7 NOVEMBER 1947, Page 16

STEPPING UP STEEL

Sta,—The article on this subject by Mr. Evans is interesting but dis- quieting, and the figures of output which he gives require explanation. Why the tremendous fall from approximately 1,440,000 tons in 1939 to 1,000,000 tons in the war years? And why was the 1946 output only 1,150,000 tons? Has it to do with numbers employed, furnace capacity, bombing, hours, PA.Y.E. or what? It is disquieting that it should need a big campaign of propaganda, with all the work and expense involved, to achieve an output at the rate of 1,360,000 tons, when the actual output in the bad old times of 1939 was 1,440,000 tons.—Yours faithfully,

Glenpatrick House, Elderslie, Renfrewshire. J. S. M. JACK.