The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-04-19
REMARKABLE OUTPUT
OF PLATES FOR SHIPS
: BY THE STEEL MILLS

Special Dispatch to The Intclligencer.
NEW YORK. April lS.--'rhe Iron Age
will say tomorrow-Platc mills, put to a
test Of their ability to supply the ship
Yards. nave shown remarkable outputs.
more than 10000 tons o. plates having
been turned out in one April week AT
this rate the mills Will he caught up on
shipyard deliveries early in May. Tho
coming Of Charles VI. Srnwap into tn"
government service aS director general
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation Will
mean 4 further speeding of effort that
is full Of promise. This week most rlate
mills are running 100 percent on govern
mcnt or Ally wnrk. save such part OF
their product rs in ordinary practice
cannot meet ship requirements. treat
Britain is getting J.0hn tons Of plates
a week TO apply on the ""n.ohe IONS ieV
wards are to have in return for British
advance cf munitions and other steel To
the American army in France. Dcfinit"
moves will no made this week on inc
project for ;hr greatest American gun
plant. which the government and tAc
steel corporation will carry out in CO
operation. the latter building tho steel
works. The Pittsburgh district is suE-
rsstcd location and n great proj"ctil"
plant Is to be included Tho largest ma
chine shop in the country will hs pro
vidcd. Important steel companies in III"
Central West have notified their CuSto-
n,rrs that they must concentrate on
government work for the time being. 4
! an-lay period h"inE named in SOM"
cases There is closer sitting nj
along the line. among both producers
and consumers Of steel "f government
work from commercial work. and TN"
! amount Of the latter Is steadily dccrcaS-
INK.
Car awards ar" still delayed. TO tho
i.6pardizing nf deliveries Of fuel and all
wlr material in IN" year. The proposal
is now II build many more cars OF wool
than has been planned. III view ar tn"
new designs. few cars can now h" had
h.f"r. August. TIL" situation has been
cnrnp!icated by the appeal OF the ship
ping hoard 10 Tho railroad admtntstro-
tiun To cut down substantially the ton
nag, Of plutrs il has he"n figuring on
for cars namely 51I.hnh. TIL" shipping
ir,ardS claim that the US" Of that amount
Of plates in cars will seriously interior"
with III. ship program is strongly dis
rft'rt ~ Sl''''' wv" '''N''.''
bridge and building work has dwindlod
, is indicated IN m" March statistics Of
,h., bridge builders and structural so"i-
civ. Less than S.. 900 tons OF such work
was placed last month. against n tho
rsticaI CAPACITY of 10000 IONS. This Is
tE.. first tins is seven ar eight years
that tho March vniUTn" or BUSINESS has
boon less than that Of January or Feb
ruary. and clnarl% indicates that no spe-
cial activity Is planned for the building
season COtttun tie prices for 1918 haE"
just been announced with no effort I"
gloss ov., the fact of uniform price.
At s!.?n per bundle nf 80 pounds. the
now price t.; 81 n ton below the 1917
basis. being in harmony with the fixed
prices on other forms Of stool.
Wir, mills arc being adjusted I" 4
lrS:cncd scale Of operations, some ~
percent and some 80 or ~ percent. in
-icw - r:t" turning OF s" larS" = part
ct tho steel irEot supply |" war moods.
The long pending 60 ono tons OF harh
wiz" for Italy has been placed @'.hho
,nns to on" company. 5000 tons IN an
other. 9.0nh toms I" 4 third. with H.oop
tons divided among thrr".
The war Industries board Is urging tho
railroad administration to take Bcssemcr
, as pnSsihl. for this years renewals. 80
thu; all IN" open hearth steel needed
may b. avail:Lblr for shells and other
war requirements. Somewhat lighter
raj lS,ctinns arr also suggested so rs ~
rnus.rre steel. With expected pruning.
tn. total Of domestic rails called for this
year may not exceed tho total rollings nt
1917. which included som" large export
Orders There ila j heru some commotion
over the Payment OF commissions by
consumers on pig iron bought through
merchant firms. \ ruling has hccn
made at Washington forbiddinE the pay
mnnt OF pig iron commissions.