The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-06
Large Increase in Iron Production m
 Spite of the Strike

New York, May Especial. )--Tne Iron Age says:
 Production of pig iron and steel in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio is slightly less this week be- cause of the coal strike, but the total for all districts is but little affected The pig iron statistics for April, which have been looked for with unusual interest. show an increase upon the March output
 In the 30 days of April pig iron production was 2,072,114 tons. or 69, 010 tons per day. against 2,035. .9e0 tons in March or Ga 675 tons per day, Twenty furnaces blew In last month and l3 were blown out or banked Active capacity on May l was 72.Sf5 tons per day for 162 furnaces, against e9.015 tons per day for f55 furnaces on April la gain of 3.S60 tons per day. However in conserving fuel some stacks have been running a trifle slower in the past week.
 No concerted attempt is being made to resume operations at steel corpora tion and other mines in Connellsville region, the intention of the operators evidently being to allow the situation to run until the men get ready to return to work. Meanwhile large quantities of coking coal are being brought into the Pittsburg and near by districts from fields farther south.
 The effect of the strike in stiffen- ing the steel market has been more pl onounced this week, especially in semi finished steel. At Pittsburg open-hearth billets have advanced from s2950 to sS2 and forging bil- lets a SS7 are also up s2.50
 Pittsburg reports the slowing up of GpNAraI nd { ,Io ,,f1 to which depend on outside sources for steel. Several mills in that district have drawn upon Chicago for sheet bars, which means a freight of $5.S0 per ton added to their costs.
 In finished products the bookings of the leading interest at Chicago last wek were nearly twice it's ship ments. In central and eastern dis triets buying has been at less rate than in March and early April, most buyers being covered for the second quarter.
 The trend of pig iron prices Is still upward The latest advances include 51 cents on Alabama iron, $1 on foundry, malleahle and basic at Chi eago, $2 on basic in eastern Pennsyl- Vania and from 50 cents to $2 in other centers.
 The placing of 2,750 cars by the Chicago and Northwestern brings the total purchases of freight cars for the past four months close to 0,000. or over two and one-half times as many as were bought in all of 1921 comparing with a four months aver age in the 10 years before the war of 61,600 cars Pending business totals over 9,100 cars.
 Fabricated steel awards of the week amount to practically 100 per cent of the theoretical capacity of the bridge and structural shops of the country and new projects ap- bearing aggregate 31 900 tons, or 75 per cent of weeks full capacity
 Two eastern ship yards are inqulv- ing for a total of 5000 tons of steel after long abstention from the mar ket.
 German pig iron prices were sharp ly advanced on May l. Coke shortage is forcing importation of iron from England. Demand for pig iron, steel plates and wire is especially strong
 The Iron Age composite price for pig iron is now s22.23 per gross ton the highest since June l, 1921 A week ago 1t was s21.9s; month ago, S1S.47; and a year ago, s2322 The finished composite price has re- mained stationary at 2.0S4 cents q pound for four weeks; year ago it was 2.764 cents