The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-23 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.
WoLvEnHAMPTON, Wednesday.

A little more life characterises the busintes
being recorded this week. The merchants are
better customers and inquiries are made for ship-
ing wants, the iron required being of heavier
parcels than the quantities which have changed
hands recently, Some good parcels of sheets are
inquiried for on behalf of the Australian and South
A,eerican markets, besides European houses being
anxious to dos_ for fair lots. The makers of corn.
mn hects are to day accepting £8 for double and
£9. ss. for treble gauges,
.while beat thin oh eta
01 "Severn" and like quality are £ll for 20 w g
B •st Isars remain at .k 7 10s. for Round Oak iron.
The manufacturers of commoner bars are only re-
alisiog on the average about Lti to £6 lOs. B )iler-
plates sell rather slowly, though the safe makers
are r4Jod customers at some of the mills. Hoops
worth a little more money being from £6 ss. ti'
.47. Nail-rods and strip are fairly dealt in, while
steel billets command a moderate sale. The demand
fur pig-iron is very sloe, and for only to meet early
wants. High-class qualities are n-glected. Medium
descriptions are being bought in parcels of f, orn
200 to 500 tons at a time. Some of the ageots for
foreign brands have numerous inquiries without
booking much business. in minerals there is
a good trade being done but all descriptions of coal
find a poor market.

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY.

I very depressed tone characterised the iron
market this af.:ernoon. There was only a smali
amount of business done, and at the; lowest prices
whirh have been reached for many months past.
In the pig e_• su branch, though the make is being
eurtiLea, the demaal shows a corresponding con-
aed that. is increased difficulty in main.
taing priews, A representative of a leading Derby-
ski!e firm reported that he had not had either an
offer or a single inquiry for iron on the market, and
this was rit altogether an isolated instance. Mame.
facturers pressed the pig makers to accept lower
raies, and the merchants endeavoured to obtain
conczssions from manufacturers. The result was
that tran. actions could not be effected. Certain
of the second-class oar houses who have hitherto
had a fair reserve of orders now complain that they
have not more than a week ur a fortnight's work
in baud, while in some eases manufacturers are
depe!, ..ut uvon thr sreeitications received with
the coniracts. Offers for bar iron were recently
at about half.a-c-uwa a ton Ilk low manufacturers'
qu4;tatiols. The marked bar depattmeut was very
quiot, hn. t.!-;s being aitege•her noinintl. Prices.
however, 3howl no alteration. The orders given
out Lo- ta%rketl bap, were principally for special
qualit..,43 fir the eng-ne,r4, a4ricoltural implement
manuf,,c triers, and the !chaln alai cable manufac-
torers. Ordinary list qualities were neglected and
th -re was comparativeiy notiiing (Ling in boiler
and nail rods. Sheets met with a very
limited i..ciury alike for plain rolled and corrugated
sheets. The cot 4 trade was dull, and it was re
ported that the pits are not working more than half
time.