New Britain herald., 1918-10-03
Steel and Pig
 Iron Markets
The Iron Age says today;

ne Iron Age SdN S IOdtN'
 The items of transcending interest is how the S-hr. basic day, adopted by the Steel corporation, will be ap- piled and how far through the iron and steel industrial fabric its effect will be felt. As yet no details are forthcoming as to how the 10 to 16 2-3 per cent. wage increase, which it means at the present time, will be applied to emloyees compensated on d tonnage basis or to those, as in blast furnace plants, who remil for 24-hr. periods of work in a change of turn, but it has been ascertailcd that in corporation plants the one and one-haIf rate for overtime will apply also to Sunday and holiday work, in stead of a double rate. Steel makers generally have made no announce- ments, as they are waiting for infor- nation on the details. A meeting of the general committee of the Amer ican Iron and Steel Institute on Wed nesday afternoon after this, issue has gone to press.
 The far reaching influence of the d. cision has been proved quicker than expected, if the recommendations of
 manufacturers association in Pitts burg may be taken as an indication. There the S-hr. basis is accepted, but a 48-hr. week for machine and foundry operatives is demanded be- fore overtime rates apply if, as also recommended, a Saturday half-h holi- day is established.
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 By Nov. 1. there will be higher prices to New England and general ly to points east of Pittsburgh through an advance in freight rates. These are due partly to a transfer from commodity rates to classified rates and partly because of an alleged in- equality between Central West and Pittsburgh rates to the East. They cover pig iron and semi-fnished and finished steel. The advance 4, will amount roughly to 10 per cent. and will of course affect consumers of steel and of pig iron, including again the class steel makers.
 A step forward has been made Tn the distribution of pig iron to- sub contractors of essential manufactures through a provision allowing pig iron makers to ship on pledge that the iron is to be put to a direct or in- direct war use.
 While cast-iron pipe manufacturers are pleased to receive the advance of $5 per ton allowed, most of it will be absorbed in the higher cost of pig iron in those sections where the sup plying furnace sells on a Pittsburgh basis, though considerably distant, as in eastern Pennsylvania.
 Steel output in September with two days less has exceeded that of Aug ust. A marked improvement in the quality of coke is reported and some headway is thus being made on the pledge of the trade to increase out put 10 per cent. The Carnegie Steel Co., maintained this week its 92 per cent of furnace capacity in blast last week and it's rate of ingot production was SIS per cent against 97.5 per cent for the previous week. The in- dustry enters October, always good month, under generally suspicious conditions.
 Although it may have no connec- ton, it is interesting at least at the time when signal successes have been won at the fighting fronts, the War Industry board has decided not to ex- tend aid to the Woodward Iron Go. in building the self-contained steel ! mill projected at Woodward Ala. The specific reason reported is lack of pressure in demand for ship shapes. Two or three other projects aiming at increasing pig iron capacity, but reaching a producing basis, have similarly not been looked upon with favor.