The sun., 1919-07-24
Ford Motor Co. and WHY'S
Overland Order 100000
Tons of Products.
BUYING NOT SLOWING UP
Possibility Of General Strike
Has Not Had Appreciate
Effect on Orders.

the next twelve months The order of
II amounts to so, 600 tons Of sheets and
approximately 100000 tons of bars,
shells, tubes and cold rolled STEEL The
Willys-Overland Company has signed an
order for approximately 125. 900 tons OF
all classes of steel. Both orders have
been hanging over the steel market for
some time.
While the possibility of a general
strike OF iron and steel workers has been
a very important unfavorable develop
ment in the trade during the last week,
1t has not caused a slow down OF steel
and steel products buying to any appre-
ciable extent. according to the weekly
reviews. New business in some products
is being accepted at a much faster pace
than the mills are turning out those
products, II Is declared. In connection
with the labor unrest, It Is said that some
manufacturers are planning to blow In
idle blast furnaces very soon, with
view of piling up production against
possible winter strike.
1.-THE possibility of a strike at iron and
steel works has doomed up in the past
week." says the Iron Age, but it has not
slowed down buying. and new business
in a number OF important products Is still
going on the books at rate considerably
exceeding the current output OF the
mills.
DO Not Expect Serious strike.
"The fact that labor unrest is world
wide has made the decision reached at
Pittsburg for strike vote In twenty
four unions represented at iron and
steel works more threatening than II
would ordinarily be. The great majority
of steel workers are not members OF
unions Apart from some organized
blast furnace employees and the Anal
gamated Association. which takes in
workers in iron rolling mills, and por-
ton of the sheet and tin plate mill
workers, the unions in iron and steel
works are chiefly those OF olacksmiths,
machinists, molders, carpenters, cleo
trical workers and other auxiliary
trades Numerically all such workers,
union and non-union, are relatively
small part OF the total Of iron and steel
works employees. In cases where the
workers are we'll organized a strike by
them might close down some steel
making departments.
The present outlook is that IL n strike
Is voted II will not be general or serious.
At the same time some producers are
recognizing a new hazard in planning
Tor the last quarter Of the year.
Looking forward to the early winter
months and to the chances of interrupted
operation then. due to labor shortage or
to strikes. a few owners are planning
to blow In idle furnaces soon, even
though some of the iron made in the
next Ave months Is piled.
"Pig iron output Is increasing with
each week. Birmingham and the Chicago
district adding a total OF FIVE furnaces
to the active list in the week,
Close Big Contracts.
THE long pending WHY'S Overland
contract for 125,000 tons of various
forms OF steel, deliveries over twelve
months, is reported closed. as is pre-
sumably the large Ford tonnage. which
has been under negotiation for some
weeks.
Export steel orders for the three
weeks OF July have not held up TO the
June rate, yet leaders in the trade ex-
pect a large export movement through
out the year. particularly II there is an
effort TO increase general imports from
Europe and thus check the fall in
sterling and other exchange.
Railroad material is noteworthy In
the export trade. A total of 5000 cars
is wanted for France and 1850 for
Cuba OF over 400 lately bought, $50
tive Company has taken orders for
twenty-three locomotives, two for Chile.
six for Argentina, twelve for Java and
three for Formosa. Japan has bought
1880 boxes of tin plate. Representa-
tives of the Rumanian Government are
in this country arranging. among other
things, to buy $4,000 tons Of bridge
work
"Skelp mills in the central West are
losing some business because of full
order books practically for the rest Of
the year. Pipe makers are besieged with
additional Inquiries The Sun OH Com
pany wants 800 miles of eight inch pipe.
The Texas Company 100 miles of twelve
inch pipe and smaller pipe and seventy
miles of eight inch pipe. The Okla
homa Natural Gas Company has bought
| thirty-five miles of sixteen inch line and
Is In the market for fifteen miles of
| twelve and three-quarter inch pipe.
Some FIRST quarter Of 1920 business has
| been booked"
Business Increases Steadily.
The manifest propaganda of union
labor agitators" says the Iron Trade Re
vteto, being carried on in the daily
press has failed to impart the slightest
effect upon the iron and steel market
| Business moves FORWARD IN growing
volume, which Is being spread over an
| increasing number of consuming classes
and production Is working closer steadily
to tho capacity line
| Some OF the largest interests with
widely diversified production now are
operated on full schedule. The industry
10 inclined TO discount greatly the
extravagant claims OF union organizers
who have been at work among the mill
| forces for some months. and 1t recalls
the failure of similar efforts in the
past, because the workmen have with
held their sympathies from such move
ment. This confidence of the industry
arises largely from the fact that the
1 question of higher wages is not in
volved. inasmuch as employees have
been kept at maximum wage level OF
about 140 per cent. above the pre- wal
basis. notwithstanding the decline OF
| IS to 81 per cent in iron and steel
| prices since the armistce period. Dis
/, tribution has been made to various mills
! OF contracts for upward of $780, 900 tons
OF bars, sheet, tubes and cold rolled
steel, representing twelve months re-
| quirements by two large auto interests
| in Detroit and Ohio territory. The sheet
tonnage placed by one OF these builders
the Ford Motor Company. is reported
at 10000 tons, with about one-half as
much to the other buyer"
Dismisses Oregon Lumber Case.
| WAsHIfyoroN, July ga A3oyern.