The Iron Age 1910-12-01: Vol 86 Iss 22

¢ ui et 8 mt in a Published Every Thursday by the DAVID WILLIAMS COMPANY 14-16 Park Place, New York Entered at the New York Post Office as Second Class Mail Matter. Subscription Price, United States and Mexico, $5.00 per Annum; to Canada, $7.50 per Annum; to Other Foreign Countries, $10.00 per Annum. Single Copies, 20 Cents. Guanes T. Roor, - * = e ad PRESIDENT W. H, TAy.or, ° - ~ TREASURER AND GENERAL MANAGER Hano.o S. BUTTENHEIM, = - a - ° SECRETARY Geo. W. Cope, od - - - - } Eprrors A. |, Finbuey, - - ° és s H. R. COBLEIGH, : - - - - MECHANICAL EDITOR Branch Offices Philadelphia, Real Estate Trust Building Chicago, Fisher Building Pittsburgh, Park Building Cleveland, American Trust Building Boston, Compton Building Cincinnati, 807 Andrews Building Milwaukee, 1417 Majestic Building. —anagiaiant CONTENTS. Editoria! PAGE. The Pennsylvania Rail Order...........0.ceeeeeeee 1231 Efficiency Engineers to the Help of the Railroads.... 1232 et 2 OO INO oie CAN cc Ohne ddwaromewee ds 232 Machinery Buying Systems and Prices.............. 1233 mee Use Of Me-enpert Tit Piste. . ccc ccc cccawedece 233 % mepuring C6 EOMOGrenOt BEM... oc te erswcaseae 1234 Corkespondence Pe ee Seas sete eg. Oe Salah c's ca 4 Ge we wa eet 1235 Foreign and Domestic Prices of Tin Plate............... 123€ The Population of New York State.............ecceeees 1236 The American Society for Testing Materials............. 1236 memos Vurtwer Tariff Revision. «..........:...cceese08 1236 The Iron and Metal Market Reports.............. 12387 to 1245 The Machinery Market Reports..............0.:- 1246 to 1256 Sree TGMeOee MOOR, oo onus ss sc cnghiccevesccece 1256 NN WMI a St. vain wie aaiecaide hic ch'sbeacbuee 1256 The Lehigh Valley Structural Steel Company........... 1256 Scrap Iren Dealers Organize for Protection...........+. 1256 The Steel Corporation’s Pension System............--:- 1257 mene: itteeened =, . Fos. os soe dade dowe es oa 1257 ee OUORGN: PER us os os asd cede abide de Soules bueed le 1257 en Wallen So. win: su a ek Ww oe a eS 1258 IE n'y sb eden tl pa AUN En is ade cin Chie 1260 SD .n Kk BinecmeUee seth os babies Maile va acm wine's #e 1260 Reverie ue oe eke he eu Scat cba cdecetesse 1261 Youngstown Iron & Steel Company Pxtensions.......... 1262 The Foreign Trade Balance for 10 months.............+. 1262 The New Gould & Eberhardt Vertical Continuous Miller. Tilustrated ese ye ee eee CP eee ee Te et ER 1263 The Increase in Consumption ee I cK che ogbenseced 1263 The Gyroscope and Its Useful Possibilities—I, Tlustrated 1264 The New Manville Screw Shaver and Slotter. Illustrated. 1268 Me Dudapert Wxbibition . oie. sess.ccccscceccccevcwases 1268 The Brown Radiation Pyrometer, Tilustrated........... 1269 The British Steel Maker’s Ore Supplies. ........0seveses 1270 The Woodward Governor Company's New Quarterly...... 1274 The Stana R Adjustable Reamer. Tllustrated............ 1274 Nutter & Barnes Metal Cutting-off Machines, Illustrated. 1275 oat Changes in Structural Materials. Ilustrated....... 1276 New National Vertical Roll Thread Machine, Illustrated.. 1278 See fote: Steel Wess: os.bs.. yie cakes coe ve cee 1278 The Schuchardt & Schiitte Thread Miller, Ilustrated.... 1279 The Taylor Gravity Underfeed Stoker. T[lustrated....... 1280 A New Goulds Pumping Jack. Tlustrated.............. 1281 | The Production of Plates and Sheets in 1909............ 1281 Cutler-11 mmer Alternating-Current Motor Starters, Illus. 1282 pllroad Mauipmient “Guia: .. sks cvewis wads caweusee 1282 re Triumph Alternating Current Generators, Illustrated 1283 o* bley Sensitive Drill Press. Illustrated.......... 1283 _ 8 New 6,000,000-Gal. Pumping Engine. Illus.... 1284 os Rapids Plain Milling Machine. ITlustrated.... 128% . “ational Implement and Vehicle Association........- 1285 pat Metal oc. sco k co bckuabaeia rs eens 1286 THE IRON AGE New York, December 1, 1910 VoL. 86: No. 22 The Pennsylvania Rail Order Another Conference of Steel Manufacturers Some Months of Quietness Ahead of the Trade— More Idle Blast Furnaces lhe announcement by the Pennsylvania Railroad that it has given orders for 150,000 tons of rails for 1911 is the chief event of the week. Contracts have not been signed, nor has the distribution among the mills been finally decided. The Steel Corporation mills and the Buffalo and the three independent Pennsyl- vania mills are expected to share in about the same percentages as for 1910, but points in the terms have not yet been agreed upon. The order is larger than was looked for, but is less than the total placed by the Pennsylvania Railroad for this year. Following a meeting of the directors of the Ameri- can Iron and Steel Institute, a conference is being held in New York, as this is written, in which other steel manufacturers are also participating. Recent changes in conditions are being canvassed, but no action affect- ing prices is anticipated at this time. There is no dissent among leaders in the trade from the view that a quiet time is ahead of the industry. The more hopeful look for improvement by the spring of IgII. down in the rate of production, and this is expected to November has shown a gradual slowing continue through December. That the readjustment now going on will extend further and in a way that will eventually affect labor is a growing conviction, November showed a smaller volume of structural business than any month in the year, but railroad con- tracts now pending should make a better record for December. At Chicago 40,000 to 50,000 tons of steel will be required for buildings whose erection is likely to be financed in the next six months, One of these is the Underwriters’ Building, which will take 12,000 tons. The New York State Prison Commission will open bids December 15 for a building requiring 10,000 tons. Plate manufacturers, whose business has lagged for months, find some encouragement in recent car and locomotive contracts. Lake shipyards have had. some good repair orders, but cannot count greatly on new vessel work for the winter. The wire trade is somewhat more active following a lull, but prices show further irregularity. A number of independent sheet-mills have sold their capacity for the next three months, but current busi- ness is only