Evening star., 1922-12-04
NEW ERA IN STEEL:
MAKING PREDICTED
100000 Plant in Detroit
Expected to Cut Auto Pro-
duction Costs.
N ). c. ROYLE.

NJ J. c. ROYLE.
Spe, al Dispatch to TIE Star.
NEW YORK, December 4.-Detfoit
Nil roI, its own-not cigarettes. but
100, sheets for tenders, hoods and
bodies Of autmoobiles. Automoti'e
manufacturers are among the I2rses'
purchasers of those products. That
announcement Is significant. 1t indi-
.ates trend OF policy which Is
sweeping from one end of the country
10 the other among manufacturers to-
ward making each industry at least
.,artIy Independent Of fluctuations IN
.aw and semi-flnished materials
Keen competition Is forcing these
declarations of Independence from the
rainty of supplies and fluctuations In
prices This competition has com
usIled manufacturers to rely for
..rotits and pre-eminence on reduction
~ costs through quantity production
and careful management rather than
on price advances.
New Era In Steelmaking.
Construction Is under way on the
new million-dollar plant Of the Michi-
san Steel Company In Detroit which
will roll steel sheets. The best In
formed Industrial experts declared to-
day this was but the beginning Of an
era of steelmakins in the automobile
center. Their opinion has been rein
forced by the fact. the significance Of
which has been at least partly over
looked. that Henry Ford already has
acquired some coal lands and IL neEo-
tiating for several thousand additional
acres in Kentucky. Added to that Is
he knowledge that the Ford railroad
and eventually electrified. and the
prospect that the big manufacturer
viii sell coal to working-men in
Detroit at or near cost.
With cheap Ford COAL cheap Ford
electric power and cheap Ford gas
for commercial uses. added to the ad-
vantage of the Detroit waterways in
bringing ore from the Lake Superior
reGion. experts declared developmeAt
Of Detroit as steel center was only
A matter of 4 brief time.
rs result. manufacturing sites
HlorE the Detroit water front are
being snapped up. and the Pennsyl-
rania railroad. whose line into De-
trolt has just been completed. has
scores of new plants going up along
IS right of way.
Seek Lower Production Costs.
Similar developments are in prog
iess in many other sections OF the
country in many different lines. The
big steel companies are not a whit
behind in following the trend They
are preparing to cut costs Of manu-
iarture. sale and transportation by
mergers. new plants and development
"f new transportation facilities. This
tendency is fully as marked In the
1ntermcuntain and Pacific states as in
ihs country east of the Mississippi.
II. hTst real touch Of winter has
stifened coal prices and Quickened
movements. Production both of btu
ininous and anthracite continues at a
righ rate. Non ferrous metals are In
EXCELLENT position. Zinc has advanced.
,opper Is strong despite increased
IN splendid demand from paintmakers.
plumbing supply manufacturers and
battery builders.
Demand for Shoes Active.
Demand for shoes is much moro ac-
7iVc and the buying done recently for
spring delivery has been OF unusual
volume OH production continues to
resist all enorts toward reduction and
prices are still soft In consequence.
Textiles continue to reflect excellent
requirements. The Amoskeag Mills.
large makers of cotton goods, have
started night shifts and are bringing
production back toward capacity as
1ast as 1t is possible to secure work
ers WOODEN mills are running only
nlightly under capacity. The demand
for both raw silk and finished prod
ncts has slumped slightly, but this
slackening is believed to be seasonal.
1t has not been attended by any Sc
we're price declines.
New England Business Good.
BOSTON. December (SpeciaD.-
Business conditions continue gen.
rraliy .aI,y -, satrsfaetory lis throughout New
slowing down In the rate of improve
rnent in recent days. but this is at
1r1buted to temporary or seasonal in
Fuences. In general manufacturing
at the highest rate of activity
self apparent two years ago. The
majority of cotton and wooden mills
are running full time and conditions
will be materially better by resump-
ION in full at the Amoskeag Mills.
Heavy Cattle shipments.
FORT WORTH, December 4 (Spe-
ciaD.-After years interruption,
1he movement Of Texas cattle into
Mexico has been resumed on heavy
scale. Shipments in the last week
have been the heaviest Of this sea-
son and were SO large that inspectors
Of the Texas and Southwestern Cat
lie Raisers' Association made spe-
rIon. Over 5000 head of cattle went
through Ell Paso alone. These ship
nents represent "a big source of rev
enue to Texas stockmen.
$:0.OO0.0OO in Building.
ATLANTA. December 4 Especially
Building operations In this section
continue brisk. Indications TODAY
point to a total of more than $4,000
600 expended in construction in At
lanta alone in 1922. Lumber and ma
I rerials are firm. with orders exceeding
supply.
s'ittsburSh's Fire Loss increases.
PITTSBURGH. December (Spe-
aD.-Pittsburgh's fire loss for ten
months of this year was S2500,o00 in
excess of the record for the whole OF
1921. In October there were 229 fires.
involving a total loss of $2l7,725.S3.
X campaign will be inaugurated to
reduce fire losses.
Big School Bond Issue.
ST. PAUL, December (SpeciaD.-
81. Paul is preparing a new school
building program to be financed by a
new $5.0o0.000 bond issue recently
voted. The first $1.o00.O00 of this sum
is expected to be made available
shortly.
Copy right. 1922,
ANOTHER BIG STOCK