Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-23
What the Week Has Produced of News
in the Circles of Pittsburg's
Staple Manufactures.
THE IRON TRADE BRISK AND FIRM.
Good Prospects of Fair Fall and Winter
Business in the Coal, Coke
and GLASS Industries.
MAcRIEIsTS WILL SEE THE FIGHT OUT,
But Bow the Rnd Will be 1t Is Very Difficult to Say
at the Present Time.


up the situation in the iron and steel trade;
There is no noticeable increase in the demand
for Bessemer, prices ruling from SIS 80 to
S18 rs. the latter being the highest price at
which it sold to-day, for prompt delivery.
Even forge and mill iron is in shade bet
ter demand, due to the stimulating effects of
brisk business in muck bar and pipe iron.
There is no great amount of buying being done;
transactions are light, and buyers are sup
plying only their immediate wants. This
is explained by the fact that there is more
iron on the market at present than there
has been, with a probability of the supply
being maintained, if not increased.
The Monongahels Furnace Company will
blow in one of its furnaces during the
coming month and the other about October,
Increasing the supply of $50 tons daily.
The Carnegie furnaces give an output Of
$1,000 tons per week, and the firms not being
such heavy buyers from outside sources as
formerly, still further increases the supply.
Then, again, the stock on haud on the 1st OF
August was over q. 900 tons more than on
the 1st of July. the figures being respectively
423, ,S21 and 400, ,030 tons, the latter figures
being within 1000 of the largest stock ever
on hand at coke furnaces back as far ss
1884, with two furnaces less in blast than
there were in June.
NOT AN INDICTMENT.
While prices are maintained, there is no
inducement in these figures, either to buy
ahead for consumption or with a specula-
tive view. Just as soon as the cold weather
comes, the pipe trade will fall away, and
then, if something doesn't turn up to stlmu-
late the demand, there is probability OF a
slow trade for the winter.
No settlement between the Amalgamated
Association and the Carbon Iron Company
has been effected, and the association has
placed its ban on the works as a non-union
establishment. The position taken by the
company IN this matter was that the labor
necessary in operating their direct ore proc
ess did not call for the scale of wages set
forth by the association. The work is not
so laborious as in boiling pig iron, they
claim, and they hold that 50 80 per ton
would be as adequate compensation for
the toll at their. furnaces, as
S. so at regular pudding. The company
expects to resume next week, and with a
full force of men in all departments This
is the first year the company has been pre-
sented with a scale. GAINESVILLE also has
had the scale presented this year for the
first time since 1881, and so far has not
signed. In the East there are still few
mills holding out against the scale. Shoen-
berger's mill started up full last Monday
after spell of idleness since July, during
which extensive repairs were effected.
Furnace l, at Braddoek, was lighted during
the week.
LARGE COAL SHIPMENTS.
The shipments of coal from tn is port have
been large thisseason The present inactivity
on the river is helping prices a little in the
Southern markets, and reports from Clncin-
natl and Louisville indicate a steadier tone
and an increase in prices. Stocks are large,
Louisville having about 100000 bushels
and Cincinnati about 3, 800, 900 bushels
while New Orleans has about five months
supply ahead, with all the lesser ports well
supplied. There are any way from 5000, 900
to 5000, 600 bushels living on the river
awaiting a rise. Railroad business contin-
ues active, while prices are being main |
tained. The prospects for the winter are re-
ported better than for some time past
of America held their first demonstration |
for the eight-hour day in this district at |
Mansfield. There was a general turnout of |
the men in this district, and an attentive |
audience listened 10 the arguments in favor |
oi the shorter hours in turn by President |
John B. Rae, Robert Watchorn, n. r. Hv- |
sell, Peter Wise and other speakers. Par |
tieular stress was laid by the speakers on |
the necessity of having the law regulating |
the employment of none but skilled miners, |
now in force in the anthracite region, ex-
tended to the bituminous districts and /
miners were advised to vote only for such /
candidates to the Legislature as would sup
port this measure.
Coke operators seem to be satisfied with 1
the outlook for the fall. Works are in
creasing their capacities, and the production
is on the increase. Shipments would have
been larger, but for failure in the car sup
ply. peculiar incident occurred at
Pennsville during the week. The operators
told the coke-drawers that if they did not
join the organization their fellow workers
belonged to that they would be discharged.
They did not take the hint and were laid off
until they had entered some organization.
The owners were tired of having two sets of
men, and decided they could get on better
with men working under a system than with
those who did not.
A PROMISING OUTLOOK.
Now that the date for starting up the
window house fires has been fixed for Sep
tember Is, preparations for business are
noticeable among both workers and manu-
fseturers. The outlook for the year is held
to be promising, though in one quarter it is
thoHght that the strike among the carpen-
ters in the West will materially affect trade
by curtailing the work on buildings. Stocks
are limited. and though manufacturers are
credited with desiring an opportunity of
advancing prices, it is thought that current
rates will hold for a time
Many factory owners are exercised very
considerably over the advance in Phila-
delphia gas for the coming blast. Some of
them seem to think it would pay them to
move out and into cheaper quarters, if such
can be obtained, and have instructed agents
to look up desirable localities. 1t was
stated yesterday, on reliable authority, that
at least eight Southside glass houses had
contracted with the Oliver Gas Company
for fuel at $50 per pot. This will have the
double effect of giving them an advantage
over their competitors, who are paying the
Philadelphia people $40 and encouraging
them to remain.
The green glass houses will nearly all go |
into operation on the first OF September. /
The scale for the year has been agreed upon,
but not until four days had been spent in |
talking over the matter; two at Cresson and |
two at Philadelphia. As q result of the |
conferences an equalization, or what passes |
for such, of the Eastern and Western rates
has been made. The workers asked that