The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-02-13
Annual Meeting of the Iron and
Steel Association.

At the annual meeting of the Ameri-
lean Iron and Steel Association, held
Yesterday in Philadelphia, the report Of
the Secretary was presented. 1t con-
tains general review of the trade and
valuable statistic, Of imports and cX-
ports of iron and steel.
The decline in the demand for iron
which commenced in 1873, continued
during 1874, with resulting fail in
prices. In all the iron producing coun-
tries less iron has been made in 1874
than was made in either 1872 or 1873.
The reaction in 1874 has been aS general
and decided IS the advance III 1872 was
unexpected and bcwildering. 1t has
! been felt most severely in the United
/ States. but in the United Kingdom. and
I in France and Germany the iron indus
/ try has been 50 much depressed all
through the year that many iron work:
/ have been closed and many others have
been employed only part Of the time.
During the summer and autumn Of
1874, the iron business in this country
did not improve. On the ist of Noyem-
Der, of 677 furnaces heard from by the
Pittsburgh american Manufacturers there
were 3S2 in blast and 29j out of blast or ) :
per cent in and IS out. showing II larger
humber out of blast than in January or
April. In December every rolling mill
at Pittsburgh suspended operations at its
pudding furnaces, because of the refusal
of. puddlcrs to accept reduction of
wages but even ifthe proposed reduction
had been accepted, it Is certain that some
ofthc mills would have suspended dur
inc the winter because of scarcity of
orders.
Our imports of iron and steel in 1874
were $25,594, 997 less in value than in
1879, while our exports decreased about
30 per cent. Pennsylvania makes nearly
ouc-halt Of all the pig iron made in this
country. The aggregate production Of
the whole country in 1874 was | 100000
tons, being about two-thirdS of the pro-
duet of 1872 and 1873 respectively. Our
total production of rails in 1874 was 450,-
600 net tons; our total importation, most
~ steel rails, was 100000 tons; our total
consumption 10000 tons.
THE NAIL MANUFACTURERS.
The National Association of Nail
Manufacturers met IN Philadelphia on
Wednesday evening, the attendance be-
ing small. The nail trade is governed
by the state of the iron market, and the
latter being depressed to an almost un-
parallelcd extent, the nail manufacturers
Nre sufferers with the iron masters, and
prices We're at the commencement of The
year, fifty cents per keg lower than they
have been 1T any time since the war. The
curt0ilment in New England has been
general and extensive. but in the
West manufacturers have continued
production As fully as possible, and
now have large stocks on hand, far above
present demands The report of the
secretary made the following exhibit at
the beginning Of the present year, COM
pared with the previous period: Produc-
iion, 1872, 4,065,S22 kegs; 1873, 4,O24,-
7Ol; 1874, 4,2Sl, ,2GQ Stock on hand
Jan |. 1873, 81 ,O32; Jan. /, 1874, 399,-
S37; Jan. |, 1875, 35G,47l. The stock at
present, rs shown above, is not more
than sufficient to meet one months de-
mand in prosperous season, and should
a revival in trade occur in the near fu-
ture. the market would be III healthy
state to meet 1t.