snoderate, and! on good-sized) Gontracts a Mechanical and Civil Engineers, | eee ey i eee A Orie. PRT Le fa Sac intennt m ¥ ~ Bhp A yt ne pA ery? PSO Y - ba. 2.10c. basis for No. 28 black sheets has been reached. Under the new Pittsburgh basing, semifinished steel has been more uniformly held at $23, Pittsburgh, for billets and $24.50 for sheet bars. Pig iron markets are settling into greater quietness as the year end approaches. More Southern iron has been sold at $11, Birmingham, for the first quarter of next year. An offer of $10.50, made by a foreign syndicate, for 50,000 tons of Southern No. 2, found no producer willing to entertain it, but it may have in- spired reports of shading below $11. Two blast fur- naces of the Tennessee Company have gone out this week and a number of merchant furnaces have been added to the idle list, ineluding one in New Jersey, one in New York and two in Virginia. Discussion of the question of Lake Superior ore prices for 1911 brings out views ranging from a re- duction of 50c. to a reaffirmation of this year’s basis. Cleveland selling firms look for larger shipments next year to Eastern furnaces in view of the strong demand in England and Germany for Swedish and Spanish ores at high prices, and the great advance in ocean freights. The ore canceled by Eastern furnace com- panies this year was all readily resold abroad, but it is a little early to predict that high freights and high ore prices on the other side will likewise be a factor when Lake ore sales are made for IgIT. Tin has again advanced above 37c. The November statistics, showing deliveries of 3800 tons, were about 25 per cent. beyond expectations. Efficiency Engineers to the Help of the Railroads That they have not applied scientific methods to the management of their business, and, that if they should do so, economies would be realized, making it unnec- essary to advance freight rates—this was in substance the case of the Eastern shippers against the railroads at the hearings in Washington last week. Some of the statements made in the heat of argument were of the same species of accusation and complaint that have grown so common in this country of late. They re- minded us again of the way in which the American people have given themselves up to the business of bringing charges against the existing order of things, political, industrial, commercial and financial. The tariff, the currency, the corporations, the politicians, the labor unions, the farmers, the automobile and, by no means least, the railroads—all have been blamed for conditions which have seriously disturbed the minds of the people ever since the average desire for material satisfactions has been so rapidly outstripping the average income. It is not new to hear that the efficiency of our in- dustrial operations is not what it should be. The rail- toads are in numerous company in being under this accusation. The doctors of efficiency, whose excellent work in many fields is greatly to be commended, have long brought almost as sweeping an indictment as the Washington one of last week, against the heads of manufacturing industries generally. They have told us that the managers of industrial companies are as a rule more at fault for the lack of efficiency in their workmen than the workmen themselves. In the rela- 1232 THE IRON AGE December 1, 1919 tively few plants in which outside efficiency ciginees have had opportunity to apply theit methods, particy. larly in those of the larger companies, they have hag some notable successes in increasing output and red. ing unit costs. So they assert with a good deal of cop. fidence—or some of them asserted at Washington— that the railroads could save $1,000,000 a day by sciep- tific management. But so far as any “ scientific” basis for this estimate is concerned, it might, with aj. most equal reason, have been put at $2,000,000 a day, Yet the advice given the railroads by witnesses experienced in other fields than railroad management is not by that token to be disregarded. Nor will it be competent for the railroads to retort that if al! indus- trial companies were efficiently organized and operated the latter would so lower their costs that higher freights would be no burden. Railroad presidents may have been satirical in telling of the large rewards awaiting those who shall show the way to a tithe of the econ- omies the roads are charged with neglecting. At the same time it may well be that they have found food for thought. It is well, too, that such wide publicity has been given to this phase of the subject. It is the first time in all the multiplied discussions of our high prices that economy has been seriously suggested as a remedy. We have been simply running the circle of higher prices, higher wages, and then higher wages, higher prices. The cure for high wage and material costs, we have steadily been told, lies in a higher charge for the finished product. The railroads have simply used the argument made to their hand. Now that economy in production has been pointed to as the desideratum, we may hear much more of lower prices as the way out of present economic troubles. The Position of Spelter The present spelter situation is commanding much attention among market statisticians who are not agreed as to the reason for the recent advances in price. While it is generally believed that leading smelters and some large sellers are in a measure ma- nipulating the market, it is generally conceded that the smelters are warranted in holding out for higher prices. Their claim that, with increased cost of labor and ore, spelter cannot be produced at a profit under 6 cents a pound is worth some consideration. As to the restriction in production affecting the supply, it is admitted that while some retorts have been closed down a considerable stock, visible and invisible, has been carried over from last year. Estimates as t the probable output of prime Western spelter made at this time are not based on actual figures, as none have been given out by the smelters, and not until the end of the year will the actual statistics of production be known. [t is known, however, that spelter has not gene into consumption very rapidly during the last three months. That the prevailing price of the metal is not so very high as compared with the average price of some years is shown by the following table of New York quotations, averaged from reports in The [rom Age: Year. Cents. Year. a CREE Ce ae p11 SORT... comitine. Baer °° ah ie a+ +o o0a50 0's sb ae SUE: so acdbawene*°°* ne BHRG. 5 6... 