The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-04-24 00:00:00


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.._ .1 • r .) e -4.1 •
nam Lt or dphats. Bet in 1872
T 8 oz.i-0;e-4-ren upon tie moin Ot tivili.nr)
the recommendations of •ho Con.laT..taf,
not: having been dopLed. Ti: e Pr, ilowever.•
will itseq be to blame if it does uot bring
House .4 CO:11010L15 '0 it draFietl,
hog the pow-r io d.Tte
.1...e-xspar,7o cAL
wAhout k,a'. Ps: wc,n!=
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tiEtONfItADE

Vir‘3LVI:r.IiAMPTON, We duescla.y.

The tone of to-day's market was vim:, and
the attendance sowewhat below the avtrage.
Buycra continue to disp:ay considerable caution
in the distribution of °Hers, owing to their lack
of confidence iu the long maintenance of ?xis::-
lug prices. In the matter ot prices, the Iron-
masters are qui‘e helpless, the ratts lying tioN
as low,as is at all consistent with the cost of
production. Leading coalmasters on 'Change
to.day complained Very cutlet of ttle state of the
coal trade even in the thick-coal ditv:rict, and
the need for a lower rate of prices WU genera ly
admitted, but the diffictitty is the craevion of
the hours of labour; without some concession in
which, on the part of the miners, a reouctiou in
the price of fuel is, the coalmastere adirra, not
practicable. The feeling is, however, gaining
ground rapidly that by whatever means, a re-
duction in coal naliat be brought about., is some-
thing akin to a dead-lock in trade is to be
vowed. 'rile coarse of seliing prices this after-
() ion was £8 to £8 ss. for conroon ciodex
£3 1.7,4. 6d. to £4 for mix :d mine and fine cinder,
a ,‘,l £5 to 45 5s for native a:I wine. The num-
ber of furnaces h'oineLu th-: district reliaiti at
79, being about 20 uridqr tow av3r. go f rt_cent
ydtwa. Cold bi- pig f ill of Lihrsiall And
o.ndt well-kao4u tukes re,nain firm at .£6 10,.
per ton delivered in this diatrict. A goLd
ot heinati:e and otufr North Coon r pi w:.•
offering at slightly eamiar rates In the tioi .hea
i on depar.inent
-leaturo
',heats. the butte, of which are
weit under cola at t'a.• p taunt,.
Bars, hoops, rods, ;.ud other C;tol,CS of mere'lani,
iru conti.ine in iery talignio ,tentauti, amt coal
lar4tiv,-ly te of toe whis and forg,B through-
ow., toe ihatiict are in futi uro3ucti)o. Alaikeo
oira row Li u. 4.10 108., £ L,ui £ll 12s 6m.
rr ton for the tin--; ru3ng i iis. Irlt un
.ua-kf:d bar wor.• 01 i to- ay .23 6 .
p:r too. aii.l ..t ..t,r:!;,: ,f fi

I'ui pr •t.in • ; ~.;
ShttitS t r -
coatinn. S o t•ti fii-ly wait su;; a.• . •
stated on 'CI pout: . ....•
M •isrs. six•itt, jp. h.
I t - Ito-peed, C,,u3,- L.: :
1,445 •:):1 rAT .
elied, uul:'!skt iiia SlLies Draic ige COXIITAMIL rb
taterposed timely

There was a more cheerful tone at the weekl)
zn-eting of the iron trade on Thursday, and, at
though bueigoes was not appreciably better,
equines were rather talon nuelerons. Buyeri
s .ten to have abandoned the hope of ally reduc
iiu th:s side of nii,lsauenera end as hi
we kther e approaching
,when iron wanuticture
will necessarily be at a 'standstill, they evitic
anxiety to place taeir ordere eoou ss p035n2...
on the best tering obteineble. At a slight col,
cesFion from preeent rates, iron uesters helieva
that they could secure a fair ernount of busiinss,
but itonworking has been 60 unprofitable &lurid..
Jae pes,. twelve months that they do not se thc:r
way to further reductioue while coal mai %bane
inaiatain their present value. Coalowners in
many cases are said to bis anxious to meet the
wishes of ironmasters being themselves very much
in want of orders, but in the actual state of the
labour market they believe that the attempt to
aeforee a corresponding reduction of wages would
being about a strike. The lock-out in South
Wales, it appears', has aclded nothing to the nem.-
ber of men available for underground work ia this
aiistrict, and, notwithstanding the slackness of th .
iron trade, puddlers and mill.nen in South Staf-
fordshire are all too few for the work to be done.
, This circumstance helps to explain the reluctance
oa the part of the irontnaters to upset the exist-
.ng arrangements wi..h their men, or to riak
rupture by proposing a lower wages scale on th
expiry of the present one, next July; but it is not
improbable that the ironivasters in the North of
England, who are differeatly circumstanced. naa.,
decide on a different arraugement in their district
if trade should not cenoi,lerably improve between
this and next July. In Soeth Staffordshire few'
the works arc now at wore than half prodactien
but producers look forward hopefully to a good
:ii.tuinn trade, as eocka, both abroad and at twine,
are rnnai:lg very low. Sh:eti' " both piiu ad
galvanised, con inue ia deinaed, a.nd the
class of iron is, if anything, firmer. The railway
companies hare been good cestoraera lady
_fee
boiler pate., reofing sheets, tad best bars, ae
the United States orders for hoops are inear ie
For local coasumpt,on the demand , for irea i
rather coiater. No change is to 1)9 repot ,!1
thl quotations for marked iron, which
_cene-io,e..
ea the basis of £ll. for ban, but there is irene..aa
ing weakness in criamon iron, sales of Whiali a--e
reported :his week at ieee than .£3. 15e. for
The pig market is quiet, but steady, at firm tan-el
The demand for coal is elackcnieg,.