The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-29
LED TO ADOPTION
 OF ORE SCHEDULE
IRON AGE GIVES EFFECT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE ORE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT MEETING AT CLEVELAND.

New York, April 2S.-The lake ore inter ests made good progress, says the Iron Age, in their efforts to save the ore as- sociation. the negotiations thus far hay ing led to the adoption of a schedule of prices on the basis of $350 per ton for old range Bessemer ores and $3.25 per ton for Mesaba Bessemers. Last year the base price was $4. .50, while for the preced- ing season it was $4.25. The question of | tonnage and allotments is to be taken up at the next meeting at Cleveland May 3. Some of the producing interests which sell in the open market insist that allotments shall apply both to the tonnages which go to the plants owned by the large steel companies, and to the tonnage which is to be sold in the open market. It Is esti- mated that less than 100000 tons in all are to be sold. while there Is now on hand at lower lake ports and at furnaces about 5000 tons. It is figured that less than 15,- OO0,OOO tons need be brought down for the coming season to the spring of 1905. The Bessemer iron market Is exceeding ly quiet and in the Pittsburg district iron is offered freely for May delivery at SIS at furnace, while basic is offered freely at $12.75.
 There is no truth in the reports that the United States Steel corporation have purchased any Bessemer pig during the past week for May delivery. We under stand that the corporation Is now produc- ing pig iron at the rate of 175,000 tons week, or more than ever before in its history.
 From nearly all the main distributing markets comes the complaint of dullness in pig iron, but with little actual pressure to sell. By the middle of next month, however, the question of covering re- quirements for the greater part of the third quarter will come up seriously. Un- til then there will be little more than maneuvering. Some rregularity has re- suited in the central west from cut In freight rates ranging between 10 and 20 cents on southern pig iron to points north of the Ohio river.
 The contract for tn3 first lot of castings for the Pennsylvania tunnel has not yet been placed. Some leading founders have practically withdrawn because they de- cline to meet the prices which it is inti- mated have been named. Rumor has it that $27 a net ton for the finished tun- nel sections has been bid.
 The cast iron pipe trade is quite busy. Among the larger work which is being figured on is 15,0O0 tons for Cincinnati. Employment in the heavier lines of fin- ished iron and steel continues light and yet the tonnage of steel which goes into consumption is enormous It Is stated that the leading interest Is producing from 1S5,OOO to 1S7,000 tons of ingots per week against record in the boom days of rail, plate and beam consumption of 2l6OO0 tons in one week. This is due to the enormous demand in the lighter pro- duets
 Wire has had some record months late ly and even though it is pretty sure to fall off now that the spring demand Is drawing to a close it will take full work for two months at the mills to put the broken stocks at distributing centers into normal shape. The tin plate mills are rum ming practically up to the full capacity. The tonnage of sheets is much better than 1t has been been but prices are somewhat irregular. The same Is true of bars. There Is quite good export de- mand for sheet bars, the commitments in which during the next few months, run at the rate of between 10000 and 25,- GOO tons a month. Old material is weak in nearly all leading markets.