The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-30
MILLS ARE TAXED ID . SATISFY DELIVERIES Business in Month Heavy in Sheets, Wire and Pipe PIG IRON GOES WELL Stocks of Country Being Reduced at Rate of 100000 to 15O.O0O Tons
 Monthly-Southern Maker
 Sells 26,0OO Tons
PIG IRON GOES WELL

Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
 Mills are being severely taxed to satisfy their customers In deliveries. In the Chi cago district particularly difficulty is be- ing experienced. in meeting delivery de- mands. Leading producers report that business during the past month has been heaviest in sheets. wire and merchant pipe. though railroad tonnage has con- tirred large. Indications point to an ad- vance in the prices of merchant pipe at a near date. The corporations unified tonnage in May will show a small in- crease, though new business is not as large as in April. and shipments have been heavier.
 ing reduced at present at the rate of 100000 to 10000 tons monthly.
 Plate mills are well supplied with or ders and sales have been made by east ern plants for delivery in Chicago at a premium of g. Other buyers are offerinS premiums Of from s1 to s1.5o for June and July shipments. The leading Interest which has recently bought round tonnages of crude steel is negotiating for.2O.0o0 tons or more additional The scarcity of semi finished steel continues to be an impor- tant factor. and prices are being ad. vanced. Forging billets are scarce and are firm at s2s Pittsburg. Steemakers in the St. Louis territory have closed with the leading southern maker of basic pig iron for 26,000 tons for third quarter at Sl1 .25 Birmingham. The American Steel and Wire company has made an addi- tional purchase of 24o0 tons of low phos- phorus from an eastern maker for last half delivery at it's Worcester. Mass, plant. Sales in New York territory, with in a few days have aggregated 10000 tons, including one of, from 6000 to 5000 tons and one of 5000 tons of foundry grades and one of 5000 tons of special analysis iron. The sales were made by Buffalo and Lehigh Valley furnaces. Stove makers have recently purchased from 5000 to 6OO0 tons in the Philadelphia market.
 The Pennsylvania railroad is in the mar ket for 4300 to S600 tons of various grades, and the Norfolk and Western Is expected to buy 4500 tons. In Pittsburg the most important sale of basic was for 5000 tons for early delivery at about SIS valley. Considerable tonnage of Bessen1er has re- gently been purchased at s14. 3 valley. There is still some weakness in the Iron ton, O., market.
 The Pennsylvania line west has placed
 
 Car company has taken 1000 cars from the Seaboard Air Line. Small orders for cars and rails are numerous, but there are few large purchases. Contracts pending on the New Yok and New England terri tory call for 5000 tons of structural ma terial.
 Tho Carnegie Steel company has taken a contract to furnish Soo9 tons of shapes and plates for two barges and two steamships to be built by the American Shipbuilding company for the Standard oil company, which will use the boats in transporting crude oil from foreign countries. Con- tracts awarded Chicago last week amount to 11,052 tons, of which GA per cent went to the leading interest.
 New York, May 2s.--(Specia1. )-Tne Iron Age will say tomorrow:
 Our reports from all markets refer to the fact that new buying is not heavy. At the same time it is sufficient in the case of some important producers to re- pace the tonnage going out of the mills. Tie Steel corporations statement. for ex- ample, is not expected to show any di- intuition in unfill1d orders
 July l will bring the expiration of a good many contracts that when renewed will be at higher prices. Shipments r: me will naturally be large. as unspeci- fled material will be cancelled at the end or the month.
 'oke may assume greater importance as limiting factor in iron and steel produc- ton. While immigration has been heavy in April and May, the labor supply in the coke regions grows very slowly.
 The question of deliveries by mills to car works is becoming important and here and there the offering of a premium tor summer deliveries points to the urgent need of the new cars now under con- tract.
 Bridge work let by railroads in May has been larger than in months, probably 50 coo tons The Illinois Central win buy 75O00 tons more of rails and the Hartman ines are not through buying for new con- sfruction. New vessel building is bring ing considerable business to the mills
 The volume of fabricating contracts m May has run close to the records of 190i. when 100000 tons was booked in one month.
 Some large inquiries for line pipe are pending in merchant pipe. Prices have been well maintained, and an advance ot g. a ton is a possibility.
 Buyers of semi-finished steel have trou- lie getting deliveries Offers of open hearth bllets in Great Britain by a south ern plant are reported at 97s 9d City of Glasgow.
 The Pittsburg market for steel making irons has grown queter and prices are easier. At St. Louis saless of 27.00O tons of southern basic have been made to steel ca stings plants. Stocks of iron in stesl company and merchant furnace yards in Ohio and in Pennsylvania west of the Alle1henfee deereased abnuf ner cant s,,