The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-17 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

DUDLEY, SATURDAY NIGHT.—The last of the iron-
masters' quarterly meetings was held this evening. The
prices agreed upon at Wolverhampton were maintained,
and may be quoted as follows : .C. s. d.
Bars
Common nail rods
Rail.
Hoops
Plates
Sheets
___

Pigs (Shropshire)

6 10 0

Pigs (Staffordshire)
There is a prevalent opinion that the last advance of
2/. was uncalled for, injudicious, and likely to prove in-
jurious both' to masters and men. This extraordinary
price is, however, justified upon several grounds. The
great advance which has taken place in the price of coal
and limestone, combined with at least 25 per cent. in-
crease in the wages of the miners, has unquestionably
compelled the ironmastera to put a high figure upon their
make. Coal at the present moment, owing to the preva-
lence of local strikes in certain districts, is extremely
scarce, and in many other part., where the men are ap-
parently satisfied with the wages given, the miners do
not work more than four days a week. It is a fact to be
regretted, seeing the great demand for coal, and the ad-
vance of miners' wages, that the men in many districts
of the Staffordshire coal-field, in. consequence of their
absenting themselves from their work, are in the receipt
weekly of little more than when the iron trade was at its
lowest ebb. The advance in the price of coal in con-
sequence of the flourishing state of the iron manufacture
and the demand of the colliers has not been less than 3s.
per ton.

Still, it is thought, that even the increased demand,
• great as it was, and the high price of materials, did not
justify the advance in bars at one sudden step from 101.
1 to 12/. One singular reason, however, in addition to the
more plausible ones already urged, has been given for
this advance. It is stated, that it was suggested by
some of the great firms, with a view to stop furl her orders.
This may appear somewhat absurd, but if good authority
is to be relied upon, it is nevertheless true. It is a fact,
that many of the most extensive houses in South
Staffordshire have more orders on hand than they can
execute for many months to come; and it was hoped, by
the means alluded to, to cause a pause in the demand.
Unfortunately, however, this manoeuvre (if such
it was), while it answered the
.purpose of those
by whom it was projected, has in some degree in-
jured other interests. Buyers imagine that there is
something unsound in the rise—that the price is arti-
ficial, and cannot be maintained. As a matter of course
there is at present considerable hesitation in the market
—a hesitation which has proved extremely detrimental
to the manufacturers and dealers in hardware goods.
Travellers from Birmingham houses, during the last
four months, have in some instances been compelled to
decline orders, in consequence of the extreme rise or
uncertainty in the price of iron. The factors of Bir-
mingham have suffered severely on this amount.
With respect to Staflbrdshire pig iron, the opinion is
it gill fall. It will be observed that, in the list given
above, the prices of Staffordshire and Shropshire pigs
are given as the same. So they were quoted in Bir-
mingham on Thursday. It was, indeed, stated that
Staffordshire had been sold at 71. ; but the purchaser
could not be ascertained. Now, th ground upon which
a reduction in Staffordshire is expected is the known
superiority of the Shropshire pigs, till lately selling at
61. 55., and now at 6/. 10s. It is thought that the Staf-
fordsire makers cannot maintain an equality of price
with their Salopian neighbours.
It is but justice to the iron and coal masters to state,
that hitherto they have, during their brief period of
prosperity, exhibited a spirit of fairness and justice
towards the mining population ; but it is to be feared
that at the present time the colliers in some districts—
in districts, too, where when wages are high men will
not work full time—do not reciprocate the good and fair
feeling manifested by their employers. Wages amongst
the thick-coal men have, as before stated, risen 25 per
cent. In the neighbourhood of Dudley a large number
of men have, notwithstanding, struck for a further ad-
vance of 6d. per day, and the consequence is, that some
of the furnaces have been brought to a stand for want of
coal. The men have now assumed the mastery, and in-
sist on the price of labour keeping pace with, and even
outstripping, the advance in iron. The advance of 6d.
a day in a man's labour is estimated at Is. per ton on
coats—a material consideration in the ironmaster's out- I
goings._ _

his hoped these isolated local "strikes" will speedily
be at an end.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.
NOTICE TO MARINERS.
VESSELS PROHIBITED ENTERING CARTHAGENA
DURING THE NIGHT.
British Consulate, Carthagena, April 2, 1845.
Sin,—An order having been issued by the Governors of
this city, to prevent vessels from entering the port during
the night, excepting when compelled through stress of wea-
ther, when they can anchor to the north of Fort Naindael,
I beg to apprise you of the same, that it may be commu-
nicated to the authorities of those ports which clear for the
Mediterranean. I am, &c.,
(Signed) C. W. TURNER,
W. Dobson, Esq., Sec. Lloyd's. Agent for Lloyds.

COAX. 211AIMET.
Prices per ton at the close of the market :—Adair's Main,
15s; Carr's Hartley, 16s; Chester Main, 15s; Clavering's
Tanfield, las 6d ; Felling Main, 15s ; Hasting's Hartley, 16s ;
Holywell Main, 15s 6d ; Nelson's West Hartley, 168 ; New
Tanfield, 14s ; Old Pontop, 13s 6d ; Ord's Redheugh, 13s 6d ;
Old Tantield, I4s ; Pontop Windsor, 14s 6d ; Townley, 15s;
West Hartley, 16s; West Wylam, 15s 6d; Wylam, 15s;
Wall's-end, Gosforth, 16s 6d ; Heaton, 16s 6d; Killingworth,
15s 6d ; Newmarch, 14s 9d ; Northumberland, 15s 6d ;
Walker, 15s Gd ; Wrickington, 14s 6d ; Braddyll's Hetton,
18s 9d ; Hetton, 18s 9d; Ilylton, 16s; Lambton, 18s; North
Hetton, Lyons, 16s 6d; Pemberton, 16s; Russell's Hetton,
18s ; Stewart s, 18s 6d ; Hartlepool, 18s 9d ; Kelloe, 178 3d ;
Sharp's Tanfield, 13s; Adelaide, 18s; Barrett, 16s; Eden
Hartlepool, 17s; Evenwood, 15s ; Maclean's Tees and Witton
Park, mixed, 15s; Richardson's Tees, 15s; Seymour Tees,
17s ; South Durham, 16s ; Tees, 17s 9d ; Tees Hetton, 15s 3d ;
Hartley, 1536 d ; Llangennech, 21s ; Powell's Duffryn Steam,
225; West Hartley Netherton, 16F.—Ships arrived, 52.

A.F

VAMILY OF DWARFS.—Judging from the success
of General Toni Thumb's to our shores, one may rea-
sonably conclude that dwarfs are not quite so plentiful
ai blackberries, and yet, at Kishorn of Apllecross, there
is a family of that genus, each of them being of less di-
mensions than and as proportionate as Tom. The father
of these pigmies (John Finlay) is a poor cottar of the
ordinary or middle size, and the mother is rather beyond
it. The eldest son, Master Finlay, is upwards of 20
years of age, and stands two feet 10 inches in height.
The next is a girl, somewhat the junior of Finlay in
years, and considerably less in stature, and the third,
and last, is a boy, aged 15, a mere pigmy. It is ludi-
crous to see these little creatures sit around theio little
dinner table ; but to observe them dance together, re-
minds one forcibly of the Celtic accounts of dancing elves
(the fairies of the Highlands), whose fantastic measures
so oft beguiled the wayworn Highlander, as he saw, or
dreamed he saw them trip it lightly on the mountain