America.
on the whole tho consumption OF tin.
| plate in connection with the food crops
| did not equal the quantity that was pm
| rided, as the plans were laid to taxi
care OF maximum possible outpat In
practically all cases. so as 10 he on the
| safe side. All the packs have been quit"
large, however, except in the case OF to-
matoes. where there was "A heavy loss
thousands of bushels rottiuS III Mar
land. Delaware and New jersey because
of labor shortage. While the situation
! rs it appears to-day is that the produ
ton of tinplate in the next three mont a
10 SUMS W pe 'ul ny HluCu MORO l."h ''
| per cent, this is the time for pU..l
| changes. and there Is Il possibility O.
the steel supply situation undergoing =
sharp change as a result of the drastic
curtailment in consumption that l. lr.nr
sought in nearly all lines. Every thing
depends on how successful these efforts
are, and there is a possibility OF ,upo'
tant news along this line in the mar
! future.
Coke Production Drops
| Tho Conncllsvllc coke region pei OTIS
falling Off in production last Woo. d
! shortage Of about S,S5o tons being uo',.