The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-30
WESTERN NAIL ASSOCIATION.

posed of all the nail manufacturers west
of the Allegheny mountains, and it is in
the habit of holding monthly meetings
at Pittsburgh. The regular March
meeting was held at Pittsburgh on
Wednesday and Wednesday night of
this week. All of the firms connected
with the Association, except two, were
represented at this meeting. The ses.
sions of the Association are con-
ducte1 with closed doors, but the
following is the sum of the action and
discussions. The manufacturers of the
| Association make their sales in the
We: tern cities, though few transgress
on territory of the Eastern Nail Asso-
citation by shipping nails 70 Eastern cities.
The Eastern organization comprises all
the firms located east of the Alleghenies,
about the same number as the Western
organization. The factories are all bound
by the prices adopted by the respective
organizations to which they belong
On the l4th inst. the Eastern manu-
facturers made reduction of twenty-five
cents per keg, making the rate 81 70 for
ten pennies. This, with the additional
advantage of cheap ireights, gave the
Eastern decided advantage over the
Western mai ufscturers, so that the
former could run their nails to st. Louis,
Chicago, Milwaukee and other distribut-
ing points of the west at lower prices
than those ruling among Western deal
ers. To meet this difficulty was the OBJ
iect of the Western Associations meeting
yesterday afternoon.
Reduction being the order OF the day
the Western manufacturers saw the
Eastern and went one better The
former rate of the Eastern dealers was
So for ten pennies, which the reduction
brought down to S275. The former rate
of Tho Western manufacturers was $285,
and following suit with their
Eastern competitors they too decided
on reduction of 25 cents per keg,
which leaves their present rates
at $3.50 and in lots of two hundred kegs
81 so, tor ten pennies or Is cents per keg
below the price Of the Eastern men.
Ten-pennies are taken as the basis OF the
prices, and similar reduction of course
holds for ell other sizes of nails. These
terms are for sixty days, with five cents
oil Tor cash.
During the discussion but little oppo.
siJion was manifested toward the propos-
cd reduction. The discussion took q
wide range, embracing the state OF the
trade and the outlook, many OF those
participating giving their views OF the
business during the past months. 1t ap-
peared from the expressions Of all that
they were disappointed atthe state ofth
nail trade since the opening OF spring.
During the few days of fine weather in
the early part OF the present month the
business of building opened briskly,
creating lively demand for nails. But
about the time the mills were set to run
ming to their full capacity to supply the
domain, the woa her oh .nsed t" = touch
OF winter again, thus retarding all the
work that had been commenced
and delaying the commencement OF
work in contemplation, the effect OF
which was the demand Tor nails ceased
almost entirely. Those who had antlcl.
pa,ed steady flow of large orders, and
had prepared themselves accordingly,
were sadly disappointed. The experience
of some OF the speakers led them to state
that building operations this spring were
not BY any means as extensive As they
have been in the past, and they had little
reason to hope Tor great improvement
the present year. 1t was generally con-
ceded that there was too much capacity
for making nails, and until this was reg
ulated more in accordance with the de-
| maud the trade must continue dull and
Improbable.