Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-26
THE PROSPECTS.

Bar From % he AdvaaceA-Synpsss sC
an Unfortunate Besn-Msveaeas .
the Coke Mea-AntictpateA Rtse -
e2.Oo per Tea.
understood that bar iron Is TO he advanced
at the next meeting Of the Association %
cents, as skelp iron, an important item Of
Pittsburgh manufacture, has been selling
ut from lilo to 3hc, and tank iron ana
other grades have also been selling at prices
equivalent to cents for bar. Bar iron In
the Eas; has already been quoted at from
| 3 3S-lOto ; 9-l0 cents. The premonitory
symptoms are indicative OF another unfor.
tunate boom, such rs caused SO much trou.
bic in iron circles two years ago. As soon
as these prices are reported in England,
importation will he started, for English
bar can be delivered here at from 9iS 10
2s. cents, and America will again be The
dumping ground for England, and
eventually another collapse In TRADE
will result. Ii is an open secret
that some OF the furnace owners in this
vicinity have been buying their own con
tracts for delivery during the next sixty
days, and il is evident that they arc antci-.
pating movement OF the kind spoken OF
above. To this is added the statement that
the coke men, who are now selling at el.@'
per ton. intend To quietly advance 10 ea.oe
per ton. or course, the iron men VINO aN
| figuring for an advance arc aware OF The
| possibility Of English importation, Tor they
| had experience OF such movement In the
| last collapse Of prices but they probably
| base the present speculative movement on
| the way in which the committees oi Con-
rr.ss have been constituted, and In the he
| lief that the tariff revision will mean Q
| higher tariff on manufactured products.
| Conservative manufacturers and dealers
| consider the movement unfortunate. also.
| because II high speculative prices are W
| come Il may be only n question Of time
| until the labor troubles are rcopcned.
The Trade is General.
rrIrsRrRGu, December 2S.-The Te'esrsPt
| OF last evening says editorially:
"In Wheeling the iron manufacturers
| have good dem and and prices are mAin
| tained, but some OF them are not anxious
| for any speculative orders. In Cleveiano
| the iron market is firm, but some of the
| iron men look askancc at the suggestion q
| higher prices, while the ore men do not al
| iump at large orders. In Boston pig Iron
| l. unusually active, and some brands OF
| American make are held at an advance OF
| a dollar ton. At Allentown the FURNACES
are made 10 yield their utmost, and down
the Lchigh Valley as far as Easton the iron
| and steel works are humping and banging
as il all the world waited on them. A very
| important part OF the world, England
| namely. is waiting but waiting Tor the
boom of the iron business to open,
| door for her TO enter and take share. THIS
| Is why iron men here and there say WIN
with pig iron at itts present figure there Il
danger Of foreign importation and gen.
eral tiattening out of prices Once when
this sort Of thing did happen an iron man
nfacturcr was asked: Didn't you know
this would be the rcsulty' Certainly;
but iron manufacturers are human like al
other men, and never can resist the temp
,ation 10 make the most Of the passing
moment and let the future take care OF IL.
self Life Is merely n matter of ups and
downs anyhow" II this Is the view the
majority Of iron men still have, tho pres
| cnt movement Is perfectly natural result:
They enjoy the ups now, ready TO grin and
bear the downs after awhile.