Evening star., 1934-11-11
Housing, Farm Purchases,
Repeal, Autos and Rail-
roads Cited.
new OUTLETS OPEN
FOR SHEET AND STRIPS
Gas and Electric Refrigerators,
Washing Machines, Kitchen
Furniture on List.
BY JOHN A. CRONE.
DISPATCH to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 10.-Na-
tional housing rural prosperity, re-
peal, the New Deal, automobiles, rail-
roads and foreign demand are all
factors in the 14.6 per cent rise in
steel operations in the last three weeks
and the 5.8 per cent gain in pig iron
output in October.
Home modernization brought local
iron and steel jobbers 20 per cent more
business in october than in September.
The bulk of such sales were in pipe
for heating systems, nails, galvanized
sheets and miscellaneous home hard
ware. Radiator makers, though they
stocked up literally in the first half
of the year, when prices were low,
bought additional pig iron.
Building, aside from Government
and industrial projects, is taking more
steel, especially for frameworks, metal
lathing, window frames and other
home needs. The American Iron &
Steel Institute, in boosting steel for
homes, has emphasized steel frames.
The American Institute Of Steel
Construction suggests the use OF steel
floors for bridges and buildings in new
construction, steel floors for recon-
structed bridges, steel dams, structural
sheet and thin plate steel, and steel
piling abutments.
Building High on List.
Building always has ranked as one
of the five big steel users. Back in
1927 building used 19 per cent of all
American steel produced. This de-
clined to 16.5 per cent in 1928. re-
manned at that level the next year, re-
covered to 19 per cent in 1890, then
fell to 1875 per cent in 1881. to Is per
cent in 1892 and last year to Ills per
cent.
| Meanwhile, new avenues were devel-
oped for sheet and strips. Household
| equipment, especially gas and electrical
| refrigerators, washing machines anc
kitchen furniture, was one of these
new fields. Sheet steel now is being
purchased by makers Of radiators, OF
heaters and storage tanks, furnaces
and pipes, stoves, ranges and numer'
| Gus small items, such as dustpaps
wastebaskets and kitchenware.
Steel products, such as fencing
roofing, stoves, numerous small hard
ware items and implements. are NOV
ing down to farms, where the greatest
general prosperity in four years is
being enjoyed. Agricultural imple-
ment makers now are buster than
they have been in several years, partly
in anticipation of demand next Spring
-sr ~
months of 1884 were IS per cent over
1882, the low of recent years. In buy
ing steel and iron, implement makers
declare 1884 production will double
that Of 1898.
Repeal has helped steel containers
which took 19 per cent Of our output
in 1929, fell to 6 per cent in 1880
rising to per cent in 1881, to H.;
per cent in 1882 and 1875 per cent il
1888. Containers this year are usinl
more steel than in 1888, thanks tt
increased output of steel barrels, trim
mings, tubing and miscellaneous items
Two million tons Of fabricated struc'
tural steel were credited directly Il
the New Deal in the first nine month!
of 1884. In view of Tuesdays VIC
tories, the administration will pusf
many projects, ranging from bridges
dams and post Office buildings to can.
ming and road activities. Manufactur'
ers of road-making machines anc
steam shovels are stepping up pro-
duction in anticipation of more Gov
ernment orders. Additional naval con-
tracts promise another iron and stee
outlet.
Cast-iron pipe makers hailed th'
New Deal victory, since it will NEAR
pipe laying in many communities IL
the West and Northwest through P
w. A. assistance. Birmingham, Ala.
where IS per cent of our cast-iron pip,
is made, is jubilant over the prospects
More Used in Autos.
A 8 per cent gain in steel consump
ton for every 100000 automobile
made in month is the way steel mel
look at motor statistics. Moto
makers have increased their steel TAX
ings steadily for the last Is years
Steel tops on autos will keep up thi
trend.
Railroads usually order rails at thi
season. Last year they took 1000, 90,
tons, because President Roosevelt hat
the price lowered to S36375 a ton
Many of these rails are not yet laid
Only the Norfolk & Western now i.
inquiring for rails, and for only 10000
tons, which will be laid this Winter
Carriers are waiting to see if th'
streamlined trains take hold-if the!
do light rails will be needed. Rail
roads, however, are preparing to buy
| new equipment