202 1908.0 Odie eiee-> 7” Dece! er {, 1910 [he daily price of spelter in New York last week vas steadily 5.95¢. Some statisticians make compari- sons spelter prices with lead quotations, but not ince 1908 has spelter been sold as low as lead, and the former metal has been gradually advancing since that year. Accordingly, any argument based on the price of the two metals should not carry much weight. Whatever the Government statistics may show as to the production and consumption during the year 1910, it is safe to assume that those who control the situa- tion will keep the price up until those figures appear. It is claimed by some that the present condition of the spelter market is owing, primarily, to a shortage of the metal in Europe, and that there is already the prospect that a shortage may arise in this country. In addition, it is stated that the smelting capacity is out of line, being excessive, a condition which also con- fronts other branches of the metallurgical industry. thermore, the consumption of spelter has greatly ed within the last decade, in consequence of which smelters were built in the newly discovered Kansas gas fields. Gas was of course a cheap and satisiactory fuel, but of late the supply has been dimin- ishing. Changes that are deemed necessary to meet the present and prospective conditions in the Kansas district, in which more than half of the smelting retorts are located, are estimated to require two years to accomplish. A continued increase in the consumption of spelter is confidently predicted, in which event, taking into consideration the other factors mentioned above, it would appear that an appreciation in the price of this metal is inevitable in the near future. Machinery Buying Systems and Prices Machine tool prices have not been influenced by the let-up in the demand following the cancellation of orders and the cessation of buying on the part of the utomobile people and by the long absence from the market of the railroads as large buyers. It has been iully demonstrated that reduced prices in the machin- ery trade have little effect in increasing the volume During very good times the cost to the pur- has been of small moment as compared with de- liveries. When the depression came, in 1908, price was a small factor in inducing business; so little ex- Chaser isted that no stimulus could be effective. In recent months, a period of demand ranging from normal to very moderate, purchasers have again shown that they are ready to pay the price for what they need, and that their ideas of their wants are on a higher plane than ever before. The tendency of modern machinery buying, to get the right tool, whether cheap or ex- pensive, which has been mentioned from time to time, has been given an even stronger accent. The work 'o be done is studied more carefully. Pains are taken ‘ machine be secured which will accomplish the task in the most economical manner, taking into ac- all such elements as rapidity of manufacture, luality of product and the labor cost, together with the price of the equipment under consideration. The fact that a machine is very expensive as an investment does not count, if the other factors Warrant the expenditure. Occasionally the error is meré initi made, in the zeal to get the best, of purchasing os tools, where greater economy would have fol- Owed the use of a cheaper type of machine. The sub- THE IRON AGE 1233 ject is given intelligent thought by the cost department and the office management, as well as by the me- chanical department. The whole effort is toward a more’ nearly perfect production unit, a fact which, naturally, puts the builder of machinery on a sounder basis as to his prices. His fight is on the merits of his machines in their relation to the work. If his price is maintained, the same to all, the buyer recognizes the fact and respects it. In connection with the modern practice in buying, some users fall into the error of believing that they know the complete field of machinery from which to make a selection. They fail to take into account that new tools are coming on the market constantly, the builders of which cannot get into touch with imme- diate buyers of equipment, because of their ignorance of who the buyers are. To send out broadcast informa- tion as to requirements brings a largely increased knowledge upon which to establish the best equipped plant. Those concerns that seek the general informa- tion have the advantage of those pursuing the apposite policy. Instances arise constantly to prove this fact, in the experience of the customer as well as of the manufacturer and dealers. Very often the builder will be able to assist his customers richly in the creation of economical methods of production. Builders are spe- cialists, and the services of their experts are at the disposal of buyers, constituting an important part of the sales system. Many cases could be cited to show that this engineering advice has been followed by large economies. It is therefore an element to be taken into consideration in the selection of equipment. The wider its scope the more valuable it may.be. Certain officials having to do with the purchasing departments try to avoid publicity on the ground that they are well enough in touch with conditions in the machinery market, through the salesmen whom they are accustomed to seeing regularly and through other users of machinery, and because they dislike the flood of information by letter, circular, catalogue and visiting representatives which publicity brings with it. It is an erroneous con- clusion, for the information rarely fails to be of actual financial value to their houses. The Use of Re-export Tin Plate As one tariff law of the United States closed the domestic market to the Welsh tin plate mills, so our cousins across the water seem unable to give up the idea that another may open it again. Interest has lately been aroused in England over an increase in Welsh tin plate exports to the