The sun., 1918-09-19
UNION AGITATION
STIRS STEEL MEN
Fear Attempts to Close "open
Shop" May Take Control
Out Of Their Hands.
WAGES NOT AN ISSUE
''IrOn Age" Points to Efforts
Being Made to Bring Gov
eminent Interference.
WAGES NOT AN ISSUE

Important steel manufacturers ara
viewing with apprehension the labor
situation, which has REACHED a stage
that is giving much alarm to the officers
Of the largest companies.
No friction is reported between the
steel manufacturers and the working
men with regard to wages, which are
now the highest on record, but the work
of labor leaders in advising the union
| izing and organization Of workers at
plants which have heretofore been op-
Grated under the, open shop system has
created conditions which will. according
| to steel company officials. take control
| of the industry out of their hands. This
movement has been given Some encour-
asement from Washington. according 10
certain steel manufacturers, who add
that there might be temporary shut
downs due to grievances at a time when
the Governments needs require the util-
cation Of all the energy of the steel in
dustrY.
attempts TO bring steel plants under
the rulings of the National War Labor
Board continue" according to the Iron
Age, land the situation is tense, not 80
much from actual differences between
the manufacturers and employees as
from efforts from without to raise is-
sues that will bring Government inter-
ference"
With regard to the growing require
ments OF the Government in conjunction
with the advance Of American troops in
France this authority says:
"The close relation between steel
works output in the United States and
the steady pushing forward Of American
lines In France has been emphasized
In the past week. Manufacturers OF
barbed wire were called to Washington
to plan for quickly increasing output
after many weeks OF restricted produc-
ton. The entire capacity. which is 90
O00,tons a month, may soon be engaged
Besides American requirements a new
call has come for $4,000 tons for Italy
and $1,000 tons for Great Britain, and
the latter amount may be increased to
900 tons.
"One Pittsburg mill, on an urgent or
der for eighty pound rails for France
received last Wednesday, rolled 10000
tons before the end of the week. There
Is an entirely unprecedented volume Of
she'll steel orders: sheets are wanted in
large quantities for trench shelters and
rolling kitchens. and in all ways the
needs Of the American Army have been
pressed upon the steel mills until FOR
one week the incessant call for ship
Plates mas become an unuertOne.
In commenting on the move for higher
prices for steel and iron products the
Iron Age says:
There has been a week OF meetings
in New York preparatory to the quar-
terly price conference in Washington,
now set for September 10 instead of the
day preceding. Lake Superior iron ore
producers, particularly underground
miners. have formulated their argument
companies have come together for the
first time and will be represented q,
the price table. Wire companies have
agreed that barbed wire should be all
vanced IS a ton and nails by Ike
amount The smaller steel makers who
buy their pig iron and who reprcse1.
about 10 per cent. OF the finished ma
terial output in important lines viii
make stronger appeal than at aIY
previous conference.
Foundry pig iron producers decided
at their meeting last Thursday that their
case must be presented separately at
steel committee. Regional prices are be-
ing agitated and the Southern furnace
companies are especially ineisteut
AT Washington, while the cry stil
goes up for greater production. there
Is little encouragement to the pleas
for higher prices, though some producers
both of pig iron and finished steel, az
claiming that in the last quarter Of the
year their costs will be higher than
present prices"