Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-08
Abundant HarveSts and Correspond
ing Railroad Prosperity
AUGUR WELL FOR THE IRON TRADE.
The Increasing Use Of the Metals in Build
ing Construction
WILL HELP TO ADD TO THE BUSINESS

the manufacturer prepares for his annua
stock-taking in July, and girds up his loin
for the customary struggle with the worker
when they present their scale for the yea
beginning with the LIST of July. 1t is dur
ing this interval of comparative idlenes
that both the broker and maker essay t.
gauge the future and seek to know the pros
poets for trade in the fall and winter and tn,
early spring. The crops and the railroads
are the iron mans divining rods. Given tn,
prospects for the one he can estimate yer,
closely on what the railroads will do, ant
through both he can figure out with som,
degree of certainty as regards the outlook
for the year in his own particular line O
business. Primarily, then, on the condition
of the crops depends the prosperity of tn,
iron trade. Reports from the West poin
to prospects of returns which promise to ex
ceed the average by fair percentage, anG
individual statements of men largely inter
ested in grain and produce, who have beer
spoken with on the subject, give an assur
ance of a harvest that will meet every ex
pectation.
Railroad Buyers as a Thermometer.
A profitable harvest means everything to
the country, but it is of vital importance to
the railroads. With the assurance of a
heavy freight traffic roads begin to put their
rolling stock in order, place the track in re-
pair and expend money in improvements
and betterments generally. They feel en-
couraged to open up branches and extend
feeders and place themselves in position to
compete with rival roads for share of the
spoil. A reflection of this activity finds its
way into the iron and steel mills. Car
wheels are needed for the rolling stock,
plate for the wagons, finished material Of
all sizes for the bridges, rails for the track
and tools for the shops.
The first blush of this prosperous era NAV
be said to have already appeared. The
pace for the year is generally set BY the
Railroad, and when that cor
poration sends its purchasing agents abroad,
railroad buying for the season is regarded as
having commenced. With the placing of
an order for $4,000 tons of rails among the
Carnegie Association, the Cambria Com
pany and the Steelton people, the Pennsyl-
vania Company has shown the way to the
other roads, and they will, as usual, be
swift to follow suit A well-informed
broker who has just returned from an ex-
tended tour West and South states that the
cotton and grain belt roads are already pre-
pairing for a busy season. He noticed active
work in progress along these lines, and he
gathered from railroad men that they have
the hveliest expectations for heavy trade.
Preparing for the Worlds Fair.
But the prospects of the iron men do not
alone depend on the requirements of the
roads due to the expectations of heavy traffic
from the harvest yield; the Words Fair in
93 will provide another and extensive stim-
illus. The trunk lines centering in Chicago
must see to it that their tracks are in FIRST
class condition to stand the strains of the
heavy hauling which will necessarily be
done over these roads, and managers are
already recognizing this necessity and pre-
pairing to meet it. The Pennsylvania lines
ire laying down heavy section rails
west of this city, and the Baltimore and
Ohio is proceeding with its doubled
tracked connections westward. The entrance
IF iron aud steel into building construction
IS becoming more marked every year, and
n Chicago alone a competent authority
that $50, 900, 900 will be expended
N new work between this and 1898. This is
outside of the Worlds Fair buildings, the
irst of which is now being constructed in
and the elevated railroad for
Chicago, which is being built here. A large
quantity of steel will go into consump-
ion in The new vessels which the Govern
nent proposes to build, and the manufacture
If timed and terne plate, so long regarded
Is myth, but now making sure its slow
rr.11 e<i1 c,,~t 4
o the trade.
No Clash of Capital and Labor.
With these prospects in view it is en-
,ouraging to note that there will be no trade
to place check on the wheels
If trade. The convention of the ANAL
,amated Association of Iron and Steel
Workers will not make any change in the
,asis of the scale, viz: S. so per ton for
polling on a cent card rate now ruling.
The manufacturers, on their side, will not
hesitate about accepting the general terms
# the new scale, though there will be, of
course, the usual conferences and discus
lions regarding extras The vital point is
hat the workers are not putting forward
my demands which cannot easily be
adjusted without recourse to strike.
1t may be observed, also, that any .stiffen-
x
.reased demand, and not in consequence of
my increase in the cost of production. Iron
makers have been very slow this season in
losing ore contracts, so much so that not
700, 900 tons of ores had been purchased by
ocal furnace men up to March, as against
200, 900 bought up before the month of
January last year. This conservative
,olicy has borne fruit in that ores are now
,eing placed at from 81 25 to 81 75 under
asst years rates. For instance, No. 1hard
Angeline, which sold at 81 25 last year, is
low being contracted for at S6; section 16
lolds about the same value These ores
re very fine, containing from 60 to 65 per
ent of metallic iron, and from .012 to .01S
# phosphorus, and are, consequently, very
Excellent Prospects for the Year.
Coke is selling at 81 80 on board cars,
nd there is a strong probability that it may
,e sold APPOINT or SO less during the fall. Any
hance of its rising in price is regarded as
-ery problematical The prospects for a good
-ear in the iron and steel trade are un-
strong, and some brokers say it
will not surprise them to see Bessemer
ouch SIS before the first of October. The
rice to-day is SIG. Under the agreement
'etween the half dozen manufacturers, steel
alls cannot be sold under $50 here, S31 at
;hicago, and $29 80 at the Eastern mills.
While there is no very extensive construc-
ion of new roads in contemplation, the re-
uirements for reconstruction and better
nents due to the reasons already assigned
Till keep rail mills busy for some time.
srprnvrx x,,rrrr apoprvvv