Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-23
STEEL MILLS WORK
/. AT HALF CAPACITY
IReadj justment of Prices Next
!. Month Disposes Interests to
Decline Business
NEW YORK Feb


A canvass Of the leading steel COM
,panies In this city would lead to an esti-
mate of approximately 60 per cent for
operations at present. The United
States Steel Corporation is working at
about IS per cent of capacity. while the
:. Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company
: probably is about at the same figure
the Coatesville, Pa, plant being at the
( rate of only so per cent. The Beth
slehem Steel Corporation. however is OPP
.erat,rg at 65 per cent
There Is a better demand for steel
products. according to the reports eIna :
mating from sales offices but il does not
fappear to be the disposition of the lead
ing interests to accept all the business
y that is being offered due to the fact
that there will be readJustment Of
prices at the end Gf the next month, and
there Is lust IA possibility that somewhat
higher levels will be fixed for certain
materials.
The demand for pig iron at present
-ie unusually large.-ard this is especially
true OF basic iron. wh 'ch il part icularly
rneeded for steel making. The America y
Bridge Company is nquring for APP
sproximately 10000 tons for its Pencoyd
.plant, to be delivered 1900 tons
smonthly over the second half of this
q In addition. it is learned that, th.,
tPenn-Seaboard steel Corporation will
start its plate mill at Newcastle, Del,
rshortly. and will require from 1000 to
1000 tons of basic per month. according
Ito the operating ratio Of the plant. over
.the last nine months of this year.
Other large steel companies also have
been buyers of basic iron, it is said,
and this demand. coupled with that
from some of the smaller concerns. has
taken large quantity of the produc-
ton 10 be had In the first few months
,of the second half OF this year.
All the basic iron for the first half
has now been disposed of. Sales by
three eastern pennsylvania furnaces In
tons for second half delivery have been
made at $33 per ton furnace. the Gov
y ernment price, with the Lukens Steel
Company the principal buyer from these
pr0ducers.
One factor which has been receiving
considerable attention In the last few
days has been the difficulty Of securing
Snmcient manganese for continuous op-
erations by the steel plants The short
age OF manganese ore Is now being felt
quite acutely by several companies, and
the production of number Of furnaces
4 In the East has been interfered with
some having been forced to curtail and
others to suspend operations.
This cessation OF activities Is only
temporary. of course. due to the fact
that stock piles have either been de-
pleted or materially reduced and as
soon as more manganese ore is received
operations will be resumed, However,
the difhculties of getting manganese ore
from. Brazil and the interruption to
railroad shipments still are being con-
ridercd. and it probably will be some
time before a change takes place.
Indian manganese ore has been re-
\ ceived here and sales have been made
At $l.30 per unit, delivered at tidewater
This Is about the market price at pres
ent. and sellers are having no difficulty
In disposing of what they have.
" Government buying of steel products
n still on a large scale, and all, steel
frade interests are giving their undl-
ied attention TO the needs of the Gov
e11ment for war purposes.