New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-17
Think Change
IN Steel Wage
Policy Is Near
announcement Is Believed
I.ikeIy the Coming Week;
Nav BE Reduction or a
Sweeping REIMBURSEMENT
Gee Hint of 3-Hour Dav
Increased Activity in Mills
for Some Time Is Expect
ed: More Dizziness Later.

s>1fffH+ fffSff"ttt 't nc ! 'toHTe
plrTSRU RGH. April i6. All interest,
- steel circles aow centers in the next
aye to be n,ade by Judge Gary, which
4 is asticirated Will come shortly and
shich viii be some sort of wage re-
adjustment. There is to be meeting of
me directors o. the United States Steel
Corporation ia New York carly in the
week. and out Of this meeting it is he
Neyed may come some announcement
a. uolcy IN respect to wages and hours.
II it were a simple proposition of
cutting wages By certain percentage
me interest ia the industry would be
only passing, but it is generally be-
aesed here that something more I'M
uc-tant than wage reduction will come
IRON, the Judge. something more revo-
Ir,ionary than anything which mas oc-
cared in the industry in long while.
Leading steel men here look for any
thing from q big wage cut to the abol-
,shn.ent Of the twelve-hou day and the
Institution OF the three shift day in the
industry. and consequent complete
realgnment of the entire wage sys-
teu,. To say that they are interested
would be TO put 1t mildly.
Trial of Eight-Hour Day
The .welve-hour day in the steel in
dassry is as old as the industry and
exists by reason of the nature of the
soYk to be done in making iron and
steel The elght-hour day has never
been proved applicable, although it has
seen tried on numerous occasions, per-
haps the longest sustained effort hav-
ing been under the regime Of the late
andrew Carnegie. who instituted the
short day here in the late SOS, but was
forced to abandon the experiment. after
several years. it is said, by the demands
Of the men themselves, who wanted to
earn more pay and who realized that
the long day does not involve either
continuous or hard work, but merely
represent being ION duty" for the pc
rod OF twelve hours. with brisk work
at regular intervals during that time
and but little 10 do in between.
The announcement of reduction of
prices this week by the Ste ell Corpo l.
ton TO the level established some
months a. by the independents was
received as signal of reviving bust
ness. although no one expected that re-
vival TO occur Immediately as the price
reduction Is but the first step of the
corporation in it's task of getting down
from war levels. Wage reductions must
come next. say leading operators here,
not only in the steel industry, but
throughout all industry and transport
tation. and freight rate reductions
must follow. When all these steps
have been taken it is anticipated that
industry will be on q basis for gather
ing up its strength to go ahead to
great activity.
President James A. Campbell, Of the
Youngstown Sheet =; Tube Co.. ex
presses the opinion that the price re-
duction by the Steel Corporation will
serve to stimulate buying. He be-
lieves that considerable tonnage has
been held up, pending this adjustment.
BE does not expect rush business, how
wer. even at the lower prices, view
hared by executives of other indepen-
dents. A considerably increased in
flow Of new business is anticipated,
however.
Expect New Dull Period
An opinion frequently heard is that
after moderate seasonal buying has
run its course, there will be a period
Of dulness in July and August, follow
ing which the buying will steadily
climb. The market will gather
strength until the beginning of 1922,
It is believed. which will mark the
commencement of a sustained era Of
good business. From all indications,
though, 1921 viii be lean year in the
Industry
slow schedule is in operation at
the Homestead Steel Works and the
Duquesne plant this week, "a, several
Of the mills are down in the Home
foad 4.
n operation on a four and five day
owing to the ten hour day, which was
recently put in operation at the big
plants.
Three blast furnaces at the Home
stead and the same number at the Du-
quesne plants are down and there is no
Indication that the furnaces Will re
sumo operation soon. Several of the
open-hearth furnaces are down for re-
PAIRS, but expect to be ready for oper-
alton By the first of the week.
industrial activity in the Shenango
valley reached its lowest level in many
Years this week with the closing of the
unpiate and sheet mills of the Amer
can Sheet and Tinplate Com pany at
Farrell. The ly'improvement noted
was the increased production at the
Nheatland plant of the Sharon Pressed
Steel Company, which Us making auto
mobile frames for the Haynes Automo-
Ollie Company.
Joy Over Resumption
The news that sixteen hot mills Of
sne American Steel and Tinplate Com
ssny, Farrell works, are to resume on
Nay has been received with elation.
.. me only plant of the United States
a'eei Corporation that is now operating
n Sharon and Farrell is the works of
tne American Steel and Wire Company
/ a. farrell- 1t is running three days a
week. The National Malleable Casting
pant IS running only two and onehalf
aays week and this schedule will be
maintained for the next several weeks.
The Sharon steel hoop plant was
saosed in every department this week,
~ 1t is expected that one or two fin
sq,ng mills will be on next week.
FURTHER curtailment of the operations
y the Cambria Steel Company at
ssennstown was made this week. The
cambria plant is operating about 40
ms cent OF its normal capacity. The
sampany officials announce that further
sastailment of the operations is due to
Tightening of the steel market and a
''aseauent falling off in orders.
march shipments were substantially
- excess of those in February with
SS.seeeaiiy all of the major indepen-
sssa's here. 1t is expected April. from
-. ass current inflow of new business, will
NV NV moderate gain over March. The
a ,rslch gain IN shipments over February
sssaged from 33 to so per cent, with
several interests.
Pay Roll Shows Decline
continued expansion is noted in the