New-York tribune., 1918-03-07
Steel Mills Ask
Higher Price to
Meet Rising Cos
Government May Revise
Steel Schedule Upward,
Trade Reviews Indicate

1he Increases in producing costs q.
some of the large steel comn.n;.
amounted to as much as Sc = ~,
between December 81 last and Januar,
81 according to "The Iron Age" tn.
rise IN costs since the first announcs
ment of government prices late l.,
september IS estimated to be as hjc,
as $40 a ton.
rreclse statements of these Anctp
atoms are to be presented bv iron ani
"teeI hianufacturers TO the War Indus
tries Board at a conference which ms,
De held IN about two weeks. Many stet
plate manufacturers who. in tbe on,p
ION of "The Iron Age have ,s hser
hardest hit by the trend are en- nroceed pes.
ing on the belief that anv change il
prices will be upward. Reports from
other sources, however, Indicate tina,
'hc present scale may be maintained
Wcnty-seven furnaces blew in dur.
ing February" the weekly saws. "and
thirteen went out; thus the 324 fur
races active March l represent mel
gam OF fourteen The estimate oi
active capacity on March ! is S464l
tons day, but this is based largely on
fcbruary performance. and good
weather in March should show con.
sldcrahie increase on this rate. How
ever. there is little faith among pro
ducers in the ability of The oountryi
blast furnaces and steel plants to equa
IN 1918 their performance of last year
ne dlslocation of Transportation AMI
production, due to the way in whici
control has been exercised in Washing
ton, has been so great that norma
working is not expected for NAM
weeks. What is increasingly comment
cd on IN the trade is the small vol
ume of buying for uses having no cor
nection with the war.
On any current orders, as distin
gushed from contracts. proviso i
made that unshipped parts of an orde
VIII be subject to any price change fol
the period after March 81. Govern
mcnt records give the country plat
capacity not far from 900 tons o.
3-l6 of an inch and thicker and ind
cate surplus of plates for shipbuild
ing IN two or three months.
with rail mills generally operating
half on shell steel and half on rails
1t is not surprising that deliveries no"
made are six months late. Two largf
rail producers have established a prlc'
Of $50 ton. either Bessemer or opeI
hearth, but have sold no large amounts
at this level. 1t appears that there y
all of 100000 tons of bought and pau
for 67ia pound Russian rails still II
this country, and government acqu'
sltion of these rails is now REGARDED
likely. Concerning cars and loce
motives, the expectation is general tns
heavy orders will come from the gov
ernment within sixty days" -.
In its weekly review of the marseI
"The Iron Trade Review" concludes
Price matters again are commanain;
the chief attention of the iron AMI slee
industry as April /. when the presen,
schedule expires. draws near. tfnes'
consideration by government au'hoa.'
ties of higher producing costs IN Ger &C..
tain lines is being urged by the werAs
Certain mills which are buyers OF aT ps
iron or semi-flnished steel have pest oesJ
leading the movement for advance. .S
prices for their finished prooqc.,,e =
which they declare are necessar! -
enable them to meet their rising eosss ~,
Recovery of pig iron production ahl. NJ,
been accelerated by more faVoia'''
weather conditions"