The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-18
THE STEEL TRADE IS
 VERY ENCOURAGING
Southern Makers Maintain
 Raise in Prices
OTHER ADV ANCES
Pipe Company Buys 60,000 Tons of Foundry Grades From the Ten nessee Company-Structural
 Orders Are Numerous

New York. April 17.-(special.)- Iron Age will say tomorrow:
 The week s development in pig iron and in finished steel have been highly encour- aging. Of the most importance from a tonnage standpoint was the heavy buy ing of steel bars by. agricultural machin- cry interests. Leading manufacturers in this line contracted for their bars for the remainder of the year as high as 1.15 Pittsburg being paid for such deliveries. Probably 2.Ooo,ooO tons were taken in these contracts.
 The pig iron buying has included basic malleable and foundry irons and has taken in nearly all districts. At Chicago sales have amounted to 7Oo00 tons Buffalo fur naces have sold quite heavily, a con- siderable part going to Canada. Northern furnaces have not followed the south ern advance. but even so, some of she former have secured 75 cents to s1 ad- vance over the cost line sales made in the past six months.
 Southern furnaces are almost a unit In asking $11 for No ? for the sec ond half, and prompt southern iron has been selling at $lO.75 in some markets, though BIO. 50 iron has not disappeared In addition to the 60,0O0 tons of south ern iron bought by the leading pipe in- terests three weeks ago, it has since taken about 40,o00 tons.
 In northern Ohio two sales of basic Iron at s12.50 Cleveland-one of 21,. 0c0 tons and the other 150e tons fer shipment to Ohio river polnts-indicate that competition for large. lots is still keen.
 Ieail sales include 5o.O0o tons for maintenance work to the Hartman lines. The Chicago Great Western bought 5000 tons and the Northern Pa cific placed 5000 tons each with the Pennsylvania and Cambria Steel com panies. A contract with a trunk line for SOo0O tons is being closed this week
 The wrought pipe trade has made some strides forward. Though this is not said of prices. contract just taken at Pittsburg is for 15S miles of S-inch and 30 miles of 6-inch soil pipe for the California Pipe Line company.
 The Standard oil company has just bought 60,000 boxes of Welsh tin platc for shipment to the far east, it's first important purchase of foreign plates in months.
 Cleveland Ohio, April 17.-(Special.) The Iron Trade Review tomorrow win say:
 The announcement of the Carnegie Steel company of an advance of S1 a ton on steel bars, effective April 20 the adyices of the Republic Iron and lnA, f&f and the general expectation that the independents will act in harmony with the policy of the Steel corporation in erdeavoring to establish higher levels, have stimulated the making of con tracts at the old prices.
 Nearly all instructions are that the situation is strong, but the fact that the demand Is again slackening in the east. principally in the Philadelphia territory, where there Is some shading on plates and shapes, cannot be ig- nored. Philadelphia is apparently the weakest spot in the country in struc- tural shapes.
 In the Chicago district conditions are highly satisfactory. The selling of Lake Superior Iron ores continues steadily at a moderate rate. The futility of attempts in the times to control rates and prices is shown by the sudden collapse of the effort of the independent vessel owners to establish net rate of 45 cents on orc in the nSad of the lakes to late lale ports. The day following a meeting d number of vessel men who attend sd it contracted to carry at 40 cents, which has not Deen established as the rate, a reduction of cents from last year
 Uncertainty concerning the coke situa- tion still deters sellers in eastern Penn sylvania from taking orders for pig iron for future delivery. The basic market in the east shows strength and this Is also true in tle central west in spite of the fact that a Cleveland firm has sold about eS.000 tons tc two consumers for last half delivery at from 70 cents to q less than ether sellers are willing to take. Sales in Chicago amount to 75,000 tons Eastern malleaole buyers have been plac- ing orders liiberally at about SIG daiv- cred ill New England. About 10O00 tons os Lake Superior charcoal have been sold in he east at atout N5.15, Buffalo. The Leading Pipe company has purchased e. 0O0 tons of foundry grades from the Ten nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. Quotations on ferro magnanese have been advanced $2. 50, making the new price $i3 5O. Impoi tapt structural orders have not been numerous, but a large amount of business is pending and many small orders have been placed.