New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-03
improvement i'm Demand for
Finished Commodities.
Including Tinplate, Like
iy to Help Industry, Belief
Further Cost Cuts Needed
Reduction ia Prices All
Along Line Believed Like.
sy; Requirements Large
Special DispctcA to The yr;b.,,e

sada steel Company, and a director of
the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Com
panys believes there will be an upturn
IN certain finished steel comm odities
oelore the end of the year, among them
piates' saests, pipe and tinplate, which
VIII react faynrably upon the industry.
/ Mr. Butler, one of the oracles of the in
dusfry IN the Mahoning Valley, de-
elares there must be further cost re-
eessions before liquidation is completed
/ ana states that prices generally on
semi-hnished and fnished lines will
seek proportionate new levels. He de-
eiares that 8 REIMBURSEMENT in freight
rates by the railroads is essential to
business recovery, pointing OUT that
foreign competitors in Germany and
/ france do not have so formidable a
problem IN assembly charges as Amer
| lean makers.
:. "A reduction of prices all along the
line appears likely in view Of the
fact that sheets and wire products have
! oeen openly reduced and other stabil-
| lzed quotations are being generally
oisfegarded both by manufacturers and
consumers. One of the rnest hopeful
elements IN the current situation, from
the standpoint of the manufacturer. ia
! IN ths large overhanging requirements
ana the low stocks both in jobbers' and
consumers warehouses. This situa-
s'oh mas been brought about through
protfacted period Of very modera
ana cautious buying on tho part of the
larger interests.
| Materials in Demand
Materials entering into building
obstruction are IN strongest demand
| ant ~, j
! standard merchant pipe in the smaller
I dimensions, wire, rods, nails, bolts and
! sheets. Due to the impending suspen-
! SION OF sheet mills OPERATING under
the Amalgamated Association of Iron.
Steel and Tin Workers rules, produe-
ton of such units jumped about 20
! per cent this week over the week be-
] tore. 4 short period OF idleness in
| union sheet and tinplats mills is an
parently inevitable in view Of the fa}i-
! ufe TO reach an agreement on the
wage contract, to supersede the exist
ing agreement which expired on
June 80. A conference between inter
| ested manufacturers and representa-
tves Of employees will be held Juiy s
| at Columbus, when it is expected that
! the differences which arose at the AZ
lantle City conference will be adjusted.
Since the reduction Of IS per ton in
| inquiries have been received by maxi
ers, but there has been little improve
| lnent IN the actual placement of orders
Fuii hn1shed sheets have stabilized at
lower levels, receding from the 5.2Oc
nominal quotation. and one important
maker IS booked ahead for a month
| on orders from automobile makers. The
hew level for 22-gauge is 4.95c. 1t is re-
ported that some sheet tonnage has
I bean sold a..
! cent reduction, such reports quoting
black sheets at 3.50c and galvanized at
4.5oc Business at these prices was
| limited, however, largely to stock items
! and did not involve future production.
FabEicators whose products are used
! n the building trades report an accel-
eration IN new orders, principally the
Truseon Steel Company, where an Off
hcla stated that operations are TO be
expanded to meet the ratio of inflow of
orders. Another large fabricating in
terest, however, the William B. Pol
lock Company, is virtually suspended.
| II the past much Of it's work has been
! devoted to blast furnace construction
and repairs, which are at a minimum at
present. Still another, the Petroleum
1 Iron Works, has recently received an
order from the Sinclair Refining Com
pany, of Florence, Kan, for four 55,-
! 00U-barrel tanks, which will require
about 800 tons of plates.
/ Tinplate Business Slow
/ Expected improvement in tinplate
business Is slow in materializing and,
/ sssda from this weeks schedules, pro-
| ductiop has been limited to 20 per cent
| OF normal, between periods of actual
! suspensions.
1 Demand for merchant steel bars
I licrht xnS hue of
volume has been booked in several
weeks.
/ The steel market generally appears
weak and inactive, due to general trade
conditions rather than to criticism of
I prices, makers feel. They point out
that receding quotations bring many
commodities to level as low OR lower
than before the war, when considered
in connection with increased produc-
/ ton costs and carrying charges.
A Mahoning Valley maker states that
Belgian billets were recently offered
in Baltimore, duty paid, at S31.5o a
metric ton of 2,2o4 pounds, as cons
pared with minimum domestic price
of $35 gross ten. On this basis local
makers say they can compete adyan-
tageously for business from interior
consumers, but are at d disadvantage
in seeking tonnage from seaboard buy
ers because OF the freight charges from
this district to the East.
More mills are operating in the
Homestead steel works and the Du-
quesne plant this week, but the reports
are discouraging, as they indicate that
the mills will be down next week.
On Three-Day Schedule
The plate mills are working this
week in the Homestead steel works on
three-day schedule, while number of
the individual mills are not operating
at all. Also several of the open hearth
departments are closed.
While there are all kinds Of rumors
going around that one of the big Pitts
burgh plants will close down next week,
it was not verified by the officials
Operations in the Sharon district are
better than for some time. The Sharon
Steel Hoop Company, for the first time
since last January, operated practically
all of it's finishing mills. The eight,
nine, ten and fourteen-ineh mills were
started Monday morning and ran stead
lily all week, Officials of the company
were unable to state how long the
schedule would be continued The open
hearth furnaces are still idle.
The Whcatland plant of the Sharon |
Pressed Steel Company is operating at |