United States, and the suggestion is made that the Payne-Aldrich tariff law is responsible. It is needless to state that such is not the case. Indeed, its reduction in the duty from 1.5 cents to 1.2 cents per pound was voluntarily sug- gested by the tin plate manufacturers at the Ways and Means Committee hearing as feasible, without intro- ducing the likelihood of disturbance in the industry. Whatever our imports of Welsh tin plate amount to, they are, as they have been for more than a decade, almost solely for re-export purposes. The increase in British tin plate exports to the United States may be stated briefly to consist in this, that while in both 1907 and 1908 the year’s exports amounted to 60,000 gross tons, in 1909 this quantity was reached in eleven months, while this year the Ce te eae en oe i oot Ps r ' FF f: ‘ RA oa re oy ST can Ii tigen fe te cpg pe a eT gad 1234 THE IRON quantity was reached in nine months. British tin plate exports to the United States in the first nine months of this year amounted to 60,857 gross tons, and in October to 5216 tons, making a total for ten months of 66,073 tons. It should be observed that the October exports were not large, the 5216 tons comparing with an average of 6960 tons during the preceding nine months, and with 8644 tons in October of last year. We have parison because for a given month the British figures used the British figures in making the com become available somewhat earlier than our own, while of course for the same month they reflect changes in the movement more promptly, by the time the material consumes in crossing the ocean. Over a period of time our own statistics agree quite closely with the British, as we import very little tin plate from other sources. Our tin plate imports in the past four fiscal years have averaged 63.900 gross tons per year, or at the rate of about 12,000,000 pounds per month. The imports dur- ing July, August and September this year and last have been as follows, in pounds: 1909 1910 July a er ‘ nae 11,559,955 24,170,637 August 11,358,453 9,120,322 Septembe: ‘ ae 9,735,998 6,091,330 Totals 32,654,406 39,382,289 [t will be observed that were it not for the quite 1 1 unusual total in July last the average of the quarter would be considerably lower than in the corresponding quarter of last year. oe us, on the whole, there is no evidence of anv sudden increase in our imports « The sta f tin plates. tistics of the drawback trade in tin plate have not lately bee studied with the car which used to be given to them when hopes were entertained that a large part of this trade might be captured by the American mills. A hope of this sort has recently been reviv the drawback figures are given a fresh interest \s no attention has been paid to them for several years we give the full statistics for the past beginning with the fiscal year 1898, which was the last year in which there were any consider able tin piate imports for strictly domestic consump tion In the first column of the table below is stated the number of pounds of tin plate upon which drawback was allowed during the fiscal year named. The allow ance is made, not upon the precise quantity of tin plate existing in the exported articles, which comprise chiefly cans containing oil, fruit, meat, &c., carpet sweepers and lined cases, but upon the amount of tin plate it is computed is required in the manufacture, allowances being made for waste. In the second col- umn is stated the difference between the imports of tin plate tn the year named and the drawback of tin pl ite in the same veat lin Plate. Fiscal Years. P ds Excess Excess of imports Drawback of imports 1898 3,764,775 1905. .151.677,870 9,388,950 1899 *14,.421 856 1906. .120,455,345 364.387 1900 22,694,648 1907. .102.712,.630 39,816.77 1901.. 9,381,571 L908. .158,911,418 *18,171,446 1902 73,655,575 1909. .116,829,347 482,827 1903... *13.174,979 1910. .141,732,141 12,834,458 1904 15,251,008 * Excess of drawback over imports It wil! be observed that the drawback trade has fluctuated in volume in such an irregular way that no December |. 3 AGE 1910 generalization can be made as to what has average in the most recent years, or whether re been an increase or decrease in the past few year Were the statistics extended farther back the ¢ sion would not be reduced. The first dra lowance was made in 1884, upon 97,415,080 | 188 the maximum of the whole period was 166,087,740 lb. The movement decreased to ).c28 083 Ib. in 1892, only to increase to 161,758,3 1594. In October, 1902, an arrangement was eff: tween the leading tin plate interest and the orgar workmen whereby the latter would work at wages upon tin plate intended for what was convyeni- ently called the “ to consumers upon the usual terms, but an allowance rebate trade.” the material being sold being made the consumer upon the exportation packages, &c., made from the tin plate. The am of business so done during the ensuing five years pr ably averaged between 25,000,000 and 50,000,000 per year, and to this extent the regular drawback busi ness in important tin plate was reduced. It will be served from the table, however, that no great redu tion from the previous rate was effected. Of late there does not seem to have been so mucl of this rebate business done by the American mills, but it is possible that greater efforts will be put forth in the future to take a larger share of it. The chief obstacle to making the close terms necessary is the high labor cost in the American mills, compared with the Welsh. the Amalgamated Association and the leading interest, Since the termination of relations between some seventeen months ago, there is no wage conces this class of tin plate. In steel the domesti s10n oO] producer has an advantage, as it has been possibl lately to export sheet bars to Great Britain. Ii of selling tin plates at home, to replace rebate plates rather than selling sheet bars abroad, are thes« siderations: The double freight om sheet bars is sa ] also the 1 per cent. duty which the government tains, and the disadvantage to the buyer of rebate plates of doing business at long range with Welsh makers besides a number of minor reasons. It will be observed from the table already given that the imports of Welsh tin plate for strictly