The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-09 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.
WOLVY BRAMPTON, ll'ednesday.

The market to-day was a slight improvement
upon that of last week. Sonic of the piginakers
reported themselves as better sold than for
some time past ; and finished iron makers
spoke of Liverpool merchants having visited
their works in search of rolled iron. Prices are
certainly no easier than they were a week ago.
Pigs of the second quality sold to-day at £5 76
6d, and £7 was still asked for all-mine. The
Shropshire houses were very firm in their
demands. Rolled fencing wire, which is made
more largely there than in any other part of the
kingdom, could not he had at less than from
£l4 to £l4 105 per ton. There was no case in
the fuel market, the relative prices between the
quotations of the firms who are members of the
protective associations and those who are non-
members remaining unaltered. The position"
of the colliery proprietor has been strengthened
by the impediments to activity at the pits,
arising out of the difficulties experienced
throughout some of the districts in adjusting
the new weighing regulations with those that
existed up to the beginning of this month.
How long, however, the colliery proptietors
will continue to pursue the course which is
working so disastrously to this district remains
to lie They are doing exceedingly little
work, but perhaps Vieir high profits reconcile
them to that. A striking illustration of the
little they must be doing with the makers of
finished iron is fund in the fact that it is with
the utmost difficulty that the consumers of
breezes can obtain only a half supply of that
class of fuel, even at prices almost fourfold the
average of ordinary times. There are hearths
in this town that have been kept silent for three
weeks because of this, notwithstandiug that by
reason of the orders in their owners' hands
their activity was greatly desired. Such a state
of things has never before come about under the
circumstances that now prey Ail. The instance
is even more conclusive as to the very little
wcrk doing at tke oiihs and forges than it is in-
dicative of the slackness at the pits. Neverthe-
less, the iron trade of this district as a whole
must be reported as less inactive this week than
last.

Although orders continue on the most re-
stricted scale, and the position of makers grows
worse from week to week, with the exhaustion
of old coutract-,, prices. if anything, are firmer
this week than last. There is, it is true, no
quotable change in branded irou, which reaLiins
on the basis of .614 for bars, and £l4 12s 6d
for those of Lord Dudley ; but in ertcouti class
qualities the improvement represents about 5s
per ton. Hood iron can still he got as low as
30s under list prices, but the supply is limited,
and markers do not court business at minium
rates, howevcr much they are in want of orders.
There is also very little underselling now by
dealers or middlemen, partly owing to the ex-
haustation of stocks and partly from a belief
that the worst point has been reached, and that
the orders which have so long been held back
by Liverpool and London merchants trading
nith the Northern America are at last about to
be placed. Some specifications for shipment
have, in fact, been given out within the last few
days, but they are of stuall amount, and chiefly
for B 13 H and other well-known brands of
iron. Current orders for common iron are of
the most restricted character, and confined
virtually to the satisfaction of home require-
ments. 'ig.iron shares the increased firmness
of finished iron, and though stocks of the better
qualities are believed to be heavy, common des-
criptions are rather scarce. Best brands of
native all-mine range from £7 to ..ti7 12s 61 for
hot-blast, XS for cold,, and proportionately for
inferior qyalities. Makers both of pig and
finished irEn are still looking to a reduction in
coal as the only source of relief, but we have
authority for stating—so far as regards the
leading coalowners of South Staffordshire and
E.,14 Worcestershire—that no change will be
made, at all events this month. It is improbable,
we are informed, that some revision of prices
may take place in September, if business does
not improve before then, but at present there is
no intentitni of makings reduction, which would
probably have to be revoked in the course of
two or three months, when the winter demand
sets in. In the house-coal district prices are
upheld by a strike of the colliers over the
weighing clause.

SCHOOL OF ART.—COOF readers will see by an
advertisement in another column that the above
school re-opens on Monday evening neat, after the
micl-suminer vacation, and is a good opportunity
for artisans to join.