The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-10 00:00:00

QU_kitTERLY MEETING OF THE IRON

TRADE.

The Birmingham quarterly meeting of the Mid—
land Iron Trade was held on Thursday at the
Exchaage and despite the inclement weather was
largely attended, the spt,cial railway facilities front
London, Manchester, and Liverpool tending ta aug-
ment the gathering. Merchants from LtvetTooi and
Lourloa were strongly represented, though their only
object appeared to be to test prices, for very few
oontraets were given out. manufacturers declining— to
yield to the terms they offered. The list houses de-
cided to continue the quotatibn of £7 10s. for bars,
which has now ruled for more than two Years, and
there were no alterations of importance in any other
class of manufactured iron or of pig iron, com-
mon bats ranged from £5 12s 6d to £6 103 according
to quality, a few transactions in inferior metal
taking place at from half-a-crown to five shillings
below the above minimum. Business in ordinary
branded iron was merely branded iron was merely
nominal, but best rivet and horse-shoe iron was in
fair demand, and S.H. Crown iron was in steady
request for chain making purposes at £9 10s per ton
the same brand of boiler plates also meeting with a
goad inquiry at .49 to £lO per ton, There was a
large importation of Scotch steel bars, which were
bought by local manufacturers for rolling into
sheets and hoops, the cessation of production at the
Staffordshire Steel Works since the explosion
having given an impetus to the Scotch makers. It
was reported that a number of ironworks have been
standing since the holidays, owing to the want of
orders. At the Chillington Iron Company's Works
only the tool-making department is in operation,
and it will be for the shareholders to decide at their
meeting next week whether the irou-inaking de-
partments shall or shall not be discontinua'. There
was a rumour that the Herbert's Park Iroaworks
are about to be restarted. This N rather startling,
in the face of the recent closing of the Chiilington
Company's works, but pr.vate enterprise has be
fare now been known to succeed whore joint-stock
companLis, weighted with heavy capital have had
to succumb. Manufacturers took a hopeful view
of the future, being of opi ion that prices have
1 °ached the bottom and mast begin to Ilse if pio-
dacers hold together. 8 'cots were in steady sale,
but at unprofitable prices. Black sheets were most
in reqaest, at £lO lOs for working up sheets, £l2 10s
for steel sheets, and £l9 103 for charcoal sheets,
these being the quotations of the Cookley Iron
Company. There was a somewhat improved inquiry
for the best classes of sheets for Italy and Australia
Ordinary galvaiiised sheets were in quiet demand
at rather irregular quotations, the asoeiation having
11 some time pa,..3t (teclined to fix prices. The
usual quarterly meeting of the association was held
at tile secretary's ollize at the Exehange duriag the
afternoon, but no business was done, and the meet—
ing was adjourned till the middle of the month,
with the view of obtaining a large attendance to die.
cuss the various questions eeecting the trade. At
the meeting of the tinplate manufacturers of South
Wales ant the Midlands, luld at the Queen's Hotel*,
the different speak rs gave a rather desponding
view of the question of the trade, the large increase
of production during toe year having led to ,
further reduction in values. 'Fite Board of Trade
Returns were quoted, showing that during 1884
there wero 2St 406 tons of tinplates exporte i at a
value of £4,740,000, us agaillSt a tonage of 269,000
and a value of £4,705,000, thereby showing that for
the additional 19,000 tons or 330,000 boxes expo ted
only .tIO,OOO more money had been received in
,on--equ 'c-• tdt th.• geiee al fall in values. It was
decided till. In twine toe quarterly Lueeii,ig, ~! th
trek .; I,a lit. Sw ossa inii•teadof Bi ta_ng- I
him on tie last faursday in e ii quarter, the
opinios toting that hi Wales the seat of tho lin