The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-29
STEEL TRADE IS
 STILL IMPROVING Orders Come From Many
 Sources BRIDGE WORK FIRST Pig Iron Markets Also Show Better Reports-Orders Are Numerous
 and the Inquiries
 Plentiful

New York. June 8.-(specisl.)-T Iron Age will say tomorrow: The inn provement in the steel trade continues The volume of business shows a, steady gain This is not due to spurt in any special branch, but to an increase in or ders from a. multiplicity of sources. The United States Steel corporation is en- larging the scope of it's operations, the active steel ingot capacity this week be- ing over 6S per cent, as against 66 per cent at the same time last week The improvement by the statement that at the corresponding time last month the active capacity was only 5S per cent
 In the structural trade in general, railroad bridge work forms a substan- tial proportion of the new business com ing in the market but some excellent orders have also been booked for other purposes. The American Bridge com pany has secured the contract for $500 tons for the new plant of the Pitts burg Cruclble Steel company at Mid land, Pa
 While the plate trade shows some inn
 
 demand are seen in the increasing num- Der of inquiries coming out for steel cars. Reports from the various pig iron mar kets are also better as orders are more numerous and inquiries are more plenti- full. No general buying movement has yet set in, but the number of consum- CTS who feel that the present is a good tc Prices of pig iron are no firner as many makers are anxious to get their share of such business as is now com ing out.
 Cleveland, O., June S.-(Special.)-rhe Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say; The first half of this year, like the same period of last year, has been dis appointing. but closed with more i'm ago. While the change for the better is not uniform or very decided a larger tonnage is moving and mill activities are gradually increasing. The mills of the United States Steel corporation are now running at the best rate this year, with the exception of a short period in March.
 The heaviest purchases of pig iron made during the week were by a large eastern buyer, which has closed with New York state furnaces for from 10000 to 25,- 900 tons of standard mill forge for de- livery over the remainder of the year. A Massachusetts buyer has purchased from 5000 to 5000 tons of No and spe- cial foundry grades for last half. The business going to Buffalo and eastern Pennsylvania makers at low prices. Buff falo is still the center for lowest prices in foundry grades. The Union Radiator company, Johnstown, Pa, has purchased from 5000 to 5000 tons of No. ? foundry from a nearby furnace and another radi- ator company at Johnstown is under stood to have practically closed for 5DoO tons
 The adjustment of the wage scale is proceeding satisfactory and the inde- pendent sheet and tin plate manufac- turers and the Amalgamated association have reached an agreement on the wage scale for the year beginning July l.
 The Republic Iron and Steel company and the Amalgamated association have reaffirmed last years bar iron scale. 9th CT companies have not yet taken action.
 Contracts for furnace coke closed in the Pittsbtrg district for the last haIr of the year amounted to 25o,0o0 tons. New Jersey smelting interest has con tracted for about 15,000 tons of furnace coke for the full year. The Latrobe dis trict makers are quoting about SLIGO ovens.
 The sheet market is firmer and numer- ous contracts have been made Valley sheet makers are usually quoting on basis of f. o. b. mill instead of Pitts burg. Some of the independent sheet manufacturers are operating to capacity Liberal specifications are being received by tin plate manufacturers. The mer- chant pipe market is not very active.