The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-06-13 00:00:00

THE IRO:!/ TRADE.

Th i. wi.. I • !teatit.neo 'C'.lange
at IVolvet.:, twit. . Wtslnes.lty, hat very
little b.,: :,•- t C,,tupl • ints
are in .td • t • t ,••ttt res,.Hty
of unit • . t ..t. *ht. -4. take in
the .a.t! t., the
(pant . • .t.
maker,
IWO\ 'CI • • .1
• .re
is no parp CO2. Of
inakinZ ' • • • ,i,a c'
it t Ci ditty
being reee,v..,l I N.wth St tifordshire,
1./erbyshin., ,ottl • t..,. de,teiets. The want
of orders foe ettensioned a
decrease in O.; •,1 ;I•.c, wit ich
. . t lerit
is a far lt.ntaand f ,t t..-es,e•••-t• 11. t blast
realises Lii ba. to £6 him. pef ton, told cold
blast frotn£7 :is. to £7 103. 'Makers of pig
iron still continue to put out furnaces, and
at prost..nt out of 153 b!ast furn tee: in do,
South S'taffor.'.o.l7.-. 1:-st
distr'.et there it over It
was alo stated on 'enange on Wedneeduy.

'4

.1.

The meaeng en 'Change at Birmingham,
Tha v 'T*4 well tt in led, but Cie
t genarady cent nnes nazi unsatisfactory
, state. In the South Staffordshire Middles-
brough, and also in the iron-producing
districts of Scotland the make is consider-
able below the average. and should there
spring up a stithlun demand for finished iron,
pig iron would, no doubt. follow with a lead
upwards. Pigs are becoming somewhat
scarcer, and ma .era' prices are as a conse-
quence stiffening, but the general demand
for finished iron is by no means brisk as a
rule. There were on Thursday, however, a
good ninny inquiries for sheets, and sheet
makers have orders on hand that wi I keep
them well engaged for the next three
months. No change in prices of any import-
twice has taken place during the past month,
and as to the future prospects of the trade
the most experienced men connected with
it do fel venture to express an opinion. At
present there is no appearance of a fall in
quotations, and as to whether any alterat.on
in that direction will soon take place must
depend altogether upon 'circumstances over
which ironnuasters have little or no control.
The struggle between masters and men in
the coal trade continues, although in seveml
t distrieis many of the men have given way,
. and havv gone in at the reduction It is a
noteworthy fact that in the Blaxwieli district,
where the men have accepted the master,'
terms, employment is anything but plentiful,
and, notwith,taeding the recent suspension
o!' operatio- n do.is are very scarce. Al.
iii ii;•,l tne .1. Vi p pi C
fit but little tt onveniciaa 14 tin atea
out, there tam be w d.,abt Ca it 1.•
mastees and men lute su. iv the k ,
mil the 31 •!ler
will th i• '-
mi.:AA. but for the 1 rat gilit,•l;!l.v
ilith .rtu most of Cie men Wive subtratteil to
the unwise dictation of interested agitators.
and litre i‘nyired tile sound advice of such
e xpaiience friends as Mr. Micdanald, M. P..
and the result is that amongst the men and
their families there is a vast amount ot
suffering, which is increasing in intensity
day by day. Hail the men been alliaved
ealmly consider theiroa n pes.tinn, the str,k,.
it is eonfideutly believed, would not, hay',
lasted a month, and employer and employoi
would now have been on the most friendly
terms. The masters have no intention, a,
far as can be ascertained, of making any
c,oncession, and as it is well know that the
men who still hold out are becoming dis-
sttisfied with the allowance of the association,
they will in all probability shortly see the
ad visabiltty of resuming operations.
In North Staffordshire an increased inquiry
is experienced, but the resulting business
is by no means satisfactory. the stoppage 01
the mills end forges in South ',Staffordshire
having indueed the expectation of a consider-
ible demand being made on this d'stiict.
Quotations are again down, ,ClO lar,•ing
quoted for crown bar, where a good order
as things go now—is likely. Boiler plates
are quoted at £l3 10s. to £l3. As in the
finished iron trade so are the pig iron
and ironstone trades—dull; but the now
stereotyped anticipations of improvement
are indulged in.

I .!.•

3 • 4 es tl.O pr
.1.1.11 • .e-

c .t

41. • Pt Lut i•t 1•2•••1 apt"' ,ver. 0.14)11 ea-,e 1, ald
leading firms are selling at £l2 per ton. Th ..tirat ,11 th tt front the reuis k-
No doubt ft good deal of underselling is of Mr. Pr, ifttn.t. Ab, reft.retica 10 the echo o
f4cittg b wit yards. Iv. xhitall think he had hey, i
going on through nit the district, and rner-
chrint bars can be parchas ,d as Liw as Cl,l W lit 1 hat way befor,
. t• i
10.4. per ton. S!ieets are qn ..ted at frill' £l3 Qt t r rte tie 11. b ttl wslkil LIDO
he ( .• I 'ti ir 1.14 I.l'll. He mi..
to £l4 pr ton. put sat t.- t ,ore. Ha h ,ti tt% ited ti pal- !Nadi at
that neia, LIII 11111, guy Ire r oF II
B* 1. lt ais 25 ~tra • ittrt: i!e .I‘, a stre• •
lii , r.

Toe Chairman was of opinion that the very
best way in which the schools could bu placed,
Wal that in which the architect had placed them.
Mr. Prescott then made some remarks with
reference to th plsusniit having betn deposited
Lierk's office, so that the ratepayers mink
have an opportunity of eeeiii, thew. He iNle.
Preileut ) lid 111) seen t how till now.
Mr. :-tuith said he hat offered to show them
to lido.

M.. Preveott remarked it wvs true 11r. Siul li,
iu his eourb ay, hod otr, red to allow him to in.
spect them, but be lr. Prescoti) felt that he
hail no legal right to look at them, and, there-
hire he did not tig
Pescott then s iid he objected to the tower
being so high, us he thought it Wad unnecessarily
addhig t . the • xpeniie
Mr. Siiii.ti said it W. 14 not high for a clock
tower, mild thi• subj-et then dropped.
Tlo• Chairmao up in the architect
r. a I :lin sp.'eiioui 'Piiis na.ing been
Join . void the members hsviag dbicussed various

The Chairmen moved 1.1 at the s:,ecitk.,Cona
o ad te ap.
Mr. S 1111;er be,3;,; I, tl tide, awl it waa carried.
'Flo: Ci iii the 113;. 111,1ti011 on the
oohla alga Ohe of ma owo, to the eliect Lila& the
11'1)4 he from that a
-13,3 of 4:4,04.) bi rrow..l from tilt: D.-partowto.
ior the p i-p ,4.hi 1t o. B ir.l; and that the
-gymt•nt f I Ite sinio he apre,t I ort,r 3 p -rind of
50 year. He ,iid oot thine. hoe v-r, that in
shaehee of the ,irelt euti!rdet thy Could IWO-
-83.31 au y for.her with th it motion.
The eitol &led thrit the draft ronract
bid been sat to M. Bruok,s, .11.1 lit hid out et
r 'Au I ; we, •It eiot,eu tutu 113 t,

,t I. s ed.
1:I Chair II +,1., if it wxs all wed to drop
r. Irdtlj.t at
4 t )• tr, Lei •• 11,..L1 toe

I. tll.ll ..dj gra . a ,*il th.
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