The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-17
PRICE ADVANCES IN
 STEEL CONTINUE Conservative Policies Being Strongly Supported PIG IRON LESS ACTIVE Strength of the Market Is Fully Main tained, However, and Tendency
 of Quotations Is Still
 Upward

Cleveland, October 16.-(Special )-The Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
 Conservative policies are being strongly supported and price advances are made cautiously. Nevertheless, number of higher quotations on finished products have been announced within the past few days and recent minimum quotations on pig iron have disappeared in nearly all parts of the country In some cases when advances on finished materials have act ually been made there has been no of ficial announcement. Orders for new bus mess especially for delivery after Jan uary 1 are being taken in very conserva- tive manner and every precaution is be- ing exercised to avoid speculative buy ing. The pressure for deliveries continues strong and car shortage in some sections has become more embarrassing.
 Considerable less activity is noted in pig iron in leading centers but the strength of the market is fully main- tained and the tendency of quotations is still upward It is estimated that more than 16o,oOO tons Bessemer and basic have been obtained by a few consumers in the Pittsburg district during the past two weeks. The Allegheny Steel company has just contracted for about 10000 tons basic for delivery during the first six months of next year. Crude steel is very scarce and open hearth billets have been sold as high as s2S Pittsburg.' The outlook is that some independent sheet mills will have difficulty in covering for their requirements of sheet bars for the first quarter of next year Special forging billets are now selling at from sS5 to $40 eastern mills and one round lot for first half delivery was taken at maximum price. Consumers are ordering whenever they can do so and do not hesitate to pay high prices.
 Although production of coke in the Con nellsville region has increased it is not equal to the demand and there is a scare ity of both foundry and furnace coke. Some high prices are being asked. Quo tations on nuts and bolts have again been advanced per cent. Recent rapid advances are attributed by makers to strong demand and the higher quotations on bars. In sympathy with steel bars. steel bands have advanced in price and are now quoted at sl. 40 and si 45 Pitts burg for carload lots.
 Prices of sheets have been advanced s2 per ton and none of the larger mills will promise shipment before January 1. Pre- miums are freely paid for early delivery Users of Lake Superior ores have been inquiring into the market for next year and one reservation of 150.000 tons of new ore has been made. The iron ore move ment continues very>heavy
 Owing to the inability of mills to give anything like prompt delivery on struc- tural material. new projects are not com ing out in large volume. When reason ably prompt deliveries can be assured, however, by structural shops, orders are easily taken.
 New York, October 16.-(Special)- The Iron Age will say tomorrow:
 With most mills practically sold up for six months ahead .on important products like bars. plates and struc- tural shapes. it Is not to be expected that new orders keep up the Septem- bre pace It is a question. moreover. if the steel corporations gain of near Iy 100000 tons in thrilled orders last month was duplicated by the aggre- gate of independent companies.
 The list of price advances Is length