domestic consumption are negligible. In the past six fiscal years 1905 to 1910 inclusive, the net excess of imports over tin plate upon which drawback was allowed averag only 8,000,000 Ib. a year. A part of this pr ably represented waste upon which an allowance coud not be secured, the remainder being fancy charcoa fly bright and roofing plates, probably imported chiefly out-of-the-way places. Even the whole 8,000,000 would represent only one-half of 1 per cent . present production, and there is not the slightest p! N- pect of any increase in the strictly domestic consu! tion of Welsh tin plate Insuring the Important Man Che importance of one man in some manufacturing plants is instanced by the growing custom of insuring the life of such an individval in favor of the com pany, so that in case of his death the loss may be mac up in part by a large cash benefit. While it is true that ° . . ° “11 hy no man is so essential to a business that his loss wi!! D€ er 1, 1910 THE IRON AGE 1235 ntly as well as seriously felt, yet occasionally blishment is built about a genius whose re- ould be a serious blow to the industrial or- n. Granting that his niche would be filled ly by another in due course of time, a period isue during which his ‘absence might mean rnings. The insurance policy safeguards the ’s resources during this time. Stockholders their interests are protected, and the insur- have its effects upon credits. The custom vailed for years in some large commercial in- is, but in manufacturing lines it has been less Correspondence Shortening the Working Day the Editor: The last three paragraphs of your ar- this week’s issue headed “ Shortening the Work- vy” should be put in the hands of every wage earner land; certainly howlers for a shorter day for work irred from complaining of increased cost of liv- ut this demand for a shorter day is largely due same well meant agitation by some publications to vou refer in your article on “ Stimulating Work- \mbitions.” There are a host of economic and gical mollycoddles abroad in the land, and they are tremely valuable asset to the ignorant labor agi- r shorter hours of work. These two classes are the yellow press, of course. Their editors seem well educated to believe in the doctrines they SHORTENING OF HOURS NOT THE WORST EVIL. cording to the report of President Briggs of the Founders’ Association it would seem that the ng of hours is not in itself the worst evil which urers find themselves up against; it is the fact output per capita has declined in greater ratio percentage of decreased hours warrants; in eter, the efficiency of wage earners has decreased roportion to the shortening of hours; and this is crave symptom to any one capable of recognizing portends. It is of much greater influence in < vost of living than is the shortening of hours; it ot be were the output per capita to be decreased rata as the hours of labor were shortened. can locate the cause of this drop in the effi- of labor it follows that we can locate, at least ably, the cause of something which is responsible reased cost of living to a greater degree than is shortened hours of labor. My experience and ob- n lead me to the conclusion that in the last solu- s due to the employer. He (or it, if a corporation) posediy the most intelligent man around the fac- and if an ignorant superintendent or foreman is ved it is a fair inference that he or they are re- of their employer. For instance, the foreman of mention is made in your article “ Stimulating en’s Ambition” could not possibly carry out so a policy were his superiors possessed of any ‘ grade of intelligence than his; or, if they have a grade of intelligence, they are lacking in a sense ir responsibility—are very careless at the best. eir men are aware of that, even if the employers In such a shop the efficiency would surely be NORANT MANAGEMENT BREEDS INEFFICIENCY. ave been in open shop foundries running on 59 per week schedule and the output per capita was lower per day than was the case in closed shop ries where the schedule observed was 54 hours eek—that is to say, higher efficiency with shorter ia closed shop than longer hours in an open shop. urse, it was a case of ignorant management, but ind of management was epidemic in that part of the country in respect of foundries at that time (1906). The price of castings was very much higher than the in- creased freight rate warranted (due to distance from fur- haces, &c.). And from what I hear foundry management has not improved very much in that purt of the country since then. Taking another line of work. I have been in car shops where the output per day on a given job, for instance, turning off Pullman car wheels, was four pairs per day, and I have been in car shops where the output per day on the same kind of work was seven pairs. As the nine- hour day ruled in each case the difference in output was not caused by a difference in hours. The lathe in neither case was modern, hence the difference in output could not be charged up to that. I am satisfied that it was due to ignorant management. Perhaps this is the kind of management to which H. R. Towne had reference when testifying before the Interstate Commerce Commission. It will be remembered that he said railroad shop man agement was far behind the times. Be this as it may, it is this kind of management which premiumizes ineffi- ciency ; hence raises unduly the cost of living. EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT BY MANUFACTURERS AND RAIL ROADS. Governor-elect Wilson made a remark to the effect that the tariff plank in the last Republican platform premiumized, in effect, inefficiency; to do that is an economic crime, and carries its own punishment. The elections on November 8 carried an installment on ac- count of punishment, and during the next two years or so we will feel the effects thereof. It is a safe guess that the next Republican platform, while maintaining the pro- tective principle, will not guarantee manufacturers a duty which equalizes differences in cost of production plus a fair profit. They will have to look to “ efficient management” for profit, and efficient management will increase the output per capita; hence decrease, at least to some extent, cost of living. If Mr. Towne