New-York tribune., 1921-11-20
Steel Industry
Tries to Keep
Mills Running
Slackening of Orders Is
Spur to Statesmen and
Operations So Far Have
Been Well Maintained
Betterment i'm Some Lines
Weakness in Standard Ba-
sic Pig Iron One of the
Features of Market Week
spsctoI Dispatch to Tho Tribune

PITTSBURGH, November 10.
TIME steel industry is moving
now into period of less activ-
ity than has characterized it
for the past several weeks and the
slow-up has resulted in bringing
orders to within few days Of mill
schedules, so that there is race on
among steel statesmen to keep the
mills in operation. So far the oper-
ations have been fairly we'll sus-
tanned, but no one can say whether
this condition will remain or whether
there will be another revival of buy
ing within a short time. Finishing
mill schedules throughout the dis
trict are holding at close to go rer
cent, which was the percentage of
the last couple Of weeks.
Heavier products are still weak and
prices show no irming tendency in
view of lack of demand. Amono the
ilghter products sheets are scarcely
holding their own, though tinplate Is
being inquired for by the larger can
makers for their 1922 requirements.
All tin plate now moving Is on the basis
Of $4.75 per base box.
One OF the most significant develop
ments in the iron market lately Is the
weakness in standard basic pig iron,
which is generally quotable at sic. and
would probably be sold for less. In
tact some resale tonnage is reported 10
have moved at $3.50. Until several
weeks ago steel works interests held
out for $40. In lew of this situation
Trumbull Steel Company has deferred
starting the new Trumbull-Cliffs blast
furnace for the time being and is In
the market for round tonnage of pig
iron: The big Trumbull furnace may
not be started until next spring.
Homestead Mill Actipe
Industrial conditions In Homestead
Steel Works and the Duquesne plant
took still brighter hue this week, and
most Of the men in the plant are work
ing five days week with the exception
Of he Armor plate department, which
is on q slow schedule of about three
days a week.
1t is reported that another blast fur
mace Of the Carrie Furnaces will soon
be blown in and from now on there will
be steady Improvement in Homestead d
and Duquesne plants.
The plate mills at Homestead are In
operation and ffty-three open hearth
furnaces which is an exceptional record
since the depression. With the excep-
tion of few mills the big plants are
in full operation.
Orders secured by the Standard
Tank Car Corporation of Sharon with
in the last few days will mean the EN-.
ployment of between 400 and 500 addi-
tional men and the steady operation of
the paint for the remainder of this
year. John Stevenson jr., president of
the corporation, states that the COM
pany is figuring on additional work that
undoubtedly will keep the works run
ming for an indefinite period.
The American Steel Foundries have
started two of their plants at East St.
Louis, ILL.,, and Alliance. Ohio, ard it is
believed that within a short time the
Sharon, Pa, plant, which has been idle
for two years, will be ordered on. The
company makes railroad equipment
Orders recently came to dismantle two
of the older open hearth furnaces, but
with the four new ones the Sharon
plant can work at capacity.
The Sharon Steel Hopp Company
this week operated four finishing mills
an increase Of one over the preceding
week.