The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-10
Steel Operations
 Back Near Capacity
Rebound From Holiday Week Drop; Uncertainty
 Exists in Scrap Metal Market

plaints of acute shortages of both foundry and Steelmaking iron, the OPM Priorities Division Is expected to place these blSt furnace products under some form of distribution control. It has not be determined whether the order will take the form of full prlorities, . pool, or both.
 Similar confusion now exists in the scrap market, where Q new ele- vnent of uncertainty has been in- jected in the form of resumption of exports to Great Britain under the LeaSe.Lend Law ct price slightly over the government.flxed ceiling for the New York area. This situa- ton is is likely to force an answer to the question of whether 1t is more important to keep British plants going than domestic plants. Mills and scrap dealers generally are em. phaaizlng the need for establishment of set policy with respect to scrap exports. In some steel producing areas in the east and midwest, pre- dictions are being made that ingot output will be cyrtailed in from 90 to 45 days unless supplies increase. Meanwhile an Iron Age correSpon- dent in England reports criticism there of the British governments policy in assuming that existence of reserve scrap stocks ct steel plants Is not necessary and of its slowness in hipping material gathered in village dump" campaigns in that country to the plants.
 Within c few days the treasury department Is expected to take bids on more than 600,000 tons of steel for the British, a large Share Of which Is expected to be small bill. lets and other semi.1inished items. Deliveries will be asked for in August and September, which sug. gests Q further restriction in non. defense business, since completion of the order during July and August will come at time when American mills are janiined with domestic de- fense orders. It Is now estimated that such defense orders directly or indirectly are taking an average of 60 per cent of current steel produc. ton, with the rate for some com. panieS reaching TS per cent. While the outpouring of new orders has submsided to some extent, the volume is still greater than prouc- ton or shipments. Recent allocation programs announced for civilian se. quirements by OPACS lack signi1l- canoe for the time being. since the amount Of material carrying prefer. ence ratings Is taking the larger share of steel production.
 A bright spot in the metals sup- ply picture is news that three rail- road car building plants which have been shut down from six to eight weeks because of lack of plates have now obtained steel and are operat- ing at nearly 50 per cent. These plants are: Pullman Standard Car Mfg. Co.,, Butler, Pa.: Ralston Steel Car CO. Columbus, Ohio. and Amer. ican Car @ Foundry Co. Hunting. ton, W. Va. A fourth plant. that o8 Greenville Steel Car Co, Greenville, Pa, was expected to resume opera. tons this week. Loss to railroads from these shutdowrS is estimated at 1000 cars. Cars ordered from freight car shops or car builders during June reached 27,265. making a total for the first six months this year Of ea.O49. one of the heaviest half year bookings in history.
 Fabricated structural steel awards for the week are slightly lower st 32.0O0 tons. with new projects cliEmb- ing to l5.700 tons from I6.STs tons last week. Reinforcing steel awards declined to 9is5 tons from l0.42S tons a week ago.
 The Iron Age scrap composite price remains unchanged at ei0.iT.