is right in his jidgment of railroad shop management it follows that to let the railroads raise rates instead of forcing them to revise their meth- ods, would be an economic error of the gravest sort. As a writer in the Evening Sun says, to raise the rates would only provoke new demands for increased pay on the part of the men, and where would it all end? Of course, it is easier to raise rates (if you can) than buckle down to the wearisome job of reducing costs, but that is what manufacturers have to do, then why exempt the railroads? And why do not the gentlemen of the Railway Business Association get the facts from Mr. Towne before indorsing the railroads’ request for higher rates? Are they willing to take the responsibility for “ pre- miumizing inefficiency,” or is their attitude a case of “ aeceleration ”? No one with whom I have spoken among shippers objects to a raise in rates for personal reasons; they see the underlying fallacy and fear its ultimate effect. If railroads increase the efficiency of their shop management and are still shy of income no shipper will object. In that event the raise will be granted for sound economic reasons; but, in the meantime, the shippers have been fairly specific in respect of their criticisms, while rail- roads have confined themselves to generalities. For in- stance, no one undertook to question Mr. Emerson's state ment in regard to his achievements on the Santa Fe; nor was the reason why the other roads did not follow the Santa Fe methods explained. If Mr. Emerson's state ments are facts, the railroads are “in wrong,” both from a political as well as from an economic standpoint; It follows that they should either demolish his statement or withdraw their application for leave to raise the rates. HOW TO LOWER THE COST OF LIVING. The Sun has intimated that an era of readjustment is about due; that the first step is a lowering of wages. I think that the cost of living has got to be reduced by in- creased output, among other ways; and if for no other reason than that we no longer have an exportable surplus of breadstuffs; hence our obligations abroad have got to be squared by exports of manufactured articles. This i ; { ; : | ; eee - See : Pires. - i $5) ae ae St ei: = “® n. ose, eee Hinge tg + a Na,” a a Fy 1236 means that an era of really economical—i. e., efficient— management in all lines is an imperative necessity all around. The process of adjusting ourselves to changes which these conditions will enforce is not a very com- fortable one. J. J. Hill cannot be charged with not having warned us. The reduced output per acre shows that the drop in efficiency has also reached our farmers. Efficiency has got to be raised, not prices. And, as you say, this is no time to talk of shortening the hours of labor. Max H. C. BRoMBACHER. New York, November 26, 1910. Foreign and Domestic Prices of Tin Plate The Bulletin of the American Iron and Steel As- sociation contains the following relative to the prices paid for tin plates in the United States, when Welsh sources were depended upon entirely and the prices that have prevailed under domestic establishment of the tin plate industry. We give below a table which shows the actual prices paid at New York by a large consumer for for- eign coke tin plates, No. 30 gauge, freight and duty paid, from October 27, 1888, to June 22, 1891. The McKinley bill, increasing the duty on tin plates, be- came a law on October 6, 1890, but the tin plate pro- vision did not become operative until July 1, 1891. The table, therefore, covers a period of almost three years before this provision took effect. It was furnished to the American Iron and Steel Association several years ago by the consumer: Price per Price per No. box of No. box of Date. boxes. 112 lb. Date. boxes. 112 lb. October 27, 1888..535 $5.66 November 18...... 195 $5.54 November 5......257 5.64 November 19...... 190 6.07 December 13......823 5.56 November 20......195 5.84 January 3, 1889...509 5.57 November 28...... 195 5.79 January 14.......300 5.57 December 2....... 195 5.79 a a ee 216 4.97 December 26...... 196 6.08 Be bas bs066 824 4.99 December 29...... 196 §=66.09 BO Wiikey cave 34% 260 4.98 January 14, 1891..195 5.34 DRS Bes ss vnce'y 864 5.46 January 27....... 195 5.54 pl + 495 5.41 January 28....... 195 5.32 See. iw ss < 60:0 400 5.40 February 3........390 5.40 January 2, 1890...190 5.43 February 38........ 195 5.53 Sepeery @. 2.5.65 190 5.43 February 16.......390 5.53 February 17...... 570 5.51 March 14.........390 5.90 February 24...... 570 5.62 March 28.........390 5.88 . =e 195 5.89 ES ans on Shee 195 5.91 Passe ancrbce 585 5.93 Rs 665.0 aed 195 5.94 OE Es iin ws. 0,u.6'0 6.00 hh ee PGE os cca ere 390 =: 6.00 REE ae Octoter i3........ 195 6.21 IRM oo aa nth pease 195 5.97 October 27........385 5.54 je > 5.70 The average cost of tin plates in the 32 months cov- ered by the above table was $5.67 per box. The price, however, it will be noticed, often ranged above $6 per box. The following table gives the average yearly prices of domestic tin plates, IC, 14 x 20, per box of 100 Ib., at tin plate mills in Pennsylvania, from 1899 to the end of 1909: Price. Price. Price. Pes 204 ot $4.06 tes cp ae $3.74 Rts 6 cae ee $3.90 ee 4.47 BOGE: ...... Bel $OO6. ss sis eee OO 4.00 ia kan 3.50 2008: .:<..5 BO | 3.93 REE 3.69 The average annual price of tin plates of domestic manufacture in these 11 years was $3.81 per box. In recent years tin plates have been imported chiefly by the oil and canning interests to obtain the benefit of the drawback. —————».