The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-12 00:00:00

THE NAIL TRADE.

WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

To-day being quarter•day, there was a large
attendance of both manufacturers and merchants
on 'Change. The unsettled state of the market
for some time past has bad the effect of pre-
venting merchants from laying in any stock of
iron, and the orders given out were simply for
material required for immediate use. Merchants
are of opinion that quotations will shortly be re-
duced. Whether their anticipations are correct
or not, of course, remains to bo seen, for whilst
some persons are of the opinion expressed,
others well up in trade matters predict that
shortly a change for the better will take place
in connection with the trade. There is little
prospect that prices will be reduced ; for, in the
first place, makers express great dissatislaction
at the recent advance to the paddlers, in ac-
cordance with the decision of the masters, it
being the opinion that the increase was really
uncalled for considering the whole of the cir-
cumstances surrounding the trade at the present
time. The high price of fuel will also prevent
any reduction taking place in quotations. The
business transacted to-day was of a nominal
character, and merchants, before entering into
contracts for orders of any extent, prefer to see
the result of to-morrow's market in Birmingham.
The masters complain that the men are working
very irregularly, and there is little prospect of
much work being done for the next fortnight.

The principal quarterly meeting of the South
Staffordshire iron trade was held in the Town
flail on Inursday afternoon. The attendance
of the trade was large, comprising representa-
Lived of most of the leading firms of the Midland
counties, and ironmasters from Lancashire and
the North of England ; but buyers were rather
shy during the early part of the meeting, and
little business was concluded till near the close.
Owing to the settlement of the labour difficulty,
and the falling off in shipping demand, more
especially tor the United States, an impression
seems to have been entertained in some quarters
that prices would rule lower than they have
recently done; but makers declare that, with
, coal and wages at tneir present standards, it
would be impossible to wake any concession,
1 altogether urespective of the state of demand;
' and quotations fur branded iron are accordingly
firm, on the basis of Xlti for bars. For second.
class iron prices are somewhat irregular, but
good bars were not obtainable under £l4 I.os,
and the average is nearer Xl5. best sheets are
quoted £4ll to x2a, according to brand ; boiler
plates, £l5 lUs to Lid lUs ; hoops, Lit;; and
other kinds in proportion. At these rates a Lau
amount of orders, bulli for home and export,
were thatributeu on lhursday before the close
of the meeting. Some or the best specification.
coming to hand are for ldia, Holland, and the
North of Europe, plates, sheets, and bars being
the leading kinds in demand. kor home con.
small/tom, nail sheets, sheets for galvanising,
girder plates, hoops tor bedstead laths, strip fur
tubing, and wire rods are cnietly in request. The
usual quarterly cc/Milo:Le fur pig and ironstone
were cuncluueii on the basis 01 £5 for hot-blast
native which has been quoted 'mini-
naily 5s of late, and 35s for uniclUed iron-
stone. Coal is firm at late quotations, both fur
domestic and ioauulacturing purposes.
'lnure was, as uaual, a numerous display of
models and samples connected with ironworking,
but the only new feature Wile a model of Casson'a
puddling furnaces, Lu which reference was wade
on Thursday in our report of the WolverhaLup-
ton meeting.