New-York tribune., 1918-09-27
Canada Depends
On United States
For Steel Supply
Washington Doing Utmost to
Meet Demand, but Short
age Is Serious

Especial Correspondence Of The Tv;bure)
TORONTO, Sept Washington
doles out steel to Canadian plants on
much the same basis as it provides for
the requirements of United States in
dustrles. Each month a certain vol
ume is appropriated for use in Canada.
The steel is placed at the disposal of
the Canadian War Board and through
TINS organization it is equtably dis
trlbuted among the steel products in
dustries. War demands are attended
to first, and if there is any residue it
is distributed among those companies
which arc working on peace business.
Canada is not securing enough steel to
go around and the result is that ordi-
nary requirements in the way of tools,
machinery and structural steel are not
being adequately provided for.
Since the war began Canada has been
big importer of steel and steel prod
ucts. This item has bulked large in
the imports from the United States.
Washington is evidently doing its ut
most for Canada in the way of supply
ing steel The United States govern
ment and its agencies had some time
ago placed no less than 100000, 900 in
war orders, and lately further contracts
have been made.
The question of steel supplies has
become SO acute that the Ottawa gov
crnment has assumed control not only
of the distribution Of imported steel
but of distribution of orders also. In
this way overlapping of orders and un-
necessary delays in deliveries of the
finished product will be avoided.
The output of pig iron and steel in
Canada appears very small when the
figures are contrasted with those Of
the United States. The two biggest
steel plants of Canada draw their iron
ores from immense deposits in New
foundland. While politically indepen-
dent of Canada, Newfoundland is geo
graphically a broken fragment of the
Dominion. On the island the Domin-
ion Steel Corporation and the Nova
Scotia Steel and Coal Company have
100000 tons.
The total shipments of iron ores
from Canadian mines, excluding New
foundland, during 1917 were 215,242
short tons, valued at s758,261. This
compares with 275,176 short tons in
1916, valued at s715,1O7. Two-thrds of
this tonnage came from Ontario, chief
ly from the mines of the Algoma Steel
Corporation, located in the Lake Su-
peEior district. The volume shipped to
the United States vas 164 ,OO4 tons,
while Canadian furnaces consumed
46,050 tons of the native ore. Imports
during the year amounted to 2,251, ,397
tons, valued at S5,l24,8S9. Shipments
from Newfoundland mines into Canada
we're 883,346 tons, against 1.O12,O6O
tons in 1916. This iron ore went to the
plants Of the Dominion Steel Corpora
ton and the Nova Scotia Steel and Coal
Company.
From native and imported ores
l,Io6,514 tons of steel were produced.
as compared with 1,42S,249 tons in 1916.
an increase of PIG per cent Canada
exported 1858 tons of steel. not in
cluding products thereof, valued at
S1,s31.917, while imports from the
United States were 143,209 tons, valued
at $11,418,033. These figures indicate
to what extent this country is still de-
pendent on the United States forsraw
steel supplies.
Canadian plants have extended and
are extending their equipment, but
output is hampered by shortage of
labor. Canadian companies look for
great industrial activity after the war
during the reconstruction period. Mark
orkman, president of the Dominion
Steel Corporation. announced recently
that the company had decided to spend
Sl5,0OO,O00 on new equipment at once.