Evening star., 1922-12-21
AMERICAN STEEL
EXPORT AT TOP
U. S. Mills Expected to Hold
Domination of Foreign
Markets for Years.
BY J. c. ROYLE.

-
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK. December al.-The
American steel industry is leading all
nations so far as the worlds export
business Is concerned Moreover. tbs
steel mills OF this country probably
will continue to dominate foreign
markets until the German reparatioas
problems are settled and for sonir
time thereafter.
Leading steel experts here declared
today that they had little fear OF fort,
eign competition in the near or fat
east. South America. or. indeed. in
much OF Europe. France, with tho
Lorraine iron deposits In her control,
needs German coke. the steel men "x-
planned. Germany needs French iron
ores. France has attempted to bring
pressure to bear for working agree
ment with the SHINES interests and
the threat of Ruhr occupation is SAID
to have been used In this respect.
Seek Special Advantages.
SHINES has countered by sugSes,-
ing to English financial interests that
Britain supply some OF commodities
needed and share in sales campaign.
for world markets. Each country.
the steel men declared. WAS playing
the other two Off against each other
In the meantime. PITTSBURGH.
Youngstown. Cleveland and chicag
steel mills are running ar the be,,
December rate recorded since 1917.
The American steel trade is in ex-
cellent position to counteract any In
huence that may be brought TO bear
on the southern European. South
American or Australian markets.
Steel men contend that, whichever
way Germany Jumps. America sti!l
he N Ina n
the steel industry here l. regarded
as strong enough to override any pos
Sible Franco-German steel alliance,
while II Is felt that British steel ia
| terests will not go 50 far in any ne
Eotiations with SHINES as to endan-
ger the markets the English industrg
always has held safe from German
competition {
Mills Running Full Blast. 4
The majority of the steel mills are
running full blast. and some which
had expected to close for full week
from December % will resume opera
| tions at full speed the day after
Christmas Domestic orders and In;
quiries are heavy. Ore company :.
In the market for 100000 tons of steel
bars Pending orders for freight cars
will require at least 100000 tons OF
steel, and one railroad in the south
! will require $4,000 tons OF ran:
shortly.
Portland Cement plants are turning
out that necessary building material al
q tremendous rate. and II is oeiha
| taken of the makers hands as fast
as II can be produced. The output toi
this month is expected to exceed H.
| 900. 900 barrels.
Turkey Prices Lower.
Christmas turkeys. as was predicted
| in these columns. will be lower in price
ha Thon K
decrease in various sections OF the coun,,
| Try averages about 10 cents a pound
to the consumers. In Seattle tocay
dealers are selling turkeys al 80 cents
! pound which they bought az hanKs-
giving time at 40 cents. and which have
! been kept in cold storage since that time
! Sales of tobacco. cigars and cigarette:
have increased tremendously over las
year. some companies reporting today
| that their December business 10 run
ming al least 100 per cent above the
corresponding period of 1921. Sales "l
| leaf tobacco are proceeding brishly, anc
| loans by the War Finance CorporatioTl
| to growers to finance marketing har7-
| the growers.
Electric Plants Busy.
Electric supply plants are running
at a rate well in excess of pre-war
capacity. The General Electric Com
pany's business for the year is esti-
| mated at about S200.000.000. and II is
expected that 1923 will show new
! business booked in excess OF $4,000.
| o00 More electric locomotives are
being made by Westinghouse than
ever before.
II is reliably reported today thai
! negotiations by which the Calumet
and Hecla Mining Company. great
! producers Of copper. will take over
| big brass manufacturing interests IN
i nefroft are we'll under way.
Record Lumber Shipments.
SEATTLE. December q tSpecialo y
The lumber shipments for OCTOBER
from the Washington mills sent q
Panama canal amounted to more thar
l5o, ,00o, 900 feet and were three time'
as large as for November. 1921. De.
cember shipments have maintainee
this pace. Output of coal from Wash
ington mines II at minimum
| Heavy Demand for Current.
CLEVELAND. December 81 (Spe.
rent consumed in industry in ohie
has increased steadily throughout
| the year, according to figures COM
piled today. October and NovembH
were the peak months. but 1t Is prop:
able that the chart may show 9
slight fall in December because Of
holiday shutdowns. AS an indication
Of how business has improved, II wat
| announced today that reports deal
ling with the rubber industry at Ak,
ron showed that practically every
tplant in that district had booked from
rs to SO per cent more business foi
spring than at this time year ago
Farmers Still Hampered.
KANSAS CITY, December u tSpe'
lcian-Christmas buying in this Sec
tion has been 20 per cent heavier thar
last year and the year before IL
,pite Of this there is distinctly COM
servative note being sounded IN Dust
ness circles. This Is due largely te
the situation In the agricultural re:
9ions, where disparity between pricei
eor farm products and other COM
moditfes and lack of cars 10 shlJ
grain have affected the financial sat
nation and buying power OF the
farmer.
Fear shortage Of Labor.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. December u
ial).-Education OF app!ent'ee.' s..
fs beinR given a great amount OF AT.
,s,tion nv large employers here al
~. present time. Employers com
nis;n that the trade schools In tht
s.rri,ory are many OF them connnee
\ 70 The education of orphans ana the3
ara making preparations 10 tram
! shsir own iourneymen workers tioT
their own apprentices. They declare
.hortace of skilled workers II
eh chat unless more apprentices art
s.cmred industries here will suhv
Copyright. 1927