UNITED STATES STEEL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1737, 6 October 1917, Page 2

UNITED STATES STEEL.

Mr Wilson’s appeal to producers and manufacturers to put patriotism before profit and to charge reasonable prices to everybody had its immediate effect when the steel and iron men in .conference at 'Washington agreed to place fli.cir produce under Government control for the period of the Avar, and to do every) hi;:# i ll their power to stimulate increased proaactiop, By a coincidence also, perhaps, many copper minors on strike in Arizona apjedjp return to work. The capi-

filiation of the steel men was influenced by Mr Wilson’s assurance that all care would be taken to protect American industry and to permit its expansion. Submitting to Government control means that prices will be subject to negotiation between the owners and the .Federal Trade Commission, which is now investigating the cost of production. The positive fixing of prices of iron and steel is particularly difficult, on account of the great difference in cost of production at mills situated in different localities, and the fact that contracts are already booked covering large quauilitcs of material at very high prices for delivery many months ahcad. The need of iron and steel for war purposes is so great that it has been seriously suggested that the available supplies should be reserved solely for such uses.