New Britain herald., 1918-04-20
Steel and Pig
Iron Markets

Plate mills, put to a test Of their
ability to supply the shipyards, have
shown remarkable outputs, more than
10, 200 tons Of plates having been
turned out in one April week. At this
rate the mills will oe caught up on
sE,pyard deliveries early in May. The
coming of Charles M, Schwab into
the government service director
general Of the Emergency Fleet cor
poration will mean a further speeding
OF effort that is full of promise.
This week most plate mills are rum
! ming ice per cent. on government and
| Ally work, save such part Of their pro-
| duct as in ordinary pra ctice cOnnot
meet skip requirements. Great Bri-
| tain is getting 5000 tons of plates q
| week to apply on the 100000 tons her
! Yards are to have in return for Brit
| ish advances of munitions and other
| steel to the American army in France.
Definite moves will be made this
! week on the project for the greatest
| american gun plant, which the gov
| ernment and the steel corporation will
! carry out in cooperation, the latter
| building the steel works. The Pitts
| burgh district is a suggested location
| and great projectile plant is to be
| in the country will be provided.
| Important steel companies in the
| Central West have notified their Gus
| toners that they must concentrate on
| government work for the time being,
| a 30-day period being named in some
| cases. There is a closer sitting all
| along the line among both producers
| AND consumers of steel of govern
ment work from commercial work,
| and the amount of the latter is steadily
| decreasing.
/ Car awards are still DELAYED, to the
| ieopardizing of deliveries of fuel and
| all war material later in the year.
| The proposal is now to build many
more cars of wood than has been
| planned In view of the new designs,
| few cars can now be had before
| August.
The situation has been complicated
| by the appeal of the Shipping board
to the railroad administration to cut
| down substantially the tonnage of
| plates it has been figuring on for cars,
namely $4,000. The shipping board S
claim that the use of that amount of
plates in cars will seriously interfere
with the ship program is strongly dis
puted by steel makers.
How much bridge and building work
has dwindled is indicated in the March
statistics of the Bridge builders and
Structural society. Less than $4,000
tons of such work was placed last
month against theoretical capacity
Of 10000 tons. This is the first time
in seven or eight years that the
March volume of business has been
less than that of January or February
and clearly indicates that no special
activity is planned for the building
season
War necessities however. continue
to develop and for its extensions to it's
Harrison and Syracuse plants the
! crucible Steel Co. of America has
closed for $500 tons Of steel, while
about 5000 tons is active at the
/ railroad extension in Brooklyn for
which the Bethlehem Steel Bridge
corporation is the low bidder. All OF
| $500 tons willie be required for 1.100,-
| 900 angle stakes for wire entangle'
! ments for the army.
! Cotton tie prices for 1918 have just
| been announced. with no effort to
t gloss over the fact Of uniform price.
At $3.50 per bundle of 40 h.. the new
price is 81 a ton below the 1917
| basis, being In harmony with the fixed
| prices on other forms of steel.
Wire mills are being adjusted to a
lessened scale of operations, some so
: per cent. and some 60 or 20 per cent,
in view of the turning Of 80 large a
part of the steel ingot supply to war
needs. The long-pending $4,000 tons
| of barb wire for Italy has been placed
--25, 900 tons to one company, 5000
tons to another. 5000 tons to a third,
with 5000 tons divided among three.
The war industries board Is urging
the railroad administration to take
Bessemer steel rails instead Of open
hearth as far a possible for this year S
renewals, so that all the open hearth
steel needed may be availavle
for shells and other war requiem ents.
Somewhat lighter rail sections are also
suggested so as to conserve steel. With
expected pruning, the total of do
nestle rails called for this year may
not exceed the total rolltngs of 1917
which included some large export
orders.
There has been some comm ot on
over the payment Of commissions by
consumers on pig iron bought through
merchant firms. ruling has been
made at Washington forbidding the
/ paym ent of pig-iron commissions.
l Tin consumers in all lines have been
called to Washington for daily con-
| ferenceS this week Conservation of