The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-03-05 00:00:00

TRADE CIRCULAR.

STAFFORDSHIRE IRON °TRADE.

Mr. Samuel Griffiths, in his weekly circular, says the
colliers' strike in Scotland continues to occupy the atten-
tion of the whole Iron trade, and is watched with intense
anxiety. On the Ist of February, eighty-seven furnaces
were damped, and, although the Monkland Company's
furnaces were re-blown in on the 9th ultimo, the Shotts
Company damped theirs about the same time, leaving
the average number of furnaces for February damped at
no less than eighty four with a loss of production of
60,000 tons of Scotch Pigs for the month of February
only. It is uncertain when the difficulty will ter-
minate : the masters held a meeting at Glasgow, on
Wednesday last, which was adjourned until Wednes-
day, the 7th instant. Scotch Pigs are weaker,
which indicates a greater prospect, of resumption of
work at the damped furnaces. We believe in our next
we shall be able to report the termination of this unfor-
tunate strike, the masters having withdrawn the lock-
outresolution, and large nnmbers of the men are already
returning, and willing to return; to their work at the 61(1
prices. The Iron trade of South Staffordshire: The
leading ironmasters are steadily employed on contracts
entered into in the early part of the quarter. We have
had less orders this week in the district than for some
weeks past, and a little slackness in the general demand
for finished Iron has been complained of this week,
I perhaps to a greater extent than during the quarter ;
notwithstanding, we hear on the best authority, that the
advices which arrived in Liverpool from America in the
early part of the week were decidedly more encouraging.
On the whole we must report the trade in finished Iron
a little quieter than it was a week since. A Scotch rail-
way advertises for 4,000 tons of rails, and 1,420 tons'of
fishing plates, chains, &c. Pig Iron : All superior
native brands continue firm, with a moderate business
doing ; large quantities' of Northern Heematite- Pigs
are still arriving by rails in the district, say Workington,
-Barrolv---(Schneider, Hannay, and Co.) Cleator Moor,
and other brands of less repute. The prices of these
kinds are unchanged, but very firm. Lilleshall and Old
Park, Brymbo, and Forest of Dean are still arriving
being always in demand in the district. For melters
the demand continues good and prices are firm. We
have had no orders lately for Staffordshire- Pigs' for
shipments. The official list of prices of Staffordshire
Finished Iron is as follows :-Common Staffordshire
bars, £7 10s., at the works ; best bars' £8 10s. ; sheets,
£9 ; doubles, £lolos. ; nail sheets,..£s 10s. ; latins, £l2 ;
boiler plates, £9 ; best and best best in proportion ;
common rods, £7 10s. ; hoops, £8 10s. ; gas strip, £8 ;
Canada plates, £l2; all other sorts in proportion. Current
pribes of Pig Iron, Staffordshire cold blast, £4 10s. ; best
native hydrate pigs, £3 15s. to £4 2s. 6d. ; first-class all
mine grey forge pigs, £3 10s. to £3 15s. ; good mine pigs,
with a modicum, of flue cinder, £3 to £3 ss. ; mine pigs,
deteriorated by cinder, £2 16s. to £3 2s. 6d.; grey forge
cinder pig iron, £2 15s. to £2 17s. 6d. ' • white
forge cinder pigs, £2 10s. to £2 los. ; Melters,
-Nos. 1,2, and 3, £2 17s. 6d. to £3 2s. 6d. ;
superior marks of all mine melting Iron, £3 10s.
to £4, according to make and quality ; favourite Shrop-
shire and Forest of Dean brands, £4 10s. The trade in
North Staffordshire continues prosperous ; the works are
all well employed ; the colliers are enjoying the pros-
perous season, and turning it to advantage by steady
attention to their work, unlike the colliers In the North,
who have lost a whole month's wages, in sterile attempts
to obtain an unreasonable advance. The trade in Shrop-
shire is unchanged. One or two good, orders have been
received this week at a large works, very near to Oaken
Gates. The pigs made are all going into consumption,
and, in South Staffordshire, the demand for Shropshire
pigs is unabated. Few rails are now being made here,
the manufacturers being mostly occupied on telegraph
Iron, ordinary wire rods, bars, and plates. The trade at
Newcastle-on-Tyne and Middlesboro' district is in a
thriving condition, several new furnaces being in course
of erection. A new company, called the West Cumber-
land Haematite Iron Company, have commenced the
erection of two blast furnaces near Workington. The
tlverstone District: The mine masters are all very
busy ; the demand for hematite ore is very good ; and, at
Barrow, Schneider, Hannay, &Co. have already com-
menced erecting another large blast furnace, capable
of producing 300 tons of Iron per week. This will
make four furnaces at Barrow. The plan will be
precisely the same as those now in blast The
Gas Conductors, k la Brymbo ; Mr. Josiah T. Smith -is
the engineer employed by the company. The Glasgow
Market for Scotch Pigs has been remarkably steady.
The market closed yesterday at 595. 41d. buyers, and
595. 6d. sellers-a very slight advance over that day
week. Messrs. Shaw and Thomson, in their circular,
state, that " the strike is virtually at an end, as the
masters have discontinuud, the lock-out, and the great
body of the men have gone into work at their old wages."
This intelligence is very satisfactory. The shipments
I during February were 25,278 tons, against, 31,870 tons
,
in February, 1809. Copper, more ' business has
been done this week in sheets,, the, demand for Burra
Burra, Capunda, Copiapo, and Spanishi,is healthy, prices
`firm ; English maintains 4 fixed rates:; yellow
,f'metal
sheathing is a shade easier. Tin : More' business has
been doing this week ; 100 tons of Stiaits changed
1 hands yesterday, at £132, and Banca fetched £l4O same
day ; Smelters maintain fixed . rates for English, firmly,
and prices of all sorts may advance soon. Spelter has
been more sought after, 600 tons having changed hands
during the last two days, at £2O 15s. to
..£'2o. 17s. 6d:,
which Is a slight advance upon ouk:former qtrotation.
Lead, market steady, current prices well maintained.
Tin plates continue sickly. Regulus, French, star, , £5O.
Quicksilver, price £7 per bottle, less 3 per cent. for Cash.
Swedish Steel, £l9 10s., equal assortments ; market
steady ; stock small.

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