TABLE II.-List of operating railroads controlled by industries, year ended Dec. 31, 1948-Continued Not reported. Mileage consists of 8.75 miles of sidings and turn-outs. Subject to jurisdiction of ICC but are engaged in interstate commerce only to a slight extent. Mr. EUGENE G. GRACE, EXHIBIT S-332 MAY 31, 1950. President, Bethlehem Steel Corp., Bethlehem, Pa. DEAR MR. GRACE: During the recent hearings of the Subcommittee on Study of Monopoly Power, which were concerned with the structure and functioning of the steel industry, one of the witnesses which the subcommittee heard was Mr. Samuel Wasserman, president, American Pipe & Equipment Co., Inc., Baltimore, Md. Mr. Wasserman's company is a small wholesaler of steel pipe and related items in the Baltimore area. According to his testimony before the subcommit tee, he endeavored to purchase steel pipe products from the Bethlehem Steel Corp., when his previous supplier, the Mercer Tube Co., withdrew from the Bal timore market. According to his own words, "Bethlehem refused to sell steel pipe products to my company." It is quite apparent that unless this small corporation obtains a supply of material, it will be forced to discontinue business, thus eliminating another small and independent competitor in the wholesaling of steel products. At the close of Mr. Wasserman's testimony, Mr. Lane, a Congressman from Massachusetts and a member of the subcommittee, expressed the wish that "some of the representatives of the steel companies explain this situation and straighten it out in our minds to find out why this little-business man can't make a living?" It is pursuant to this request that I am calling this matter to your attention in the hope that the demise of the American Pipe & Equipment Co., Inc., may in some manner be prevented. DEAR MR. CELLER: Mr. Grace asked me to reply to your letter of May 31, 1950, in which you inquire about the American Pipe & Equipment Co., Inc., of Baltimore, Md. Representatives of that company have talked to us about their pipe requirements on a number of occasions and we have frankly discussed our situation with them in some detail. Since the war the demand for steel pipe has been abnormally high. Requests for the products of our pipe mill have exceeded our capacity. Consequently, we have used up all of our available pipe tonnage and we have not been in a position to supply the requirements of the American Pipe & Equipment Co., Inc., who never purchased any pipe from us. We understand that Mr. Wasserman in his testimony before your committee stated that Bethlehem refused to sell steel pipe products to his company. We suggest it would be more accurate to say that our company was unable to take care of the requirements of Mr. Wasserman's company because the fact is that we have had no available pipe to sell it. We regret that up to the present we have not been in a position to offer the American Pipe & Equipment Co., Inc., any assistance. Very truly yours, E. A. BUXTON, Manager of Sales. |