The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-25
IRON AND STEEL Trade.
An Indication That the Year viii be
Fairly Aciive Ore.

CLEVELAND. O., Jan. 2f-The Iron
Trade Review says to-day:
The iron trade has come down To the
last week OF January with little change
IN actual conditions since the opehlls ot
the year but with increasing signs OF
the enlarged volume thaI VIII le1.ie tiiI
from present planning Tne week mas
brought further evidence that the year Will
be fairly active In lake ship building, ana
demand from that source ALREADY mas
brought several good eohoracts teot hiD ~ the the
East. beside the big contract noted last
week, will make ln'ils IN mat sectloh
comfortable, once specifications Deg.n 10
come in. That the lncursions of western
mills so notable a year ago, have been
checked In the East Oi late may De at'Il
buted in part TO ne hdliltenalegf iaI.l'f v.
more uniform rates Dy the Ialrodus
policy that promises 10 pre'ali nloi an"
more. - ,,r
II is apparent that the period OF uI-
profitable prices in finished natcflaI Is
not over, and that the tonnage Oh ear
delivery orders does not go well around
while the mills wait for projected work
10 materialize In markets East ana
West bars and plates are SHOWING TN. InIs
excess Of producing capacity il5 lIoh'
apart from the lirmer feeling III Besse-
mer shows further signs or weakness.
There has been little selling since the
new year opened, and buyers are press
ing for inducements 10 place even nlod. nlod.
the denominations OF iron due 10 the en-
larged production OF the past six months
have been at eastern touhdfy iron Iul-
naces. the charcoal furnaces or Mlcnlsah: !:
and the Bessemer producing stacks OF
the central West The South, having only
moderately Increased rs production over
the first half OF 1884, added but little 10
it's unsold stocks. The policy OF its chlet
producers 10 refuse iaf forward sdits az az
present prices is thus better reinforced
than would be a like stand by northern
furnaces. Among makers of Bessemer
pig I'm Ohio and western pennsylvania tne
practical certainty Of q small advance IN
ore prices may help 10 MAINTAIN the
better feeling noticed In the past ten
days. but The reduction Of freights proves
a partial Offset, as the tendency VIII
be to give that TO he buyer. sales OF
Ressemer pig at $40 10 Sl0.l5 at Pittsburg
arc reportad and at - q in the Valley.
The filling up Of several mills on billet
contracts has strengthened that market
and SIfS5 10 SIS at Pittsburg is the pres
ent range The starting OF the lOungs-
town pIaut next week and the prospect
that metal will be converted at Loralh m
the second quarter Of the year would
indicate that any upward movement VIII
not go far. A factor IN estimates as } t9}
the future is the large amount Of mill
work that is on hand in the conversion
of plants 70 new uses, the erection OF
new mills and the enlargement OF othel ;.
with all its previously reported tApdn-
sions Tin plate mauutacture has con-
tributed several IMPORTANT projects re-
Gently. Cast-iron pipe contracts are pc
ing made by a nLmt ar OF Huhlclpdltl -
and at the lowest frures ever recorded.
%Virc rod mills are usy. and a number
are sold we'll ahead. WIRE nalls at
ciebtv-dve cents have been an active
market of late. only the largest out
nut can stand such price. anu a.oiI ~
determined effort for an advance IS taken
Of Rail orders are stlll held back. An
ohio mill has coutra Is for 2oO IONS