Evening star., 1934-06-06
ACTIVITY MOUNTS
At STEEL PLANTS
Ingot Output Reaches Sixty
Per Cent of Capacity
During Week.
Rv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, June 6,-The strike
threat and the desire Of consumers
to obtain shipments against expiring
low-priced contracts have resulted in
increasing pressure for steel, raising
ingot output from SO to 60 per cent
of capacity. says the Iron Age.
At Chicago, production has risen
81 points to SO per cent, a new high
for the year. Buffalo and the valleys
each had a 2,.point gain to SO and IS
per cent, respectively. while Cleve-
land output fell off points to 63 per
cent. Operating rates are unchanged
at other centerS, Detroit holding the
lead at 100 per cent. while Pittsburgh
remains at 49 per cent, and Wheeling
district at IA per cent and Eastern
Pennsylvania at As per cent.
Despite a further tapering of auto
mobile tonnage, present operating
rates will probably be sustained
through the remainder of the month
Sheet mills are unable to accept ad-
ditional specifications against con-
tracts except for special items and are
operating at 10 per cent of capacity
Strip Mills Crowded.
Strip mills also are crowded, while
tinplate producers continue to aver
age close to rs per cent. although
facing an early downward revision OF
their schedules Activity in the
heavier products, which has Jagged, is
relatively better although at Chicago
rail mill operations are being curtailed
so that rollings can be spread evenly
over the next three months.
The strike threat of the Amalga-
mated Association has been taken
more seriously by iron and steel con-
sumers than By the producers The
lack of enthusiasm for the strike de-
mands on the part of the rank ano
file of workers has been marked, and
in certain plants Amalgamated lodges
have disbanded and returned then
charters The steel industry is now
apprehenSive that union strategy aims
to achieve its ends through govern
mental interference rather than tC
take the risk Of ordering a walkout
In this connection the revised Wagner
bill is regarded as particularly dan
gerous.
The provision Of the measure per-
mitting the Labor Board to hold en-
ploye elections on company, craft
or plant basis. or any other basis il
may select would make it possible fol-
a biased tribunal to Confine the vot-
ing to sectors or groups known to bt
strongest IN union membership. While
a separate Labor Board for the stee
industry has been proposed by Gen
Johnson, the measure of its merit
would also be the character of it;
personnel.
Scrap More Stable.
Although the forward outlook ir
iron and steel is dimmed by labor
uncertainties. seasonal tendencies anc
the accumulation by consumers o1
iow-priced inventories. there is &
growing feeling that the growth o.
steel consumption, apart from the
automobile industry, has been under
estimated. This nascent change If
viewpoint may account for signs Of
stabilization in the scrap market, par
ticularly at Philadelphia and to some
extent at Pittsburgh. Nevertheless
, the Iron Age scrap composite has de.
clined from S1092 to Sl058 a ton, 6
new low for the year.
The Iron Age composite prices fol
finished steel and pig iron are unal.
tered at 1922 cents pound anc
$3.50 a ton, respectively.
Pig iron production last month wa
placed at 2,o42, ,S96 tons, or 65,9OC
tons day. The highest since April
1881, against 1,726.851. or 57.561 tom
daily, the preceding month. Furnace
in blast June l numbered 116 agains
ITO on May /.