New Britain herald., 1918-04-04
Steel and Pig
 Iron Markets
The Iron X ge says:


 l O9l tons, or 103, GAS tons a day, as i against 2,319,399 tons in the 2S days 1 of February, or S2,S35 tons a day, l As coke supply has increased more ] furnaces have wheeled into line the net gain i'll the month being "A. The i 344 coke iron furnaces in blast April were producing at the rate of about l06.o0O tons day, as compared with an actual average production of coke iron in the year 1917 or 1O5,000 tons a day.
 Three new modern blast furnaces were put in operation last month
 one by the Lacka wanna Steel Co. at Buffalo, one by the Steel Corporation at Gary, Ind, and one by the Iroquois Furnace Co. at South Chicago. These additions emphasize the tendency to give the larger furnaces a full supply of coke, while that of smaller stacks is more or less irregular. Further indication of the same policy is the fact that the steel companies rate of pig-iron output in March was 30 per l cent greater than in February, while that of merchant furnaces was only ? per cent. greater.
 The fact that pig-iron production has increased so quickly in the favor d relaxing of famine conditions in that market sooner than has been thought possible.
 Government wants figure so largely that ordinary consumption has be- come quite incidental. The pending award of 100, 900 cars, of which about half will be box cars. is the immediate market feature. A total of 100000 tons of plates and 250,- 900 tons of shapes is now the esti- mate on these orders, but deliveries will be distributed over many weeks. The designing of standard freight cars means that good many patent ed car specialties will be omitted and the makers are not a little disturbed. There is greater pressure from Washington for ship plates, which could have been produced fast enough to meet all needs had not plate mills been compelled to close in January and February while fuel went to non- essential industries. Now plate mills are notified that at least per cent. of their output must go to government work. As to the remaining 25 per cent. full details must go to Washing ton as to shipments and consignees. The long-delayed settlement with Jdpdn l1lNOlFeS the shipment to that country of 100000 tons of steel, most ly plates, Some of this tonnage is al ready in storage on the Pacific coast but the 1ong-standing government embargo wiped off the books many Japanese contracts at SC and 10c for ship steel.
 It is understood that the Govern ment rail requirements will add 3O0,- 900 tons, or more than 10 per cent, to the total which the railroads had all ready put on the books of the mills for delivery this year.
 The sheet trade Is still awaiting the distribution of 50,000 tons of No. A corrugated sheets for hangers in France and for the small steel build ings of which many will be used in the restoration of French villages.
 The new requirements section of the War Industries Board seems likely to become a cO-ordinating factor of first importance, eliminating by means of priorities the present competition in purchases among government depart ments. 1t still happens that a mill gets a peremptory order to ship in Q few weeks kind of product on which Al orders are already booked for as many months of the plants capacity.
 
 nouncement has been made that fla bricators are not to consider private building projects having no war con- nection or public buildings other than those for the federal government, the broad intimation being added that under priority rulings the steel would not be forthcoming.
 Quite a portion of the shell discard steel accumulating from time to time is rolled into 20- to 40-lb. rails for sale at the regular light rail price. The composition as to carbon and manganese is regarded as particularly satisfactory. Lots of 300 to 900 tons have been sold to Japan.
 The old material trade has failed to carry it's point with the genera committee of steel manufacturers, the latter having refused to allow con sumers to pay a commission of 1-2 per cent. to dealers. An adjustment has been made however, under which l consumers may pay a freight differ 1 ential in some cases. Thus Pittsburgh l buyers may secure melting steel scrap D from New England by paying the TO- cent difference between the freight to { Pittsburgh and the freight to eastern , Pennsylvania.
 Express shipments of tonnage prod | ucts are still noted, not merely to 1 meet urgent demands, but to secure i transportation which freight embar- l goes prohibit. In some cases railroad l preference given to less than carload 1 lots has resulted in shipping full car 1 loads as made of two- or three part 1 loads and, of course, at the higher l freight rates.
 JAMES s. JENKINS DOWN.