, 1874-12-05


THE STEEL.TRADE.
REPORT OF AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION BY TIE
TREASURY DEPARTMENT RELATIVE TO TIE
FOREIGN MARKET rnIon AND puTABIE VALUE
OF oAsr-srEEu IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED
aTATEs vnoM EUROPE.
spcchh DispatcA to The Chicago Tribune.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 2.-Gen. I. 4. Star-
ring Of Chicago, spoclal Agent of tho United
Statos Treasury for Europe, waa recently ill.,
structed to visit tho stool districts in England,
md to ascertain, If possible, tho truo market
prices Of steol and manufactures Of Btacl and
iron," the causa Of the diversion of this trado
from New York to Bo1tou, and the foregu
1arlsot prices and quotations for certain descrip
tiona Of cast-ateel.
POINTS OF lEQuinY.
III l,is letter OF Instructions hls attention was
diverted to tho following poinla Of inquiry:
i'jfst-Are tho recent atlyancca IN the opcu market
rrce Of iron and Ettcl. and manufactures thereof,
represented III tho price iuvoicea when exported 10
" Ssconsl-Aro spuc,a, prices made for Arucrtca
1hr-Ara taosp special pricea properly to le taken
as tho lssis Of tlnty7
tonrt.,llaa tho open n,arket price at shofilea for
cast-sec during year rast been quoted ut Cos, and
ut dDs for . long time proyionH1y7
JifM,-Wo,lliIa cash purchaser obtain greater dis
count than 1IoM, ~ to lcr cent from the inassot
Sirth-s!,ould tho, tn!portng ugcuts ba allowed to
81 TStssnfh-Wlnt Is tha eerrec tatasie yai'e Of cas.
steel exported from Sheffield to tho United statca?
E.glih-Wlat is tho foreign market ra!uo Of i'm.
y;ath--SShnt the prices Of iron aud steel. and
nannf.cturca thereof. III osher parsa Of England
atccl import trale, by which nearly a 1mpors have
for CONS mou;l.s past been cntersd et ostnn to te
after entry shipped coasswtsa to New York; Phi!ados-
thia, autf elsewhere:
Gonstarrng. acting under theae instructions,
has prepared very elaborate aud valuable re-
port, which not only ansrcrs the specific 10
quirles Of hia instructions. bit is useful con-
sribution to the literature Of tho stool contro-
yersy" and OF the steel trade. Tho report,
which comprises about 100 printed pagos, has
boen received by tho Treasury Department.
Gen. Starring sunanassxes the results Of bis
inquiries in tho following rccapitulation
REHABILITATION.
TAta report may De hE3ely recaruntea ID Eo.iows;
portaons Into Io Uaitea sates Of What Il nown M Us
best Gust assel which III manufactured ut, and export
=. The recent aslyancca In quotations and raw ma-
terla have ouly been partially represented III tnyoico
rtlccs to tho United atcp, owing to the fart that tho
wash and other iron in stock and atore Or contrac-
cd for pufora the rao an prces al hayo g!yen their
realize tho higher quotations.
g. Tho hest cas a,cal manufactured In shclcld for
the United atntcs nlurket Ia H,Idn specially for that
quality and value FROM tlas cold IN Europe, nlIlnneh
III sonle ,car1ns tho Bauo designations. l. ia
sppod by special manufacturers, whose prices vary
l. Tho designations Of various lrms are somesi,,cs
identical, bnt tho quality aud consequently tue prico
liter, owing to variation III mode Of manufacture md
in materials used. As general rule, eacll mnutinr-
tror adopts number Of designations his own, hut
this would bo NJ proof Of thu quality.
s, Ono designation OF ateel Of pecHllar n,anll-
tac,rnr oltuu includes korcral qualities ut widely
ra yask Rfss s % II ns @ u
i. stecl precisely Of tlao samo quality as well aa
prices, according TO- tAe quantity takvn the esrabll.
ity OF tug sale. nnl she comparative shrewtnesa OF
n,er aud assr Is sss IN hss1 as9 at hgss
small mud treated All Etnil Raies whio tho Inter
luoay Wholesale transactions.
from, 1u!aionH which Ut much higher rates thu
aetay pat nor from actua sa!sy Wlsh m r.; IRE Us yarI
| to which the goodH nro Eola
pro ater of gness-wosk. beeaWso htec! Of different
qualities bcar uns!ist4olshaho Resemblance, tht
manufacturers themae1yes being unable to te TIT
yaluu af their steel II the Marks Are removed ait
they uube to refer 10 tho prices OF tho asesis
~ .. Thu u Discount deducted from con.tan,nen.s q
steel to tho United Autta ~ tho principal slotoii
ratcs formerly adopted ly the trllH, aud stsl
adhered to by smaller nalit,fucturers which discount
IL supported 1y sales Of steel Of ean,e designation n
| Na1tte rateH-
10, Hleel m.o from Tho best hranla of iron can ls
nnlo 0 look III coarae III tho gfni aud III NIL other
slecta similar aud inferior n appearance Ia
1Rnn descriptions mate from uieaI materials, tho f
fsrenco lcy ony .llsccFnbto by lie consumer Wilt
| uHea It G0r II particular rlirl0ge. .....
II. Tho diversion Ut thu kteel lrat1a from Eew Yurl
10 lpatnH grows ont Of thu fuct that II Ia impossible
for merchants, H'nnnt"curera. or appralBcra to reeols-
clio tho parnus niatcA, designations, and v1fllrs o
htte nnH at thu appraiHera 1t jinHtuf acceIt tho IT.
yoce PRICES un xconns, wlilo tho aUrra.sers nj Men
| York question tlclr accuracy,
Il. All tleSu tlcuica ariho inevitably from tt,t
TO uo owing to 'hv lcclar Iasrn nf tha H.eu tra.lt
"a nnnsa net forth, all the Mier hopoleasncsa o1
adatiny TIC mnitlform qallca Ut cast steel 10 the
| trcAeut lari1f.
| RECOMMENDATIONS.
Tho Rstsl question Ina hcH examined many ti1es
III tlu 1nost 1hurugh a inlurtlA na,lnrr ut.tl tAc
conclusions arrived At l.su ,nvurIu'y amounted Il
TIM nnnn ru>it, VIZ, tia thnrn In nj l,urhst p,i
'a,t'ti;ss,rs 1;aa, ,,sh y oysr yHrylug arbitrarily
anu extra cast acci etc., mud which .s,lrlsr. endless
miaor designations. have ruutcu out hat The