-- Howell C. Rockhill, trustee of the Fort Wayne Rolling Mills, Fort Wayne, Ind., states that the last of a debt of $375,000 was to be paid off December 1 and the property would then revert to the original stockholders. The company became involved in 1905 and the creditors put it in the hands of a trustee. A holding company was organized to take over and op- erate the plant. THE IRON AGE The Population of New York State December 1, 1910 New York State has a population of 9,113,279, a¢- cording to statistics of the 13th census just made pu}; This is an increase of 1,844,385, or 25.4 per cent. over that of 1900. The increase from 1890 to 1900 was 1,265,257, or 21.1 per cent. The New York //’orjj makes the following striking comparisons: “The State of New York, with 9,113,279 inhabj- tants under the new census, has more people than any one of these European kingdoms: Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Bulgaria, Servyia, Roumania, Montenegro, Bavaria, Saxony or Wiirtem- berg. It has as many as Scotland and Ireland com- bined. It has twice as many as Australia, and it ex- ceeds all Canada by at least one-third. Its population is the same as England’s at the first census of that country, taken in 1801, and two and one-third times greater than that of the entire United States at our own first census, taken in 1790. New York State is more populous than any country in South America ex- cept Brazil, and it exceeds any other country in North America except Mexico. Its increase of 1,844,385 for the last decade is greater than the population of any State west of the Missouri except California, and is almost exactly equal to that of Maine and Connecticut combined. But what is still more interesting, the pop- ulation of New York City exceeds by more than 400.- 000 the population of the rest of the State.” Re a The American Society for Testing Materials Circular No. 53 of the American Society for Test- ing Materials announces the adoption of the specifica- tions submitted to the members some months ago on staybolt iron on yellow pine bridge and trestle tim- bers and on methods of testing. The annual volume of the Proceedings, which will contain about 650 pages, will be distributed in December. Notwithstanding the increase in dues from $5 to $10 a year, only 40 resigna- tions have been received, but in the same time 137 new applications have come in, so that the present mem- bership is 1303. The American membership in the International Association is growing, being now 438, Germany being next to this country with about 400 members. A further large increase in the American membership is expected before the next International Congress, which wil! be held in New York in the fall of 1912, Prof. Henry M. Howe presiding. Among papers now being arranged for that meeting will be one by James E. Howard, Bureau of Standards, Wash- ington, on “The Effects of Temperature on the Strength of Structural Materials.” —— > Against Further Tariff Revision.—James M. Swank, vice-president and general manager of the American Iron and Steel Association, has addressed a letter to President Taft giving reasons against further tariff agitation. The letter concludes with the follow- ing: “ We respectfully submit that no good reason ex- ists for a further revision of the tariff or any part 0! it at the present time or at any time in the immediate future, and that it would be unwise to recommend that this revision be made. If recommended and un- dertaken the country’s industrial conditions, which have been subjected during the past three years to 4 great strain, would be still further depressed, and the capitalists who provide employment for workingmen would have their anxiety still further increased. We respectfully suggest that nothing be done to increase the general discontent, but that everything possible be done to allay apprehension, especially in business cir- cles. Stability is greatly needed and not continual agitation. The country wants industrial, financial and political peace.” December I, 1910 The Iron and THE IRON AGE 1237 Metal Markets A Comparison of Prices Advances Ower the Previous Week in Heavy Type, Deelines in Halics. At date, one week, one month and one year previous, Noy.30, Nov.23, Oct.26, Nov.24, PIG URON, Per Gross Ton : 1910. 1910. 1910. 1909. Foundry No. 2, standard, Phila- lelphia ss ovseedOeeodtn ages $15.50 $15.50 $15.75 $19.00 Foundry No. 2, Southern, Cincin- nati ..+ 0 vee teedwer es anes s 14.25 14.25 14.25 17.75 Foundry No, 2, local, ao 16.00 16.00 16.00 19.00 Basic, delivered, eastern Pa. 14.75 14.75 15.00 18.75 Basic, VaHey furmace.......... 13.50 13.50 13.00 17.25 Bessemer, Pittsburgh.......... 15.90 15.90 15.90 19.90 G forge, Pittsburgh........ 13.90 13.90 14.15 17.40 Lak Superior charcoal, Chicago 18.00 18.00 18.00 19.50 BILLETS, &e., Per Gross Ton : sessemer billets, Pittshurgh.... 23.00 23.00 23.50 27.50 forging billets, Pittsburgh..... 28.50 28.50 29.00 31.00 Open hearth billets, Philadelphia 25.50 25.50 26.00 30.60 Wire rods, Pittsburgh......... 28.00 28.00 28.50 33.00 OLD MATERIAL, Per Gross Ton: Iron rails, CHIGABZO. .....ccccee 16.00 16.00 16.00 19.50 Iron rails, Philadelphia........ 18.00 18.00 18.00 21.00 Car wheels, Chicago........... 13.50 13.50 14.00 18.50 Car wheels, Philadelphia....... 13.75 13.75 13.75 17.50 Heavy steel scrap, Pittsburgh.. 14.25 14.25 14.25 17.50 Heavy steel serap, Chicago. .... 12.25 12.25 12.25 16.00 Heavy steel serap, Philadelphia 413.00 13.50 13.75 18.00 FINISHED IRON AND STEEL, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Bessemer steel rails, heavy, at Mill . 00 one eunweta ta wees. a 1.25 1.25 1.25 1.25 Refined iron bars, Philadelphia. 1.35 1.37 1.40 1.65 Common iron bars, Chicago.... 1.35 1.35 1.35 1.60 ( ion iron bars, Pittsburgh.. 1.40 1.40 1.45 1.70 Steel bars, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.66 Steel bars, Pittsburgh......... 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.50 k plates, tidewater, New York 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.71 « plates, Pittsburgh........ 1.40 140 1.40 1.55 ms, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.71 Beams, Pittsburgh............. 1.40 1.40 1.40 1.55 \ngles, tidewater, New York... 1.56 1.56 1.56 1.71 Angles, PIttebGifgl. .. 65 ccc ck 1.40 1.40 140 1.56 Skelp, grooved steel, Pittsburgh. 1.25 1.25 1.30 1.55 Skelp, sheared steel, Pittsburgh. 1.30 1.30 140 1.60 SHEETS, NAILS AND WIRE, Per Pound: Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Sheets, black, No. 28, Pittsbrrgh 2.20 2.20 2.20 2.30 Wire nails, Pittsburgh*........ 1.70 1.70 1.70 1.80 ( nails, Pittsburgh.......... 1.60 1.60 1.65 1.80 b> wire, galv., Pittsburgh*... 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.10 METALS, Per Pound : Cents. Cents. Cents. Cents. Lake copper, New York........ 13.00 138.00 12.8714 14.00 Llectrolytic copper, New York.. 12.874%412.874% 12.80 13.75 Spelter, Mew WOR... ccc cine 5.95 5.95 5.60 6.40 Spelter, SG; WseQiae.6 2. Aa 5.80 5.80 5.45 6.25 Lead, New Wotitwecce.ic . 