Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-25
THE TRADE OUTLOOK.
Business in Rails Furnishes No Com
fort to Manufacturers,
GENERAL HARDWARE STILL SLOW.
Increasing Demand for Steel Rails at the
Edgar Thomson.
WHY TANNERS CURTAIL PRODUCTS
OFFICE OF THE DIsPATCB,
PIrrs RuRG. TUESDAY. MaN "A

f1TTSBURG, TUESDAY, may "a
Never in the history of the trade have
nails been so low in price as they are at this
time. The jobbing price of cut steel nails
is 81 So per keg, rates to average 35c above
base At these rates it is generally con-
ceded that the manufacturer is selling at
cost or less. Certain it is that there is moth
ing in the cut nail trade to the manufacturer
at present prices. No doubt many of the
mills keep running for the reason that it is
more expensive to stop than run, even
though there should be a slight loss.
The question with the Wheeling mills is
whether the loss would be greater to stop or
continue producing at a small loss. Pitts
burg nail makers have long ago discovered
that there was nothing in the business, and
have diverted their mills to the production
OF their specialties. So far as can be learned
there has not been a cut nail manufactured
in Pittsburg for several years past. Wire
nails have of late Joined the downward
movement, and sales are reported at 81 65
per ke@, reduction OF 25c per keg from
prices OF year ago. 1t is evident that the
capacity OF nail mills throu1hou the west
has been increased far beyond the demand.
and that products must be curtailed before
there can be living profits.
Hardware Trad Backward.
The same influences which have been at
work to retard the occupation of gardeners
and farmers have been at work in delaying
the trade IN such hardware goods as are in
most demand at this season of the year.
The gardeners season is fully three weeks
behind the average time on account OF cool,
wet weather BY reason of the backwa I'd
spring the demand for refrigerators. ice
cream fTeezers. fly screens and haying tools
has been comparatively light so far. A few
hot days will without doubt be q great help
to trade in these lines. multitude OF peo-
"a n nj min fnYs rlUh
shiny days. a few such days would very
much stimulate trade and enable trades
men to make up for time lost by reason of
the unreasonable weather of the past few
weeks.
Rails n. Braddock.
Within the past week orders have been
received at the Edgar Thomson Works,
which will-require the entire output for the
next four months. For some weeks previous
to these orders being received trade was
slack and the mill and furnaces were not
pushed to their capacity The increased
100 tons of steel rails daily. The average
daily output is now above 500 tons of rails
G and can 1S Pe Increased to bs9 tons hit II the de-
amr unit has already been turned out in a
day SINCE the late improvements in machin-
cry. The late orders have been particularly
for light rails. Prices of rails range from
$50 on to $50 IS per ton. The cost of produc-
tlon has been reduced not less than 81 25 per
ton, IN the past SIX months Dy reason OF
improved machinery.
Why Tanners CurtnfI.
The following from Brddstreet's furnishes
reasons why leather manufacturers are dis
posed 10 reduce products: Ten years ago the
boot and shoe trade of New England was
one of the most prosperous, but excessive
competition has made 1t less so. Not only
have the margins of profit in this industry
been reduced, but the same is true or
dependent industries. The increase in the
number of shoe factories called lor more
leather, and the larger demand for leather
necessitated more tanneries. Two years ago
the markets were filed with boots and shoes
which had to be sold in many instances at a
sacrifice. This revealed to the manufactur-
ers the relative condition of production and
requirements. Then came the general
stagnation in business, and manufacturers
have acted conservativelY ever since both
in buying leather and ma king goods. Leather
then began to pile up rapidly. Prices de-
clined, hut dealers could not dispose of
stocks. Prices have gone lower and lower,
until they are now said to be below the
cost of production" Hides have declined,
and while foreign hides are lower now than
in 40 years, relatively they are high er than
sole leather. Good Buenos Ayres hides
sold a year ago at about l315c. They
are now quoted at l2Hc. The decline has
been less than lc per pound. The following
IA ole which gives the prices of he mlock sole
leather on May and a year ago. will show
how leather made from these hides has de-
clined: