The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-11
SHUTDOWN OF STEEL
 INDUSTRY THREATENED

Washington, July 10.--A shutdown of steel mills is threatened because of car shortage, representatives of more than 6 a score of steel manufacturers today Informed the interstate commerce com mission. Daniel Willard. chairman of 3the advisory committee of the Associa- tion of Railway Executives, who also appeared before the commission. was equally insistent, however, that any general suspension of industry would be averted, and that improvement was possible in the steel trade
 The steel mills are blocked with products, many closed and others will be before July 20 unless some relief can be had declared J. F. Townsend, spokesman for the steel men, who ex- plained that 2S.300 cars would be re- quired to move 1.500,000 tons of steel products. which are piled up awaiting shipment.
 MT. Willard conceded that practically l all space available for storing steel was ! in use, but predicted that the mills "can { be kept going by the shippers and the ! local car service committees co-operat- ing in the daily assignment of available cars.
 q believe there win not be any gen eral shutdown of industry" declared MT. Willard in this connection. 'The situation. bedieve. will not get any worse and I believe we can make it better"
 MT Townsend and MT Willard were among the halfscore witnesses appear ing at the closing session of the com missions hearing on possible modified tion of it's order requiring preference to be given coal mines east of the Mis- sissippi in the assignment of open top cars. No indication of the commission's probable action was given at adjourn ' ment. Chairman Clark announcing that the question would be taken under ad- visement.
 URGES COOPERATION
 Addressing the shippers. the chairman declared the commission realized the ut ter impossibility'' of pleasing all of them, but he urged that they follow the suggestion of MT Willard to attempt so- lution of car service through co-opera- tion between them and the railroad of ficials. Through such cooperation. Mir. Willard had predicted that half the trouble could be eliminated.
 By the shippers and the railroads. act ing through local car service commit- tees MT. Willard expected it would not be necessary to prevent all movement of building materials, and that materials could be moved for the highway repairs, maintenance and construction of essen- tial connecting road links. Such trans portation, he anticipated, could be had on the return of the open top equipment to the mines.
 ~There has been no harmonizing ef- fort between the carriers and shippers to get the best out of the situation de- clared Mir. Willard. adding that the forth coming wage award was expected to bring improvement in the transportation situation. With labor difficulties ended. MT. Willard asserted the roads will move e much as in the past-i917 1918 or 1919.
 YSUNnAycTnNy EAuAnEn
 Extension of the commission order for thirty days beyond July 21. it's original expiration date. was favored by Mir. Will lard while the steel men at the hearing did not commit themselves. but asked the order be so interpreted as to permit them to receive a part of the open tor equipment.
 pointed to the necessity of rushing coa U northern Michigan. Wisconsin. Mime sota- North and South Dakota while lakt transportation was available.
 Plans for the movement of the coal tt this territory will be considered at ( meeting of coal operators here Monda, and Tuesday and by the railway execu ives at New York Wednesday,.
 Shortage of railroad equipment wa. frequently referred to during the hearing Mr. Willard declaring it was impossible to get more cars or locomotives immedi Ately. Mir Townsend predicted that thu present. shortage. together with the coun trys future needs. was such as to re quire addition of 1.000.000 cars to tn, < roads equipment in the next five years This equipment, MT. Townsend said would cost more than $s.0oo. .00o. .O0O. Details by districts of the accumula ton of steel products were given by Mir Townsend. his figures showing almos half of the waiting tonnage to be in tn T1ttsburg-J ohnstown district. Backinl ID ths plea of the steel men. Edwar, F. Shelf of the Standard Oil Comran, of New Jersey urged that gondola car be excspted from the commission's or der.