The Butler County Press

SCRAP
Because we are not producing enough steel, we are not building ships and munitions as fast as we can. To increase our steel producing facilities we have had to fight the reluctant dragons among steel makers who have been too much concerned about endangering their post-war position by excessive steel production facilities.
Because some of the big steel companies have had their dollar-a-year men in the War Production Board putting the brakes on expansion of steel producing facilities, we have not made progress rapidly enough.
Labor has constantly insisted that we should, and could, produce more steel, and has applied all possible pressure upon the government. When Congress took a hand in the situation, it called in John L. Frey, president of the AFL Metal Trades Department to tell what he knew. That was last June. Now the prodding by the special Congressional committee appointed to investigate the steel shortage situation, which is headed by Representative Frank W. Boykin of Alabama, has resulted in approval of the building of a sponge-iron plant by the Republic Steel Co.
Sponge iron? Well, it's nothing new. In fact, it is old stuff. But it is a substitute for scrap iron, of which we cannot get enough to meet our needs. And sponge iron can be made right at the mines, in small plants, and at mines in many parts of the country not now contributing to our needs. It's another step along the lines of labor's recommendation of bringing more plants to the workers instead of messing up our housing situation further by bringing more and more men away from their homes to the plant.
And that's only the beginning. The Boykin committee should do some more probing into the steel situation. It can bring more things to light that will help us win the war.