New-York tribune., 1921-03-20
Pitssburgh Trade Believes
That Independents Have
Touched the Bottom in
Prices, if Not in Wages
Expect Gary to Act Soon
Drift Of Business Away From
Steel Corporation May
Bring Change of Policy
Sv.e;al psspsscA 70 1'xs TnSsxs

70 make gains In operation, while th(
Mills Of the United States Steel Corpo-
rstion continued to slow down. DURING
this week the Pittsburgh Steel Com.
vsny, whose principal plant is .,
Monessen, Ps, showed resumption ur
10 somewhere between so and 20 be,
cent Of capacity, and signs were in evi.
dsnee that other independent mills are
sieking up. On the other hand. the
Steel Corporation mills have dropped
a rapidly, the most notable example
Il this being the big Farrell works o.
the Carnegie Steel Company. which
tonight closed down entirely for an
indefinite period, throwing several
tAssssnd men out of work.
lhese sfgns are taken here to mean
tAat the independents have touch cd
bottom in prices at least, whether in
wages are not, and are now turning up.
ssrd. The Steel Corporation has yet
70 reduce prices and adjust wages, but
leading manufacturers in this district
| predict freely that the present tend
. sucy of business toward the independ.
| ents and away from the corporation
| will bring the latter to decision with.
IN I short time.
Resumption Started
Additional departments of the Pitts.
burgh Steel Company, an independent
4 concern. were placed IN operation al
Monessen yesterday, which brings the
4 plant up to between so and 20 per cent
If its capacity. Both rod mills are now
4 in full operation, and six of the twelve
1 open hearth furnaces arc melting steel
/ The No. 2 wire mill also resumed.
This is the greatest resumption ai
tie plant of Che Pittsburgh Steel Com.
l pny since its close, just prior to The
4 holidays. The number of men now en-
l yloyed approximates 5000.
4 The Cambria Steel Company mills Of
/ tie Aidvale Steel and Ordnance Com
i pny at Johnstown are operating about
! 70 per cent Of normal capacity this
week, the same percentage as that OF
ast week, but it is understood there
l viii be a slight reduction in operation
Mxt week.
| Cambria is at present operating ten
open hearth furnaces out of twenty
xo at the Franklin plant; eight open
issrth furnaces, two Bessemer con-
wrters and four mills in the Cambria
plant. There are ten mills in opera
ton at the Gautier department. The
sire mill is operating at reduced
capacity.
The entire Farrell works Of the
rnegie Steel Company closed to-
night for an indefinite period.
Lack or orders" is the reason given
iog the suspension. Members of the
o6ee force of the plant were also
Notified that their work would cease
March 81.
The departments affected are No.
blast furnace, coke ovens, open hearth
f furnaces and the blooming mill. The
/ tselp mill and a part of the open
hearth department were closed last
Monday.
I The Farrell works of the Carnegie
1 sseel plant has worked uninterruptedly
ior many years.
1 Plants Of the carnegie Steel Com
sny are closed at Mingo Junction,
Hsllaire, Clarion and Columbus, while
others are affected in Youngstown,
htsburgh and other plants.
The Mcdonald and Lower Union
nllls Of the Carnegie Steel Company in
isungstown, Ohio, are virtually idle,
xsYld decline in the operating rate Of
ne Carnegie Steel Company in this
astzict has been one of the con-
peuous developments of the last
seek. The company has reduced the
ssEber At active blast furnaces in the
vho works, from six to two, while
pen hearth operations are barely hold
aEtheir own at so per cent. e
4 The Homestead Steel works and the
aquesne plant of the Carnegie Steel
ynpany have been hit hard this week
Ashe Homestead works the twenty
ans inch, twenty-three inch, and the
afty.three inch mills are down. The
uRN-fve and forty inch mills, which
sM closed down resumed operation on
sanesday morning. At the Duquesne
aHs the mills are operating on q
ane'days-s-week schedule.
the plate mills and open hearth de
Hnnsnts in the Homestead ,Stee
sssls are in operation and are show
isir tonnage.
With the mills down this week 1t il
aansted that about 800 men are en-
wlng the first rest they have had II
ae@estesd for the past seven years.
mere are now only 10 active furnaces
ef As in the Mahoning and She
Ne valleys. The only furnace cp
MMans between Sharpsville and Wes
netlesex is the stack of the Stewar
%s company at Sharon
@she Mahoning Valley blast furnact
ss.at,on is at the rate of 33 ia pei
she lowest in many years, due y
natlon in buying. Carnegie Stee
sPsny has two furnaces under blast
NJ ~ and Tube Company, two; Re
Ne Iron and Steel Company, one
R Hill Steel Company and A. N
company, one each st Girard. TIL
aad Iron and Steel Company il
stlng its detached stack at Lac
not ordinarily included In Ma
rs Valley classification. II viii
se, therefore, that only one o
cave furnaces is strictly devote.
ehant production.
assts are 26 active opens hearths, o
*ssate *ssa Of 80 per cent Of capacity
s. ssoWs; Republic Iron and Steel
Saaron Steel Hoop, two; Shee
keDe and Carnegie, seven each
spmhuN Steel, four.
asas l05 sheet mills in the valle,
&@ under power this week, or =
1900 cl 3D. per cent, = decrease Of
n; from last week. The activ,
r.; - as follows: Seven at thl
the Falcon Steel Company
tes Newton Steel. Company; 81:
Niles Works of the Republic
4ao Steel Company and five =
smpuu works Of the Trumbul
pempany.