The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-07
WAR STRIPS STEEL
MILLS OF PRODUCT
Commercial Industries Aban.
don Hope of Surplus in This
Quarter of Year.
PERSHING ORDERS GROW
Increase in Output Of Pig Iron
and Steel IngOts-Coal
Situation Improves.
ORDERS GROW
Special Despatch TO THE srS.

Special Despatch 10 THE SrS.
PITTsBuRG, Oct. 6.-The War Indus
tries Board is as secretive as ever re.
garding the scrutiny of steel supplies
which 1t inaugurated several weeks AGO
in order to conserve steel for the frs,
needs of the war. yet It has hinted
that there will be no decrease in the
estimated total of requirements for tha
half year, which Is anywhere from oOs
600 900 to 100000 gross tons. T.a
inquiry has resulted in establishing tis
fact that the steel supply to any o.
the war industries must not be cur,
tailed, and there will be very little left
for commercial industries. During the
past three months II is estimated that
about 100000 net tons of steel wers
made, with the prospects of a little i'm,
provement in that record during tha
next quarter, or say 100000 tons
This means that distribution will hs
taken care of by the priority and pref.
erence system. A careful scrutiny Of
conditions leads ID the belief that Class
c steel will not be shipped at all,
as A and IA lists will need all the
steel made.
Any hopes of surplus OF steel n
this quarter have been abandoned by
the French front for shell steel and
steel for field kitchens and other neces-
sary requirements. Added to this IS
the pressing needs Of the Railroad Ad
ministration in rails and years.. Al
order for 100, 900 freight cars has been
held back for three months, but Il
must be filled before the end of tin
year II the railroads are to be saved
their experiences Of last winter. and
there are other orders ready to come
out of Washington for cars and loco
motives. AS to steel for shipbuIldng.
there is an abundant supply 1T pres.
emit. but the new shipyards are being
completed rapidly, and soon there will
be a heavier demand from the recently
constructed ways in order to keep up
the launching programme of the Elmer.
gency Fleet Corporation.
The encouraging feature of the iron
and steel industry to the manufacturers
| is the production Of pig iron and steel
ingots, which Is ever on the increase, the
rate Of pig iron output being now over
| the 100000 ton mark. with the insot
production running close to 100000
tons a year. The Carnegie Steel Com
pany blew out one furnace here this
week. but will more than make W for
| that in week or ten days with a
| in Braddock. with another large furnace
| in the near future. The company officials
| report their blast furnaces producing a,
81 per cent. rate, and ingot production
per cent. better. or %. both Of which
| are satisfactory all round.
| Unionising Steel Workers.
A slight furry vas caused among IN
dustral masters here by the visit Of sew
eral officials Of the American Federation
! of Labor and the Amalsamated Associa-
, ton of Iron and Steel Workers, who ara
| attempting to unionize the mon employed
/ by the United States Steel CorplliuoH,
! Jones & Laughlin and other Independent
| concerns. Little Roadway has been
made, in view of the fact that the men
| have received seven wage advances IN
two and half years. netting fully no
| per cent increase. and are now hs-
ing accorded the basic eight hour day,
which means 16 2-3 per cent additional
wage advance for twelve hour men and
10 per cent additional for ten hour men,
/ The activity Is under an organization
| campaign ordered at the s.. Paul cor
vention OF the American Federation OF
Labor last June.
Production OF rails lately has been n
the rate OF about 5000 tons week
there being about "a, 900 tons weekly for
| the domestic roads and an average ot
| $4,000 tons week for overseas sNln-
| ment As result of switches in tie
rolling of shell steel recently mad" a'd
! curtailment in the rolling OF sheet bars
, OF tin plate, together with seIlc minor
| changes intended TO conserve steel 70"
rails, the output Is TO be increased iy
about 100000 tons a week. The H.
f'I'l
1t Is expected the full tonnage Will be
reached shortly. If $4,000 tons a week
can be made this will represent much
larger output than the average rate ot
output in record year, which was
1906. with very nearly 100000 tons
produced, including light rails and gr-
der rails. These are being produced IN
| only relatively small tonnages al rfes-
ent. Standard rail prices have not been
formally announced. but the tentative
prices decided upon some time ago "'rs
S55 for Bessemer and So for open
hearth. but formal announcement mas
been held up for quite a while p,lduS
formal approval by the Railroad Nd
ministration. AS deliveries TO domcSt 0
roads are nearly or altogether ON Cd
orders at $3s and $40 respectively ne
Railroad Administration has not been
eager to reach a settlement
Tinplate Operations Decrease.
Tin plate operations have already be-
gun to decrease and rather Sharply al
though this is only the first week ~ ne
three months period in which operations
We're. by the ruling OF three or four
weeks ago, TO be limited to 20 per cent
In Pittsburg steel circles some ane"-
ton is being paid TO prices after 'ds
war. and while 1t is morally certain tia!
many steel companies have made hp
their minds what they VIII d. Nhrh
the war ends and prices come taun.NE
down. they have been very que, DIS 10
their plans While the whole subject s
a difficult one to define. there Is a VIDE
divergence in the Importance ct pr .
to various consumers. Price is "a s'nhi
matter to the automobile builder par
tlcularly when there will be a ranNrd
up demand for cars and some buyers
ready to pay any price. ON a." oU'r
! hn nrin to MT T.