Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-27
PRlCE-FIXING ON RAILS
HAS BEEN POSTPONED
No Reason Assigned by Gov
!. ernment Representatives for
Calling Off Conference
New York, July q

New York. July 81.
It had been expected that the steel
last week, and when it became known
past week. and when it became known
that the steel men were to confer with
the war Industries board in Washington
on Thursday, the belief was firm that
some announcement would be forth
coming.
1.-The meeting, however. was called OF
by the Government representatives. No
reason was ascribed for postponing the
meeting and the fact that no definite
date has been set has caused much
speculation in steel circles as to when
this matter will be finally out of the way.
The rail situation, so far as can be
learned, is still ''in the air" The Bethe-
hem Steel Corporation and the Midvale
Steel and Ordnance Company are still
opposing the price which is favored by
the majority of the steel men handling
the situation, and it is likely that the
entire matter eventually will be left in
the hands of the Washington authorities.
In favor of the two objeCtinS inter-
ests the point is made that shell steel
Il just as essential to the country at
present as rails, and the fact that a
higher price is being paid for the first
named naturally gives their objections
some foundation.
& That the rail question will have to be
settled in the near future seems the posi-
tive belief in all quarters. 1t is as
serted that the railroads of the country
have not ordered rails for a year or
more, except in rare instances. and all
are in need of them. For this reason
Il IL expected that the railroad admin
iptration will place orders for large ton
nages as soon as an agreement Is reached
Steel mills in this country, as result
"a
filtration and the railroad adminlstra-
B fion. have been stocking up on coal and
the reserve supplies for the future have
increased materially in the last few
weeks. It is known that some plants
have Sufficient coal on hand to keep
operating for one to two months with
out receiving any additional fuel.
However, these plants will continue
the present practice so the coal
producers as well as the railroads of
the country will not be called upon for
such extraordinarily large amounts of
coal as in the last or even as in nor
NAL years. 1t Is significant that prac-
tically every steel plant in the COIntry
has taken steps along this line following
the requests mentioned.
There is some talk in equipment cir
cles of coming order for cars from
the Government This business, it il
said. Will be IN addltlOn TO the con
tracts already on the books Of the manu-
facturers. 1t is stated in these quarter
that equipment men who have been II
washington recently have returned con
vinced that plans ore forming for placin
orders for at least 100000 cars Thu
far nothing definite has been done, bu
action Is confidently expected in loca
quarters
An order of this size coming so clos
IS behind the contract on which the equiv
ment makers are now working will ca
: for a large amount of steel. No estimate
OF the needs can be made until the spec
Z hcations and classes Of cars to be order
ed are known, but the steel companies
no doubt, will be called upon for aG
ditional steel In this connection froi
dme to time.
The scrap situation continues acut,
There is not sufficient heavy melting ma
terial to supply the users, and the sub
committee of the American Iron an
Steel Institute is still securing the cour
try. and has been successful in locatin
and bringing out various tonnages. Th
work will be continued Indefinitely, it
4 stated.
No large structural orders were al
nounced in the week. but inquiries al
being made and II is considered like
that some big Government business wi
~ come out from time to time in come,
ton with the war activities of the Go
ornment