The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-10 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.
IRONMASTERS' QUARTERLY MEETING.

IVOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

Firmness, so far as it related to the quota-
tions of the leading firms, icharacterised the
quarterly meeting of the iron trade hell this
this afternoon in Wolverhampton. The meet-
ing was numerously attended by merchants and
others from a distance, as well as by iron and
coal masters in the district. Makers all declare
their inability to quote lower prices than they
have been quoting all the quarter. The Great
Lilleshall Company and the other Shropshire
firms quoted their prices at £8 10s for cold-
blast, and £7 10s for hot-blast mine pigs; but
reserved to themselves the right of " officially "
declaring for the quarter to-morrow. These
figures are what were declared last quarter day,
Mien lOs was added to the price which ruled in
the previous three months. Mr. Walter Wil-
liams declared his prices as £8 is for cold-blast
at the works, which may be regarded as pretty
touch the same as the Shropshire quotations.
All-Mine were quoted at .1:7 to £7 10s. These,
again, are last quarter's rates. High-class he-
matites are also very firm; and Barrow Strong
Forge were from .176 15s to .e 6 17e 6d, short
weight. Finished iron was quoted for best
qualities on the basis of £l4 12s 64 for Earl
Dudley's and 1:14 for Messrs. Barrow's, Messrs.
lhorneycroft's, and others marked merchant
bars. Nor was there any alteration in the of-
ficial rates of the Associated Coalmasters. Earl
Dudley's prices are as they were left by the rise
of 2s per Lou on large, declared on the 4th of
March, which made best coal (west of Elndle:.)*
233 per ton, common ltls 6d, lumps 17$ 64; and
Jest coal least of Dudley) 23s 661 into boats;
common coal 22s to 235, turuace.coal 19s to 20s,
.ind blast coal 15s to 16s. At the same time an
idvauce of Is tid was declared on slack; but re-
cently a reduction of is has been declared by
its lordship on slack, untkieg present prices Os
id to lOs for engine slack, and fine slack 6s to
tis lid, east of Dudley. This rise in large coal
,ras followed by a rise in iron, which made
marked bars 1:16. Without any declared change
ill coal, bars have, as we have shown, been
brJagt.,t down to 1:11. 'there can be no doubt,
e er, that even thick coal eau be got from
:t Orma than thaL hi a...ien the Eat( et Dud-
. is the bead at from Is to 23 14 ton under his
, rates; and as 110 reuuced slack be-
;lse ot the competition, the hope is he may,
or a like reason, reduce large. Merchants, on
account of the general rise in the coal market,
and because of tite lower quotations in the past
quarter, to the extent of from 7a lid to IN per
ton in the bulk no pigs, together with the drop
II wages, are still booing for a drop upon the
prevailing £ll standard in finished iron. The
. ase in tile quotations of small firms encourages ,
'hem in their views. Mrs could be Lad from
such people at £l2 to-day.

lIIRMINGUAIII, Thursday.

There was a large attendance of ironmasters
qt the quarterly meeting at the Town Hall this
afternoon. Most of the South Staffordshire
firms were represented, and there were members
if the trade present from the North Stafford-
shire and-Shropshire districts. It was expected
by many that some reduction would be made in
prices. but, so far as we could ascertain, no
quotable reduction took place. Makers com-
plain that the trade of the past quarter has been
very unprofitable. The trade has certainly been
in a dull state for some time past; the demand
has been checked by the high prices which have
prevailed. Producers maintain that it is impos-
sible to make any reduction in prices while the
price of fuel continues so exceptionally high.
Merchants and purchasers generally seem re-
solved to keep back orders till prices have been
lowered. Many of the mills and forges are re-
Aricted to half.tinie in consequence of the
,earcity of orders. The prices quoted at Wol-
verhampton yesterday (Wednesday) were firmly
a ihered to this aftern3on. We were informed
that several good orders for finished iron might
iisve been booked at lower prices. but makers
showed no disposition to yield in the least.
Messrs. Ash and Son, of Bull Street, exhibited
specimens of their improved miners' dial, and
other mining instruments. The dial attracted
considerable attention. The improvements
s Lich have been effected if this instrument by
Messrs. Ash and on are of a novel and ingeni-
ous diameter anti have been highly spoken of
by Lord Dudley's colliery agents, and by the
mining engineers of the Swandlincote, Merthyr
Tydvil and Cambrian collieries. Colliery pro-
prietors would do well to possess themselves of
these exceedingly useful articles.

DE I lire, Cotton AND ASTHMA TN TEN MINCTIO BY On.
L(.( lb PULlttr:Cle %TAP MO —From Mr. Iro
Utenibu, Office, Whitefteld-read, Liverpool, :—" After
years if strere cuff-ring, and fearing many a night I
sho nil have used from autlowition, &c.. I was induced
to try 1)r Look's Wafers. Ten minutes Mier I had
taken two *aims I felt redel." In Asthma. Consump-
tion. bronchitis, Conchs. Colds. RheumatAtn, coil all
ligetcricaland Nervosa Complaints„ they give Mstaut
Bold by all Dragttista at la. lid. per box.