The sun., 1918-07-04
BOARDS TAKE Up
STEEL PROBLEMS
War Demands in Certain Prod.
ucts Unbalance CONNER
cial Conditions.
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEWS
No Prospect Soon of Release OF
Material for General Use,
Says "IrOn Age"
WEEKLY TRADE REVIEWS

The chief attention of the Govern.
ment and tho iron and steel makers, ac.
cording to the weekly trade reviews, i,
absorbed by production and distribute,
problems, the intense war demands IN
certain products unbalancing the nor.
NAL alignment of operations under com.
mercial conditions. AS result va'iou,
complications exist. Continuing III.
Iron Trade Reue,o says:
1.-THE sheetmakers. at Government re.
quest, are endeavoring to eaualize sheet
bars in order to sustain a Is per cent,
output Independent plants now are
operating about IS per cent. and ths
steel Corporation mills about a. rcr
cent. Rail mills rolling proiectile rounds
are about to resume normal operations
to supply 100000 to 100000 tons NJ
rails for Government controlled roads
Distribution of these orders is 70 he
made shortly. II Is expected that as =
result OF the meeting of the committee
Of the American Iron and Steel institute
with the price fixing committee OF the
War Industries Board at Washington
standard rail prices will be fixed at SIS
Ressemer and s57 for open hearth rails
June's pig iron output was 3,339lS2
tons, which. with the exception OF MAY
was the highest since July. 1917. Junss
daily average was only 17S tons les
than In May. which made the best show
ing since October. 1916. The number NJ
furnaces in blast in June was 3jj
against 500 In May.
Priori Certificates Not Needed.
The ~ u Age says:
THE steel trade has read with keen
interest and some surprise the message
just sent broadcast by the priority com
mittee telling manufacturers that on
considerable amount OF their output Pr
GRITTY certificates are not needed TIE
discretion thus given to the mills Las
relieved some OF the strain under which
tine industry was laboring. However.
it does not change by a single ton ths
amount OF the country's output required
for the Government and its allies, and
therefore holds out no immediate pros
poet OF release of material for general
use.
AT tho same time the new orders
recognize. as has not been done before,
the possibility OF gaps in mill schedules,
which will afford leeway TO manusac-
turers in the distribution of material .
their customers. including tobbers Thi'
lar tHe ldtteT nave EUt llItlr IlE A''H
the mills beyond the Statement tho'
they will not receive etee, for stocking W
in the ordinary sense. but only for DEF
mite replacements OF what has been
shipped to essential Industries.
THE steel manufacturer committee
Is In conference at Washington III =
week with view TO fixing prices on
rails. wire rope and steel and malleah'a
castings. The question OF some pig iron
REIMBURSEMENT Is also UP, but the pro-
posed valley basing for prices finds nu'n
opposition. Southern producers in par.
ticular would be unfavorably affected
since on top Of other troubles they would
have to absorb the freight on a larg.
part of their shipments to the North.
Lake Superior ore producers have
decided that the IS cent advance In pric.
shall apply only in part to 1918 COT
tracts-that Is, to ore unloaded at Like
Erie docks after midnight o. June 30
Failing on in Pig Iron.
June pig iron returns by wire ~
several furnaces estimated. indicate a
very slight falling off last month. 80
total being 3,323.79l gross tons 90
thirty days. or 1923 tons da'
against 3,44s4l2 tons in May. or III
l75 tons a day. AS the May rate Ia'
| formance is considered satisfactory. -
view OF the number Of furnaces her {
| forced out for refining. Fifteen we-'
blown out and II were blown in Last
| month. net loss OF 4, leaving S55 mr..
| naces active July |. with an estimated
! capacity of 113,s0O tons "A day.
| While large Government ordcre .r
| tnue to be given cut, good headwar as
been made by the mills, particuarH is"
! shell and ship steel. Some Of the forc
! ing plants as we'll as shipYards now lIs'a
on hand all the steel they were entitled
to receive up TO July | But il is 20 W.
| considered that the mills We're not -
fected in the slightest by hot Ueathor =
June and that reduced output is aim 81
, inevitable in July
/ For France 10000 tons more nHr
wire has been al!ocated and u oo0 'o'i
Of wire rods. A fresh distribution ~
| wire nail orders has been made. but f0'
only somewhat more than 10 per '.'-
OF the 1000 kegs OF the origind. 49,.