BRITISH TRADE.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1923, Page 1

BRITISH TRADE.

DEATH OF SCRAP METAL.

SHEFFIELD, Oet. 23

The prospect of the arrival of a succession of substantial orders for heavy steel in the course of the next few weeks, particularly in the railway department, brings to a head a problem of first importance from the standpoint of raw material supplies and Continental competition.

These orders will call for the recom-mi-ioning of idle steel furnaces, but in the ab.-enee of an adequate tonnage of scrap, cheap production is out of the question.

The progress of metallurgical science luts made it possible to utilise scrap in steel manufacture to an extent undreamed of a couple of decades ago. hTe average charge of a heavy furnace to-day consists of equal parts of scrap and material. In some cases the scrap constituent represents (>0 per cent.

It is an accepted belief, despite the fact that steel furnaces for a long period have been producing les than half their capacity, that this country contains no surplus old metal. Supplies would have run short long ago but lor the large tonnage of scrap furnished by the breaking up of war-vessels, guns, tanks, and all sorts of war material. Nearly a thousand tanks, both now and old, have gone or are on tlieir way to the .scrap heap. M.ucli more coulil be had from similar sources if our ship-breakers could obtain for dismantling all the old merchant- ships which periodically come on the market. Unfortunately most of these go to Germany, where buyers have been able to offer twice as much lor this class of tonnage as British breakers could afford to pay.

Obsolete warships may not- be sold or dismantled outside this country, but the owner of a merchant vessel may sell his worn-out goods in the Host market, wherever that may he situated.

An agitation has now been started with the object of extending to merchant craft the embargo which applies to old war-vessels. Sending our much-needed scrap to Germany unquestionably helps that country to undersoil British steel. Tn future, moreover, the interesls ot British ship and scrap breakers, who today are finding employment for many thousands ol workmen, deserve to he considered.

Scrap values have been rising steadily for some time. To-day they stand at Ids (id per ton above September quotations. -Members of fho. trade predict further advances should the prospeels of a steel trade revival matorinl-