The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-03
PRICE ADVANCES
 IN STEEL TRADE
GREATEST OUTPUT OF THE YEAR REPORTED IN LAST HALF OF JULY - CHICAGO BILLET
 FAMINE INTENSIFIED

Pittsburg. Aug. S.-The iron and steel trades as a whole recorded tn !. greatest output of the year during the last half of July. Demand for struc- tural material and the sudden activity of car builders have braced the mar ket in finished product lines despite the strike misfortunes in the Pittsburg district and elsewhere. and steel pipe makers are preparing to follow the lead Of the rod and wire manufacturers and announce substantial advance. |. The weeks feature in prices was the advance announced in wire products of s2 ton, following a similar advance May 15, and carrying these products about one-half of the way from the tow point of May to the average of 1907. This advance has been followed by general strengthening of prices by wire rod producers. the close of the week finding many operators asking s31 Pittsburg, an advance of g, in har- mony with the wire increase. Some shading to s30 and even s29 was re- ported, but it was conceded that the new level would be firmly established within a few days.
 Buying of pig iron by Eastern inter estS has been very heavy during the week. New England and Eastern Pennsylvania interests already are in the market for next years deliveries. Southern foundry interests are making every effort to score an advance of SIS, though most of the sales reported are still at s12.50 Birmingham. Bessemer is being maintained at S16. valleys, though enc sale is reported at s15.75. Sales of basic iron at S15.25, valleys, for third quarter delivery were re- ported in Pfttsburg- Ohio interests scenting a shortage in that section. are showing a disposition to come to Pitts burg for their iron. Foundry No. 2 is quoted as high as s15.5o for the fourth quarter delivery; maIleable
 
 valleys. The United Steel Company of Canton is in the market for a part of its next years supply Southern Ohio furnaces also are wary of taking or ders for next years deliveries at pres ent prices. The expected order of the Steel Corporation for 100000 tons of Bessemer failed to materialize.
 Chicago's billet famine has become withdrawn from the market and is awaiting the opening of the new mill at Gary. which has been delayed.
 Rail tonnage has the Western mills ter, and orders now coming in are be- ing turned over. to the Pittsburg dis trict mills. Eastern mills also have fared better in rail tonnage during the week just ended. Inquiries for 15,000 tons of standard rails by trunk lines promise to spur the rail makers still further. The steel car strikes and the tin plate trouble have been affecting the Steel Corporations tonnage by something like 5000 tons a day in plates, shapes, bars, axles, and sheet bars. The settlement of the Standard Steel Car Company's strike at Butler and a gradual increase in production by the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company in the face of an unexpected ly stubborn fight by the striking work men promises to relieve this situation somewhat however. though there is no improvement in the situation at the MckePS Rocks Dlant 0f the Pressed Steel Car Company.
 The tin plate output is more serious 1y affected by the Amalgamated AsSo- ciation'S struggle against the American in the combines sheet and tin plate mills than is the output in sheets. The company's claims the last of the week in the tin plate plants were that a total of 114 mills were operating out of a possible capacity of POP while the strikers admitted the cOmpany'S ability to man only 92 mills.
 The sales feature of the week was the new equipment orders by the rail- roads, which presage an immediate in crease in the output of plates. The Baltimore & Ohios specifications will probably be increased from 5000 odd to 5000 cars, the Pennsylvania has in quiries out for 5000 freight cars, the Great Northern and Northern Pacific have placed orders for GOO cars each, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit is in the market for 2.Ooo cars of open and closed type, the New York Central placed a 2,40O-car order with the Stan dard Steel Car Company. the American Car and Foundry Company, and Has kel & Barker, and the Cambria Steel Company received an order for 1000 steel hoppers from the Buffalo, Roches- ter & Pittsburg. Smaller orders in- crease this total by 2,50O.
 The pudding trouble which tied up a number of furnaces in the Pittsburg district since July l has been settled eight companies signing the scale based on a S5.25 rate. Only one company, the Pittsburg Forge and Iron, is hold ing out against the striking puddlers.
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