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Show INDUSTRIAL FUTURE OF UTAH COUNTY IS LINKED WITH STEEL MERGER PLANS Columbia Steel Corporation and Pacific Coast Steel Company May Consolidate Their Industrial Interests. IMPROVEMENTS TO FOLLOW MERGER (Special to The Herald.) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17. Greater development of the iron and steel industry in Utah and California is promised prom-ised in the proposed consolidation of the large steel manufacturing manu-facturing interests on the Pacific coast. Rumors of a consolidation con-solidation between the Columbia Steel corporation and tin; Pacific Coast Steel company have been persistent for some time in financial circles in San Francisco. 3 It is understood here that the heads of the two largest steel companies on the coast have carried on negotiations for a merger for a considerable time. It is also likely that the Judson Manufacturing company of Emeryville, Calif., will be included in the consolidation. It became known here Inst week that the proosod construction of blast furnace at Long Bench. Calif., by the Pacific Const Steel company, has been held up pending the outcome out-come of negotiat ions now carried on by the heads of the interested organizations. or-ganizations. Should the consolidation be effected effect-ed as a result of the present series of confereiKes, it. is believed that it would rcnuire six months to perfect. President Carlos J. Mnas of the .Judson Manufacturing company, has announced that plans for the enlargement en-largement and development of the company's business which would require re-quire large financing are being held up awaiting the outcome of the consolidation con-solidation plans. The merger would be one ot the strongest industrial concerns in western United Rtates. If the plans mature and a consolidation is effected, ef-fected, it is believed here, gigantic activities ni the iron and steel industries indus-tries would result. These nrtivities would greatly affect the iron industry in-dustry started a year atro in 1'iah by the Columbia Steel c-arpornlinii and would undoubtedly mean tho enlargement of the present operations opera-tions that corporation. AVheii (.'oust ruction work on the I ronton plant of the Columbia Steel enrjroration was first begun, there were several rumors circulating circulat-ing around Provo to the effect that representatives of the Pacific Coast Steel corporation had taken options on lands south of the Springville-Mapleton Springville-Mapleton Sugar factory. It. was said at that time that the coast corporation corpora-tion intended the building of a blast furnace on that site. Later it was rumored that the Pacific Coast corimration intended to construct its blast, furnace west of Lehi, near Saratoga Springs. Last fall the Pacific Coast corporation cor-poration is known to have investigated investi-gated tho possibility of building a blast; furnace at Long Beach, Calif. Plans for the construction of the sa.me had progressed" to a stage where construction work was not far distant. Now it appears that these plans have been held up on account of the merger conferences. Late last fall officials of the Columbia Co-lumbia Rteel corjoration unofficially unofficial-ly slated that construction work on an additional unit of the Iroiiton blast. furnace would commence not later than February, l!)Jf. This statement was biter subsl nnl in I ed by the officials of the construction companies which built Ihe Ironton plant. The statements were made to a Provo man, while visiting ihe construction con-struction company's office in Chicago, Chica-go, last winter. It. is believed by those close to the activities of the Columbia Steel corporation cor-poration here Mint the enlargement plans for the Irontnij may be inactive in-active because of the proposed merger. mer-ger. It. is also believed that should the consolidation take effect (he activities at the Ironton plaid as well as at the company's coal camp in Carbon county and the iron mines in Iron county would be greatly en-la en-la rged. |