The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-13
THAT ETALLIC
RING MEANS
MORE MONEY
Prices of Metal Soar
SkyWard.
FoUNDRYMEN ARE IN TROUBLE
NAILS AND TIN CANS MAY BE
LUXURIES.
Steel and Iron Higher, While Copper.
Brass and Tin Rise Fifty to
One Hundred Per
Cent.
FoUNDRYMEN ARE IN TROUBLE
NAILS AND TIN CANS MAY BE
LUXURIES.

ne recent phenomenal advances in the
PIIces OF the industrial metals has been
severely felt by the local manufacturers
s a!u wholesale jobbers. The pressure is
IS "eslnnlng TO be felt by the retail con-
sumers, and it will be appreciated much
more in the near future. when nearly av-
erythlng in the metal line. from a tin pail
q pound OF nails or bunch of wire 20 a
copper kettle, a brass nozzle or a stove
VIII cost from 10 to 80 per cent more than
while.
The effects Of the advances in the prices
OA raw metals are various and compli-
GATED. The chief reason for increasing
prices being the higher cost of raw ma
terial, prices OF manufactured goods will
ADVANCE in about the same ratio as the
proportion of cost represented by the raw
material. When labor and skill are the
chief element Of cost, prices will ad-
vance but little. Wire nails, structural
steel rough and large castings, etc, will
advance the most.
With steel billets soaring to 500 at Pitts
burg, with every mill and forge. sold up
10 six months ahead and with steel
plates. sheets, ETC. difficult to get at the
advanced prices, many people whose bust
ness depends on steel materials are in
trouble. Structural material costs 81 a
ton more than on January l. and builders
must pay the advance.
The difference in cost of a modern office
building or a steel bridge now and three
months ago would amount 10 big sum.
Ihose who Will suffer most are contract
ors who had contracts on hand when the
ADVANCE came, for which the steel had
not been secured. The lucky ones were
those who had big steel supply con-
tracted for at the old prices. Many peo-
pie are specializing as to how the Union
ron W orks stand with the advance. but
the SCOTS are not telling their business.
The advance in pig iron is felt by more
people than the advance in steel. This
has jumped s. and 81 a ton, and the foun-
dries Of the city, especially the smaller
ones, say that they are runnig at loss.
There is such keen competition that all
are afraid 10 add TO their prices the in
creased cost OF iron. They are holding
their trade and waiting for the gradual
readJusJment that must come. The pig
iron situation was thus treated by S. R.
Church. the metal broker:
The rise Will be felt first by the small
founders. who are generally busy and
who carry slight stocks. Some of the
larger concerns have good stocks on hand,
and will benefit by the rise. The bay re-
giOn consumes about 1000 tons Of pig iron
yearly. exclusive OF about 5000 tons used
BY the Sacramento shops. There is now
on hand about 5000 tons, of which the
Union Iron Works hold about 1000 tons.
American pig has about displaced Scotch
and English irons here. Halt comes from
the East by rail and half by Cape Horn.
The bulk OF the supply is from Tona-
wanda, y. \. Pig iron here is now at
SO 80 TO So, as compared with SIS % TO
$50 sixty days ago. The furnaces are sold
six months ahead, and there is every
promise of further advances
The first advances in prices have natur-
ally been made by the jobbers. Stoves
have been recently advanced 10 per cent.
A stove that would cost S25 two months
ago will cost S27 80 to-day. The grosser
forms of iron and steel, such as sheet
iron. plates, nails, wire, pipe. etc. have
advanced in the local wholesale market
from 80 TO 90 per cent over December
prices Light cast-irOn casting, such as
brackets and locks, cost about 10 per
cent more. Galvanized iron has advance
ed 80 per cent and certain classes OF block
iron sheets 20 per cent The greater adj
vance in galvanized iron is due 10 the
heavy rise in zinc.
Copper and brass goods are soaring still
for copper plates. sold at II cents three
months ago. The brass and copper
founders suffer as much as the iron men.
One manufacturer said that prices on
manufactured goods had not risen as
high as they would Copper pipe was 90
cents q pound. instead of IS cents and a
big copper kettle that could have been
bought for $50 before Christmas would
cost so now. Ingot copper cost 20 cents
in ton lots here last week, or is cents in
carload lots, recent advance of about 8
cents Copper has nearly doubled in
price and simple brass castings, such as
nozzles, are up about 80 per cent.
Then tin goes climbing upward. partly
as a result of the advance in metals and
partly because the new big trust, the
American Tinplate Company, has gained
absolute control This is going to par
rIcularIy affect the packers of canned
goods. who are the chief COnsum-
ers Of tfnplate. Local jobbers in tin
Mate have advanced prices 30 to so per
cent. but they do not know what prices
the trust will be pleased to make when il
gels around to that matter. After Sc
curing control of most of the unplate
mills. the trust ceased quoting prices on
Janiary l. and has since been getting its
affairs in shape. Since then no pur-
chase. have been made at the mills
Local stocks are generally getting low,
though some dealers and canmakers were
lucky enough TO make good contracts
with Eastern mills before the trust got
them. ANY additions to the stocks pos
sessad or contracted for before January
have been secured from Eastern Jobbers.
The trust has announced that a Paclhc
Coast representative will soon be estao-
IIsbAd here and then prices viii be quot
ed Everything awaits the pleasure and
convenience of the trust. NO consumer
can now secure an advantageous contract
covering any considerable time
AS a general thing. the retailers about
tow, are afraid to raise prices, ana seek
to hold trade by selling their stock on
hand at the old figures and buying as
little new stock as possible: The market
is dernoralized generally. but retail al
vances for all manner of metal wares Will
soon be observed.