Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-02-18
The STEEL RAIL WAR.

viii be Contested to the Bitter End.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Feb. 12.-The situ-
alton in the steel rail business here
shows that the cutting of prices has
resolved itself into a bitter war for
supremacy. 1t is learned that the
| Carnegie Steel Co. is meeting all COM
| petition of the Illinois Steel Co. and
has instructed its representatives in
Chicago to sell steel rails at SIT in
Chicago, or SLABS in Pittsburgh, a
lower figure than has been quoted in
| any reports printed.
When the pool went to pieces at the
meeting in Pittsburgh Monday, an
| agreement is said to have been made
between the two big concerns operat-
| ing west of the mountains to main
| tain prices, which were then fixed at
$50 at Pittsburgh and sci at Chicago.
| but each firm was to go after any
| business it could obtain. President
| Gates of the Illinois Steel Co., it is
| alleged, went direct to Chicago and
within two hours the wires were
| burdened with messages to all the
! railroads of the west in quoting rails
| at SIS.
The Carnegie company at once issued
orders to their agents to meet all cuts
| that might be made, and as "a result to-
| day, the Carnegie company, at Chi
! cago, is selling rails at S14.25 per ton,
which, with the freight from Pitts
burgh added, makes a rate of SIT, and
the war, it is said, is to be waged to
the bitter end.
The Iron Trade Review on the Situation.
CLEVELAND, o., Feb. 12.-In review.
ing the situation in relation to the
collapse of the steel rail pool, the Iron
Trade Review, says:
Though not like bolt out of clear
sky-for the clouds nave been plenti
full of late-the announcement that
the steel rail pool had gone to pieces
shook the iron trade profoundly. 1t
meant the sweeping away of the chief
bulwark of the steel manufacturers
against profitless struggle for su.
premacy, and the belief that the
giants are now willing to try conclu-
sions in an open field excites the live
lest speculation as to the outcome.
That the railroads will appreciate
that the present opportunity warrants
the straining of point to make the nee
essary financial arrangements to buy
now is a natural inference. Some
sales have been made already, and ii
may be expected that in a measure a
repetition will come of the experience
in the billet market in late Decem beT
and early January, when large ton
mage was closed at prices known to be
highly advantageous to buyers, what.
ever the turn taken by raw materials.
The extent of the complaint by rail.
roads at the S25 basis would indicate
desire to buy, but for the prices, and
with the stimulus the market will re.
ceive from the placing of rail orders,
and the accompanying tonnage of
track supplies, it is only a reasonable
expectation that the start will come
which has been long delayed.
The Ore Pool to Go Next II 1t Has Mo-
Gone AIready.a
CHICAGO, Feb. 12.-The Tribune pub.
fishes the following:
The Iron Ore association, which has
controlled prices and fixed the output
of Lake Superior iron mines, stands
directly in the track of the cyclone
which has swept away every combina
ton and pool in the iron and steel
trade for the division of business and
the maintenance of prices.
What the Rockefeller Carnegie com.
binatiOn will do in the ore pool will
become manifest within a fortnight
The first announcement will be in the
shape of large sales of ore for delivery
during the coming season of navlga.
ton without regard to the pool
Even more important than the col.
lapse of the steel rail pool, which
was scattered to the winds on Mon.
day, will be the termination o.
the ore pool. 1t will mean a terrific
war on prices by all the iron mining
companies OF northern Michigan and |
Minnesota. Towns now prosperous il |
these regions will be effected. Mines |
which have produced mountains and !
made milIionaires may be given over |
to rotting timbers and rusty pumps |
The population of the iron min |
ing regions of the north will |
be shifted in the migration OF |
miners to new fields. The stories OF |
privation and suffering which the iron
districts of the north have several |
times given to the world since the |
panic of four years ago may be retold
in the working out of the changes
which must come with free competi.
IAon OeLWSen the great mining com |
panies.
While the end of the steel rail pool
brings reduction in wages it also
brings more work, but in the mines
new fields of labor are far away, and
in the development of the Messa bs
range far less men are required tc
produce the ore than in the old mines
which have furnished largest employ.
ment to miners in the past.
There is serious question if the iron
pre- pool has not already gone. In pre-
vious winters the production of every
important mine in the Lake Superior
region had been allotted and prices
fixed long before this time in Febru.
airy. As yet no allotment has been
made and no prices fixed for the
coming season. Meetings have been
held at Cleveland, but they have been
fruitless in reaching an agreement.
The larger companies, believing a gil
yantic war can not be averted, appear
TO be Indifferent over the results OF
these sessions.