The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-03
JUNE MARKS TURN
IN STEEL INDUSTRY
Production Of Pig Iron Shows
/, Corner Has Been Rounded
Toward Improvement.
OUTPUT GAINS STEADILY
Reviews Say Adjustment Of
Consumers to Present
Prices Apparent.

The steel and iron industry has turned
the corner. Weekly reviews OF trade
journals are agreed on that point The
figures of production for June In the
mig iron department of the big steel
PRODUCERS show that the tide has turned
definitely, they declare. and every week
shows a strengthening tendency through
out the industry.
.June definitely turned the tide In
the iron and steel industry toward bet
ter and more stabilized conditions"
saws the Iron Age Trade Revieto, "and
the evidence of this fact grows with
each passing week. Tho cumulative
effects of the recent period Of freer
buying are marked not only by the
steadily mounting line OF production.
but, what is more important, by the ap-
parent adjustment Of consumers to pre-
. sent level prices
'sThe latter factor Is resulting In a
continuous and Increasing movement In
/ placIng future wants under contracts
! and in ordering out tonnage for imme-
dite use.
"Blast furnace activities for June fur
nish another index to the upturn OF the
steel industry. The steady decline Of
production, dating from September, 1918,
was broken The June daily average
was 7O.557 tons against 1891 tons in
May. Steel works production gained
73,i3s tons over May. but merchant out
put lost 63,332 tons. Furnaces in blast
on the last day Of June were 200,
against 1877 on the corresponding date
in May. Covered by a range OF 20 to
rs per cent of capacity. steel corpora
tlon activities are on a slightly higher
plane than that of the Independents.
Pig Iron Sales in June.
"sales of pig iron in June. based on
careful canvass, are shown to have
totalled about 1,250,000 tons This sum-
mary credits about $4,000 tons to
Cleveland sellers, 100000 to Buffalo.
100000 to 100000 to Chicago. 100000
TO eastern Pennsylvania and Virginia,
100000 to 10000 to the South. 40 900
to SO, 900 to Pittsburg and the remainder
TO southern Ohio and scattered districts.
Probably nine-tenths of this aggregate
was made UP OF foundry and malleable
grades. The total for June sales be-
comes more significant when It Is borne
in mind that the entire output of mer-
chant iron in 1913 was 9.490.000 tons"
June pig iron output shows definitely
the turn in the industry" says the Iron
Age. For the thirty days the total was
2,l14,563 gross tons, or 70,4s5 tons a
day. against 2,10s.056 tons in May. or
5000 tons a day. Seventeen furnaces
blew in and twelve blew out last month.
gain of five. and estimated capacity
active on July was 71.700 tons day
for 200 furnaces, against $500 a day
for 1876 on June l.
THE gain in output last month was
the first check to a steady decline in the
daily average from the high point
reached in September. 1918. OF 1929
tons. From 372 furnaces in blast on
September / of last year the shrinka ge
was III in nine months to 1876 on June
l. The gain of 2 500 tons a day in pro-
duct!on last month over the average in
May is likely to be carried further In
July.
"Pittsburg producers estimate that
new orders sent to the mills for rolling
In June and June specifications against
contracts were SO per cent. heavier thar
IN May. while in wire and tubular prod.
octs they were nearly double,
Labor Shortage Is Feared.
"a shortage OF labor is looming up a.
more than a possibility In the centra
West, some producers there questioning
whether blast furnace and steel work
forces will be adequate for the scale
OF operations they consider likely in the
fall months. Many more workers arr
planning to return to Europe, and a
some blast furnaces a scarcity of com
mon labor Is noticed already. Idle mer
at the gates of steel mills are nov
scarcely a factor.
Interest In railroad buying has beer
hndled through a few inquiries. Two
roads want twenty-five locomotives eacl
and one OF them Is in the market fol
10 tank cars. Incidentally. the Rail
road Administration opposes the uniform
practice of quoting on Pittsburg basis
demanding mill quotations. A rein
statement with a Chicago builder ha
been made Of 525 military cars 70
France
Glasgow bought 5000 tons of stree
railroad rails from the Omitted State
Steel Products Company at FIT 9s
against a British tender Of ffe Is. Cd
The action OF the United State
Shipping Board in granting a low rat
on railroad equipment to South Afric;
II Is hoped will be followed by othe
Concessions which will help American
manufacturers to extend their foreigl
trade In last weeks shipments on re
cent orders placed by the Government
Of the Netherlands, Colonial Department,
were 500 tons OF steel forgings Will
$4,000 tons OF bars. plates. shapes an
sheets are now going and 5000 tons o
rails will soon follow. An order for so
steel mine cars for the Dutch Eas
Indies, TO be used IN mining tin, ha
been placed with a Cleveland company
sales OF foundry and malleable iro
In June In the Central West exceeds
the amount OF business done In an
month this year.
Activity In last half of the year COX
continues and the market Is twenty-fiv
cents a ton higher on furnace an
foundry grades.
Sims Petroleum Offering.