New-York tribune., 1920-12-26
Steel Industry
ShowingTrend
ToLongerDay
Big Independent Adopts r.
and O-Hour Schedule
After q Year and a Half
ON the Hour Period
Special Dispatch to Tbs Tribune


PITTSBURGH. Pa, Dec. 25.-Condi-
tions in the steel industry during the
last week can best be described as
milling around" to use an expression
familiar to readers Of Western cattle
ranch stories. Out Of sh!s process of
movement within q confined area is ex-
pected eventually to come an opening
for a clear path into the year 1921.
How soon the road will be open cannot
be forecast, but expressions in the
Offices of the leading indie ependents here
indicate hopefulness that it will be
early in the spring.
Several events mark the last week.
probably the most significant is the re-
turn Of the Inland Steel Company, q
big Western independent, to the
twelve hour and ten-hour day after CIV
ing the elght-hour day try-out for a
year and half. From Chicago comes
the information that decision to restore
the long day on January l resulted
from the excessive high cost of main
tanning the short day under present
conditions plus dissatisfaction of the
men with the eight-hour day"
The cost Of the short day is obvious.
but the dissatisfaction of the workers
with it will strike the average reader
as unusual, after all he has heard in
the last several years about the ideal
character OF to eich- hour day. The
TACT OF the matter is that the short -
means cNnsl-tlaD.e ulm4nution of in
come to the worker, with a proportion
ate increase of idle time. The average
steel worker throughout the industry
seems to prefer the longer time with
greater pay, especially when he receives
time and-a half for all over eight hours.
as this means eleven hours pay for ten
hours work and fourteen hours pay for
twelve hours work
Not Excessive Toll
Contrary to the belief of manv not
familiar with the labor conditions in
ehe steel industry, the long days do not
mean excessive toll as The employment
IS either of a nature which reuu res
hard work only at intervals OF everv
oy system of 'helpers" that the bur
den is divided among crew by q
system of spelling off"
The elght-hour day has drawbacks
from the standpoint of the manufac-
tCrer For example, in mills where
twelve-hour crews have been EMPLOYED
1T means an increase of SO per cent in
the number Of men employed, with con-
sequent housing problems to confront
the employer. A leading Pittsburgh
manufacturer declared here Yesterday
that the straight eight-hour day of
three shifts each would enta an out
lay OF several millions of dollars for
new houses for the extra workers re-
CURED. Another factor that enters into
the situation IS tho difficulty in time
of acute labor shortage of obtaining
enough men to man three shifts, and
OF being able to amalgamate them into
the organization and hold them without
undue labor turnover.
At the present moment the mills Of
the United States Steel Corporation,
being busy day and night, enjoy the ad-
vantage of being able to point out to
employees that there is plenty Of work
ahead for them without pay reductions
and under ideal conditions of employ
ment. Every opportunity to emphasize
this advantage is being sought by
superintendent of corporation mills in
order to smooth out and obliterate any
latent discomfort which may have re-
named as a result of the steel strike.
Price Situation Unchanged
In the matter Of prices there is no
change in the situation which was not
ant cipated in these columns some
weeks since. The most important de-
velopment is the dropping of prices on
steel rails by two or three of the inde-
pendents, who manufacture them to the
level of the industrial boards schedule,
which is the basis Of the steel corpora
tion mills also.
Pipe continues to hold up above the
industrial board level and will do SO
until the market begins to be satisfied
when, of course, it will drop down
quietly to the same level as other steel
commodities. AS time passes it be-
comes more evident that lower level
than that of the industrial board is not
to be hoped for by buyers, and for that
reason it is anticipated that soon after
the first of the year the more fore
sighted o. them will commence placing
orders so as to be sure of prompt de-
liveres when the country starts for
ward on its new march of progress
during the year. The country is known
to be badly in need Of all the steel
which can be produced by all the steel
companies for q long time to come
which is the soundest reason for the
manufacturers expecting a resumption
OF normal conditions within few
months, or as soon as labor costs and
other production matters have been ad-
Justed and settled uniformly and salts
factorily.
Business Prospects Dull
Iron and steel manufacturers in the
Shenango Valley see 70 prospects Of
any improvement in business until
after the first of the coming year. A
majority Of the steel men are optimis-
tic OF the future, but are unable te
state when the mills will again be
operating at normal capacity.
A further reduction in the output of
pig iron took place this week when the
Shenango Furnace Company closed
down its third smelter. This was the
first time since the Company was or
ganized that it was compelled to close
all three stacks at the same time.
United States Steel Corporation mills
IA Farrell continue to operate at about
90 per cent of capacity. The outlook
is good for steady work
1t Is stated authoritatively that there
Will be no Waro reduction annourcaa