The sun., 1918-07-15
War Boards New Regulations
on Distribution Having
Beneficial Effect.
LOOSENING UP TRADE
Less Essential But Needy Bus
inesses Will Soon Share Con-
siderably in Product.


In the trade say have made the situation
even better than that reported last week.
They say II means that very soon there
will be a loosening up Of steel for the
lesser essential but very needy require
ments in the business and certain COM
mercial lines will be Frightening up with
out any depressing effect upon the war
activities. Under the different classihca-
tons adopted by the board the business
Of buying and selling Is going on very
easily and without complaints Every
iron and steel man on both sides Of the
market seems to know exactly the re-
auirements of the priority and prefer
ence lists. and Is abiding cheerfuily
thereby, thus testifying to the equity OF
the arrangement and the wisdom OF the
men at Washington in settling q matter
that was giving the manufacturers much
concern several weeks aso-that Of TAX
ing care OF their regular customers and
abiding by the orders from the War In
dustries Board. Jobbers now follow the
same system that exists at the mills.
that Of following the preferences sched-
ule, and their stocks are being main
tained by the mills on replacement or
ders. There have been some ADJUST
ments in shipping Of steel to forging
shops and fabricating plants. ~ II had
Deen nOtlCeu tnat eOuC VI tuCth WStS 8cA-
ting moro material In certain lines than
they could use Immediately. A better
balanced Arrangement of steel shipments
could hardly be found than that existing
now. which gives q comfortable feeling
to the trade and assures soiidity that
carries confidence to iron and steel men.
steel InEot Prodsctien Decrease.
The report Just issued Of the steel
ingot production last month shows q
42,SOO,OO0 rate, q little below that OF
the two previous months, but nothing to
cause comment, as the fluctuations for
four months have been very slight and
the industry has found q safe level after
the severe upsets Of last winter. when
operations were greatly curtailed by
lack Of car service and the labor prob
lem. The latter shows a better outlook
than for some time. and will be much
better next month. after the Federal
employment agencies recruit labor for
the war industries. This 10 . compelling
law and will bring good results by fur
nishing better laboring forces to tho
manufacturers and eliminate composition
among them.
The testimony Of both consumers ami
dealers Is that scrap iron II scarce and
tending to grow scarcer. particularly In
heavy melting grades. which II holding
back the production of steel ingots. The
tonnage of scrap 10 not deficient ~
much as the assortment II unsatisfac-
tory. there being too much light stun.
which the mills are using simply be-
cause they can't get better material.
The mills are striving particularly hard
at this time to produce greater output
than usual and need tho heavy melting
steel. In times when the steel demand
is light and prices are low some mills on
deavor to reduce costs by using tho
lighter and therefore cheaper grades. but
now all effort 10 for tonnage. This IL
shown. for instance. by their applying
for permits to pay extra freight on
heavy melting steel. while there Is lit
tie demand for permits to do this In
the case OF light material. The testi-
mony of the majority OF producers ID
that they are getting better outputs.
relative to capacity. from blast fur
naces than from steel works. Tho Car
negie percentages, for instance, have
been running for several weeks Mt about
e5 per cent. for the blast furnaces and
SIS to Sc per cent. for the steel making
departments. Scrap dealers report there
is no difficulty in securing a commits
sion in heavy melting steel, the difficulty
being in finding any material. There
is much more direct trading than for
merly.
steel Outlook Promising.
While supplies Of steel for less essen.
tial purposes are slow In coming n Q out.
look is very promising. with the War In.
dustrles Board allowing the mills to sell
steel where they are convinced the pub
lie good Is being suoserved. As to the
general supply of steel. there has now
been a period Of three months OF heavy
production since the War Industries
Boa I'd applied it's extra pressure upon the
steel industry for 100 per cent. efficiency
in helping the war work. An enormous
amount of steel has been shipped. APP
proximately 100000 gross tons Of m.
ished rolled steel In three months, and II
| Is beyond question that such a tonnag &c
must have an effect upon the general
supply Of the war activities.
According to the classifcations an.
nounced by the board this week there will
be no general relaxation In pressure for
ship plates, but there may soon be a
relaxation as to certain shipyards. with
a view OF increasing the flow 90 other
yards. As to shell steel. there may soon
be a curtaiiment and indeed there are
some hints OF this already. though com.
| ing In different connection, along the
| line that some mills are beginning to rur
ahead in filling their shell steel order.
| and shipping tonnages in excess Of thei,
monthly quotas. SO that unless giver
| fresh distributions they will eventually
run out of orders. Many II not the ma
| jority Of jobbers and manufa curing con
sumers are relatively we'll stocked with
steel. and in the main have no occa
sion for concern as to supplies for tn.
Immediate future. A better supply OIL
steel may come before their present
| stocks are exhausted. Meanwhile sup
plies going out from the mills are yer,
carefully husbanded by tho strict reguia
ton of force.
Coal production In the Conneilsville re
| gion last week broke all records. a tota
| of 695. 900 tons being mined. Working q
full day on the Fourth together with
added impetus the following day e
keep pace with the record on the hoiida,
| all tended to make tho highest mari
reached In the local region. Workers II
the Gainesville region are said to b,
realizing more and more the importanc,
| of remaining at work steadily and are
| showing their patriotism by doing so. ar
| though the high wages paid them wouir
permit them laying Off several days 8
| month. The coke men also worked or
| Independence Day and produced $1,000
tons OF coke. a condition unheard of II
previous years. Coke production for IT,,