Evening star., 1923-07-06
THINK 12-HOURDAY
| FAR FROM PASSING
Steel Executives Cut Down
| Output Slightly, But Not
Working Time of Men.
BY j. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 6.-Conditions In
the steel industry give small prom
Use of fulfilment for some time to
come of the pledge of the American
tIron and Steel Institute to aoolsh
the twelve hour day. Reports from
Various steel centers and expressions
from mill executives and employ
ment agents in many sections made
this evident today.
The letter of the directors OF the
institute TO President Harding fixes
the adoption of the eight and ten
hour day at the earliest time prac-
ticable" and when there is surplus
fof labor available" Ellis Island mas
been jammed since July l with work
ers who must be returned to the
countries whence they came because
the mmigration quotas from those
countries, under the present Ia"
have been filled. No readjustment or
the American regulations can pc pos
SibIe until the meeting of Congress
next winter. If then.
Drawing on Cotton Fields.
Demand for workers in the steel
mills still is calling negro laoorers
from the fields of the south. Ihe -.
Louis Urban League reported To-Day
rived in that city alone in June, OF
which perhaps 20 per cent continued
north to other industrial centers. Inc
number of negroes flowing nortn
Through 81. Louis has more than dou-
bled since the first quarter OF tne
year and congestion in the negro as
trictS of the city is becoming prop
lem. ~
is fully employed and the steel mills
are drawing on high school and col
lege graduates who are taxing over
all jobs at silk shirt wages. twelVe--
hour day and all. The secretary Oh
the Detroit Employers Association
said today: at is my belief from OBJ
servation at the plants that output
is not more than 10 per cent on from
the May peak. The declines In en-
ployment in the last four weeks are
of little consequence, for labor eff
cheney increased the minute 1t became
evident that help was more plentiful.
Only inefficient fioaters have been
dropped. There is ample work for
the right kind of men"
Furnace Output Reduced.
The Pacific Coast Steel Company.
leading makers of structural steel on
the Pacific coast. announced today IL
had re duced its open hearth furnace
output one-third in expectations that
building operations would not hold as
high during the first half year But
once 10y other industries.
Pittsburgh reported that the con-
sumption of steel was absorbing the
output of the Pennsylvania mills and
furnaces. Cancellations are almost
nil and order books justify full plant
operations. Operating schedules will
be reduced slightly during this month,
but this will be due largely to
weather conditions and necessity for
repairs after capacity runs. The
III a 4 10 ct n
sumers are taking all steel ordered
on the recent great buying movement,
thre are no large aC.unlu ldttOnS of
stocks at any point.
Operations Showing Up.
Industry generally has shifted from
the high speed operations which pre-
vailed in the spring to a slightly
slower summer schedule, Cleveland
steel men stated, but this does not
mean that business has undergone a
slump. 1t simply indicates the sea-
sonal trend of affairs. Many mills
habllitation, but steel interests in
northern Ohio anticipate a good run
of business in the third quarter, with
still heavier operations in the final
three months of the year
Youngstown plants are busily en-
gagged on heavy orders for steel from
oil interests which are increasing
their storage equipment at tre-
pace.
Wage Adjustment Discussed.
Tho long -drawn-out wage negotia-
tionS between anthracite miners and
operators began today, when the rep
, resentatives of the miners presented
their demands in Atlantic City. Chief
among these were recognition of the
union and an increase of 90 per cent
In pay. There is a probability that
both sides will make concessions. The
operators realize. however. that the
passing on of wage increases to the
consumer by raising the price of coal
Will meet vigorous resistance, and
that they must fight this winter for
their markets against oil, Welsh an
thracite and bituminous as never be-
fore.
An indication of this trend Is shown
In the fact that after a committee of
the Massachusetts legislature had
made an investigation of the anthra-
cite helds, the city of Boston con-
tracted for 1000 tons of Welsh coal to