New-York tribune., 1922-09-10

three a0ulSlonel DfaSt furnaces and in
creased its rolling schedules and is
estimated now TO be operating close
to 80 per cent. The Pittsburgh Steel
Company is reported speeding up pro-
duction and practically every plant
along the rivers is again busy.
Labor shortage looms now as one
drawback, in conjunction with possi-
BILE car shortage later, Several large
on more units IL they had the required
labor. The men formerly available
seem to have drifted away during the
coal crisis.
Better Coal Supply
Better coal supply resulted In the ex-
pansion of iron and steel making IN
the Youngstown district last week. Be-
fore the end Of the week nineteen out
Of the total of forty-seven blast fur
naces Of the district were in blast
This is an increase of seven furnaces
in ten days. The stacks producing iron
are the largest in the district and pro.
duce more than 10 per cent of the total
rated pig iron capacity.
Greater iron supply resulted In
marked increases In open hearth fur
mace activities. The number Of indie
pendent open hearth furnaces increased
from thirty-one to forty-two in the
Mahoning district since last week, while
the United States Steel Corporation
continues its almost capacity operation
at the Ohio works and New Castle
plant. It's Farrell plant is still idle,
The Bessener converters of the
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company
slso resumed operation this week, and
il coal Ia received at the present rate
the Bessemer Of the Republic Iron
and Steel Company will be making
steel soon. Both Bessemer plants OF
tho Carnegie Steel Company are in
operation.
Labor Day cut down the production
of finished steel this week, as moss
of the finishing departments of the
plants remained idle Monday. Sheet
production continues at high rate
with ninety-nine of the III in tht
Mahoning Valley active. There is nt
change in tin production, while pipe
output continues at nearly 80 per cent
of capacity. Three of the four plate
mills in the Youngstown district are
In operation. Skelp and strip stee
production in high.
Youngstown More Optimistic
Steel makers in the Youngstown dis
triet are mors optimistic as to the i'm
mediate future. They point TO better
coal supply and hope that it will con
tinue good. Most of the independents
are still forced to buy coal in the open
market, as their mines are still closed
or only partly producing. No change
in prices was reported and coal is be-
ing bought at $3.50 and S6 at Pitts
burgh district mines. Steel makers are
not buying more than necessary al
this price and are of the belief thai
coal prices will slump within two
weeks.
The past week has seen the com
plete suspension of work ut tho Aetna
Standard plant Of the American Sheet
q Tin Plate Company in Wheeling
This plant, which has been operating
at 100 per cent capacity, is expected
to be closed only short time. All OF
the orders that had been received az
the wheeling plant had been filled
and there was nothing else TO do, Il
the statement Of the officials.
Orders on the books Of many o.
the industrial concerns of the Shenan
| 40 Valley indicates that the last quar-
ter of the year will be the best ex
perienced since 1920. The coal ant
railroad strikes have curtailed pro
duetion, but business is again gather
! ing momentum and buyers are begin
ming to specify against contracts TO
steeel. II is said that the Vale!
Mould & Iron Company, which Ia re
| garded as barometer of the stee
| business is nearly swamped will
orders and ready to run at full capac
| ity as 500 mas IL is able TO get phi
| iron. The Shenango Furnace Com
pany supplies the concern with iron
| but on account of the shortage o
coke 10 able to keep only one bias
furnace in operation.
See Better Pig Iron Business
| Blast furnace men see a bright fu
| ture for the pig iron busines, and ar
| taking advantage of the lull and spend
| ing great sums for enlarging and i'm
| proving the stacks to be ready for tn
Increased demand
| Inability to secure coal and coke J
handicarping the operation Of the Stee
| Corporation plants in the Sharon Far
/ reI district, with the exception of th
| tinplate mills Of the American Shee
/ and Tinplate Company. The Farrell an
| New Castle plants are operating sc for
/ NAL capacity. The Carnegie Steel plan
| In Farrell Is closed, and only few o
| the finishing departments of the Amer
! lean Steel and Wire Company are run
| ring. Officials of the Sharon Stee
! Hoop Company report good bushes.
/ The Yourseen-inch mill. which was shu
| dewr for repairs this week, will re
| sumo Monday. All finishing mills WI
operate next week In the Sharon works
The iron and steel market Is still VI
| csrtain, with pyoducers reluctant I
1 take large orders for extended deliver
1 snd buyers insisting on placing thei
\ orders. Denand for tubular goods |
Yeperted to be very coed at advance
| prices announced recently. All kline
Of prices are reported in the sheet ma
ket. II seems that most business
! taken at 2.Sec fer black and 4.5c fl
1 galvanized scr October delivery. Nj
L body cares 10 take crders at Axed price
a for the last twe months Of the fcuri
II quarter. Many saiss Tor early deliver
weer reported ait s.6oc and 4.S0e, ar
even S.7Sc and A75c hsve been reaehe
The market fer sheet bars seems /
| haya ssttlad on the $40 per ton pric
| An cyaar for 1000 tens was reporas
i at that price along with sevarl
smaller orders. Independent Il
/ makers are said to be slew in takir
! orders st present prices and an a,
vance 10 $6 from the present So,
1rsce js expscted ar nny time.