Production costs per net ton of selected carbon steel products, 9 months ended Sept. 30, 1944-Continued Production costs per net ton of selected carbon steel products, 9 months ended Sept. 30, 1944—Continued Production costs per net ton of selected carbon steel products, 9 months ended Sept. 30, 1944-Continued 1 Adjusted to reflect normal depreciation on such facilities. NOTE.-Finishing facilities refers to total finishing facilities of each company. Source: Data submitted on OPA Forms 674-530, A, B, C, and D, steel mill cost analysis worksheets. OPA STATUTORY PROVISIONS Section 202 (h) of the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942 1 provides: "The Administrator shall not publish or disclose any information obtained under this Act that such Administrator deems confidential or with reference to which a request for confidential treatment is made by the person furnishing such information, unless he determines that the withholding thereof is contrary to the interest of the national defense and security." Section 4 (c) of the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942 provides: "It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the Government, or for any adviser or consultant to the Administrator in his official capacity, to disclose, otherwise than in the course of official duty, any information obtained under this Act, or to use any such information, for personal benefit." Section 205(b) of the Emergency Price Control Act of 1942 provides, in part: "Any person who willfully violates any provision of section 4 of this Act, shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of not more than $5,000, or to imprisonment for not more than two years in the case of a violation of section 4(c) *** or to both such fine and imprisonment. * * *” Senator KEFAUVER. Let me say that you make the point that this was prepared in connection with having due regard for confidentiality. I want to make the point that this contains very much more detail than anything we ever called for and which we planned to present, as set forth in our letter of July 2. Mr. PATTON. May I say that on the face of that-and I think, Mr. Chairman, you made the same point-that this was data relating to 1944 which was published in May of 1947, 3 years after the fact. It would not have nearly the impact on the current The CHAIRMAN. Were not conditions different at that time than they were during wartime? Mr. PATTON. Yes, sir. Senator KEATING. Mr. Chairman, would the Senator yield for a question on that point? Senator KEFAUVER. Yes. Senator KEATING. Did you face in 1944 the competition from foreign steel companies that was taking jobs away from American workers which you do today? Mr. PATTON. We did not, Senator. In 1944, the entire production of the American steel industry was being channeled into our defense effort. We were working at practical capacity. Since that time world conditions in the steel industry have changed dramatically. Modern steel plants have been built in many of the countries around the world, just as modern and more modern in many respects than our own. They have copied our techniques of mass production. They have labor costs one-third to one-fourth of our American labor costs, with the result that they now have steel that they are selling in world markets, and they are, month after month, underselling us and taking from the American steel industry markets that we traditionally enjoyed for years in foreign countries, and have even invaded our own domestic markets here in America, as is illustrated, taking business from us right in the very towns where we have our plants operating, sir. Senator JOHNSTON. Mr. Chairman? 156 Stat. 23; 50 U.S.C. App., secs. 901-946. |