08%. -% 4.50 450 440 4.40 Lead, St. Louies... ..vesccecnds 4.40 4.40 4.27% 4.27% rin, Rew Welicsexss bias ceeade 37.35 36.90 36.15 31.50 \ntimony, Hallett, New York... 7:75 7.75 7.75 8.25 lin plate, 100-lb., box, New York.. $3.84 $3.84 $3.84 $3.84 These prices are for largest lots to jobbers. Prices of Finished Iron and Steel f.o.b. Pittsburgh lreight rates from Pittsburgh in carloads, per 100 Ib. : Ni ’ York, 16e.; Philadelphia, 15c.; Boston, 18c.; Buffalo, ~ Cleveland, 10c.; Cincinnati, 15c.; Indianapolis, 17c. ; Chicago, 18¢.; St. Paul, 832c.; St. Louis, 22%4c.; New Or ns, 30e. ; Birmingham, Ala., 45ce. Rates to the Paeific C ist are 90e, on plates, structural shapes and sheets, No. !l and heavier; 85e. on sheets, Nos. 12 to 16; 95c. on sheets, ‘No. 16 and lighter; 65c. on wrought boiler tubes. Structural Material_—I-beams and channels, 3 to 15 ne 1.40c. to 1.45c., net ; I-beams over 15 in., 1.50. ‘0 1.55e., net; H-beams over 8 in., L.55c. to 1.60c. ; ‘angles, 3 to 6 im, inclusive, % in, and up, 1.40¢c. to 1.45¢., net ; ‘icles over 6 im., L.50c. to 1.55c., net; angles, 3 in., on one or ‘both legs, less than %4 in. thick, 1.466, us full extras a8 per steel bar card, effective 5 he in. and up, 1.400. to 1.45e., net; zees, 3 in. Gat es l5e., net; angles, channels and tees, under 3 in., 14Be., ‘ase. plas full extras as per steel bar card of Septeniber 1, 1909; deck beams and bulb angles, 1.70c. to 1.75c., net; hand rail tees, 2.50c.; checkered and corrugated pilates, 2.50¢., net. Plates.—Tank plates, 4 in. thick, 6% in. up to 100 in. wide, 1.40c. to 1.45c., base. Following are stipulations pre- seribed by manufacturers, with extras to be added to base price (per pound) of plates: Rectangular plates, tank steel or conforming to manufactur- = standard specifications for structural st Gated. Frorws 6, 1903, or equivalent, 1%4-in, thick and over on t ipnest in. wide and under, down to but not including se. Plates up to 72.in. wide, inclusive, ordered 10.2 lb, per square foot are considered re -in, plates. Plates over 72 in. wide must ba ondared yin. thie , or not less than 11 1b, per square oH Beant ad bes it waa dt See oe per e foot down to we of 3- the price of 3-16 llowable overweight, whether plates are ordered to gauge o weight, to be governed by the standard specifications of the ‘As. sociation of American Steel Manufacturers. s under \¥-in, to and including 3-16-in. on CRINGE BOI 6.4 5hiis-o OR dee ed met eve es $0.10 Gauges under 3-16-in. to and includ te ae 15 Gauges under No. 8 to and including No. 9...... Gauges under No. 9 to and inelndine . | | ER 3 Gauges under No. 10 to and including Not 1@. ... 6. .40 Sketches (including all straight taper plates), 3 ft. GI GVGE Ul GUNNER A 0 00 660 cect ccentmeeereees -10 Complete circles, 3 ft. in diameter and over...... .20 EGGERT. DOGG. ct cwies ce wesenncsccnses 10 “A.B. M. A.” and ordinary firebox steel........ 20 eR Pry Ty TTT eT er raTTT TT TE 30 DEROUE, GUOGEs ok cc chhebeerbadeccceveceeencese 40 Locomotive firebox stee@l... 2.2.0... ccc ccc eee enes 50 Widths over 100 in, up te 110 in., inclusive...... - Widths over 110 in. up to 115 in., inclusive...... 10 Widths over 115 in, up to 120 in., inclusive...... 5 Widths over 120 in. up to 125 in., Inclusive...... .20 Widths over 128 in, up to 130 in., inclusive...... 50 ns Ne BU ee i eat bah adaie’s 1.00 a to lengths or diameters under 3% ft. to 2 ODUIIGUS Gk 8 0 bc bo Eh dawn ge Hee ghs ceveees 25 Cuttin to lengths or diameters under 2 ft. to 1 he Dts chiahachhans ocak cade pee es os 50 Cutting to lengths or diameters under 1 ft....... No charge for cutting rectangular plates to lengths 3 “tt. and over. TermMs.—Net cash 30 days, Sheets.—Makers’ prices for mill shipments on sheets in carload and larger lots, on which jobbers charge the usual discounts for small lots from store, are as follows: Blue annealed sheets, Nos. 3 to 8, 1.60c.; Nos. 9 and 10, 1.65c. ; Nos. 11 and 12, 1.70¢.; Nos. 13 and 14, 1.75c.; Nos. 15 and 16, 1.85¢. One pass, cold rolled, box annealed sheets: Nos. 10 and 11, 1.85¢.; Nos. 12 to 14, 1.90c.; Nos. 15, 16 and 17, 1.95¢e.; Nos. 18 to 21, 2c.; Nos. 22, 23 and 24, 2.05c.; Nos: 25 and 26, 2.15c.; Nos. 27 and 28, 2.20c.; No. 29, 2. Qe. ; No. 30, 2.35c. Three pass cold rolled sheets, box annealed, are as follows: Nos. 15 and 16, 2.05c.; Nos. 17 to 21, 2.10¢. ; Nos. 22 to 24, 2.15c.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.20. ; No. 27, 2.25c. ; No. 28, 2.30c. Galvanized sheets, Nos. 10 and 11, 2.20c.; Nos. 12, 13 and 14, 2B0e. ; Nos, 15, 16 and 17, 2 2, Ate. 5 : Nap 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2.60c.; No. 22, 2.60¢c.; Nos. 23 and 2 2.i00e.; Nos. 25 and 26, 2.906. ; No. 27, 8.0be. : No. oe Rone No. 29, 3.30c.; No. 30, 3.50c. Painted roofing sheets, No. 28, $1. 55 per square. Galvanized sheets, No. 28, $2.75 per square for 2%4-in. corrugations. All above prices are f.0.b. Pittsburgh, terms 30 days net, or 2 per cent. cash discount 10 days from date of invoice. Wrought Pi The following are the jobbers’ carload discounts on the Pittsburgh basing card on wrought pipe, in effect from October 1: Butt Weld. -——BSteel.- —_~ fo —~-Iron.—, = Coe: ee. “7 1 er oe och tadedaee f 5 . Pa % Beret = pe ee saee 75 63 71 59 x to 1% bs . ss Ae EBe keke 79 69 TH 65 6 Ro win 6 a etheh 6 oem ee 80 70 76 66 i were 66 72 62 3 Mea tg aaa hs StS vie ae ie u © 2 OS he da bcs cae dis 17 67 73 63 De Ee A danse ohh eee & 59 71 55 is €0-°16 Wei cicccisecvees 51% os Butt Weld, extra strong, plain in ends, ¢ card weights. Bp Res eterse seer: a” Sane to 1 a > ‘a bain ote 78 72 74 68 = £0 2 Winn sae chani sn koeeee 79 73 15 69 . Lap Weld, extra strong, a ends, card WE @ bis vcd obvevk cowievers SAL, 00, Bh cc cn since camis cee 77 a % or 414 to 6 in cuoteesanevea 76 ae ee. ci, Sutedh ad wees aA oe 65 HH Butt ik Acidbis cites’ siveney plat card weigh fo tip es ce $3 of ¢ Sy Weld, her see to Mins... cesses e ess OF 61 ST oO OR: .6 ct eecnene waebs De Uswwus ce Lictocesanoue % $s | | <= ~~. \ a on ee eta tt ae - ihe ie antl 2 rye ase Ye Plugged and Reamed.~ 1 to 1%, 2 to 3 in... Butt Weld { Will be sold at. two (2) | points lower basing (high- er price) than merchant or card weight pipe, Butt 2,2%to4in.......