The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-16 00:00:00

IRON AND COAL TRADE.

The manufacturing trades of this district are
most of them in a state of more activity than they
were a week ago ; so far as merchants' orders aru
concerned there has been very little change ; but in
the country trade there is unquestionably more life,
although in many cases the factors' travellers have
not yet resumed their journeys, and where such is
the case the shopkeepers only order goods for
which there is an immediate demand by their
customers. The manufacturers who are chiefly
engaged in making up goods for the autumn
and winter trades are getting out fresh
patterns, and the factors generally appear to
be of opinion that there is a prospect of a steady
business towards the fall, unless atmospheric in-
fluences should be unfavourable for getting in the
harvest, which must this year be deferred till a
later period than usual. At present, however,
trade is not affected by any consideration of this
kind •, in almost all those which are considered to
be the most important branches of the staple
manufactures of this district there is an average
trade doing; , few persons are overstocked with
orders ; but so long as they have sufficient to keep
their workpeople on at full time, which appears
to be the case generally all over the district,
there cannot be much foundation fer the reports
that trade is dull, much less that it is suffering from
any depression, although there may be here and
there instances in which manufacturers, having
done a large amount of trade early in the sprang,
are now making up a few goods for stock. Tr
tin• plate manufacturers report' that that branch of
trade is dull, and at the quarterly meeting held at
Gloucester on Friday it was resolved to restrict the
make. It may be presumed from this circumstance
that the demand for the United States has de-
clined; at the same time it must be noticed that
the price of tin is firm, and no symptoms what-
ever of any reduction in the price is apparent.
The tin-plate workers here and at birmingham
are busy ; one or two of the largest firms have
a great number of orders on their books, and
all the artisans in this branch are fully employed.
In the general export trade there is, so far as this
district is concerned, a continued absence of
activity. Business with Cuba is pretty good, but
otherwise it is difficult to point to a branch of the
foreign trade that is not now below the ordinary
standard, and the tenor of the reports we receive
from the merchants is that it is kept down by a
want of confidence—a view which is scarcely sup-
ported by anything that is now taking place or
impending in connection with either political or
monetary concerns. We rather incline to at-
tribute the stagnation which prevails to the fact
of markets being in many instances overstocked
with our goods; it is that cause which bears
heavily upon the Australian trade, and. the
advices just to hand, though to some extent more
cheering than by the last mail, do not hold ont: a
hope of much improvement at present. The East
India trade is also quiet, and likely to remain so
for a time. Shippers of the articles manufactured
in this district are operating with a good deal of
caution. The quarterly meeting of the irron-
masters will be held in this town to-day (M ed-
nesday) ; whatever may take place thereat
the
prevailing opinion appears to be that before
week is over there will be a steady trade
low,d done—
inasmuch as the stocks of consumers are it
tfhmatarskuecldi
iwron
is only reasonable to anticip.aceteo
dpri Since the pre-
bweillthebecafiser—mlaynd
mtahianttat.hai
inpeect of the trade has
asliatever. With regard
stocks have accumu-
nlinmdienragroynem
otinegbantihee
to pig irontb of the quarter : an occur-
rencelated in
of that kind is not unusual at this period of
thatw
but we see no reason that that
the year, has gene on
to any such eaten l
t would be •
the course
as
with the future sca e of
.prices. The propriety of
reducing the make of pig iron was discussed six
weeks ago, and, as we stated at the time, two or
three of the principal pig masters werelin favour of
that proceeding ; but their colleagues not concur-
ring the make has been kept up ; it may be pre-
sumed, therefore, that it was not much in excess of
the demand ; andalthough pig iron has undoubtedly
been sold at a figure below the trade price, there is
no general reduction. The coal trade remains in a
state of inactivity, but there is no giving way iu
prices. Stocks are accumulating, and tke pits are not
doing so much work as they were. Gubbin,white iron-
stone, and other ores, the yield of the district, of good
qualities, are realising 16s. and 17s. per ton, at the
wharfs. The labour market is not quite so brisk as
it was, but this is likely to be of short duration, for,
as the season advances, the demand will become
greater.— Wolverhampton Chronicle.

PLYMOUTH, Saturday.—The Star of Peace, Capt.
:Perrett, with wool and hides from Sydney (April 16), which
'was off this port yesterday, spoke play 27) the Princess
Royal, 68 days from Vancouver's Island, and on Friday, in
the Channel, the Maid of Judah, with passengers and gold
(query 30,000 ounces) from Melbourne.