The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-16

products comes it Will be seen first ON
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Some
conditions are particularly favorable for
landing foreign products on the Pacific
coast.
That the American manufacturers do
not intend TO give up the Pacific coast
trade without a fight is evident, as the
news comes from San Francisco that the
Steel corporation has made new sched-
ue for steel bar prices reducing prices
for San Francisco delivery about s5
ton, equivalent to about so per ton Pitts
Surg,
Investigation as to the possibility of
importing pig iron continues, but 1t is
evident that English iron is from 10 cents
to 81 80 a ton delivered in this country
above the price of American irons. Very
little is heard of attempts to import
finished products.
Shipments of pig iron to fonndries con-
tinue heavier but the tonnage moving to
steel plants is considerably reduced.
Stock in the yards of the members of
the eastern pig iron association declined
10 per cent in September. Southern prices
are strong but the s11 quotation has not
disappeared. Railroad bridge work pend
ing in the east amounts to nearly 200oO
tons, including 6500 for Lackawanna. 1000
and Western and 400 for Lehigh Valley.
The Chicago and Northwestern has pnr-
chased 1000 steel cars from the American
Car and Foundry company and the same
number from the Western Steel Car and
Foundry company.
Inquiries pending in the west include
20o0 gondolas for Missouri Pacific, 1000
steel coal cars for Burlington and 500
gondoas for Mobile and Ohio.
Only fair tonnage in structural ma
terial is being placed and Very low prices
are being made on ia abrcating and erect
ing. In eastern territory at least two
companies are selling at $1.35 Pittsburg
but the general selling price is 81. 40, and
small lots are sold at 81 .45.
In plates s1.35 is more easily done
than on shapes. The Florida and East
Coast railway is still figuring on two
steel car floats, which will require from
6000 to 5000 tons of steel, largely plates.
The demand from car companies for
plates does not represent a very large
tonnage at 80 per cent
New York, October 5.-(Special.) 1.-The
Iron Age will say tomorrow: There are
further evidences this week of slacken-
ing operations at steel works. with the
tendency TO lower prices more pronounced
in some lines AS is usual under such
conditions exaggerated reports are cur
rent as TO reuuctlonS III IorceS. ooHie
workmen have been laid off in the Chi
cago district, but they are not a large
fraction of the total. In consuming in-
dustries no important curtailment has
taken place thus far. though a reduction
of forces at the Detroit automobile works
is scheduled.
New orders are almost entirely for early
shipment and all indications are that con-
sumers stocks are small and are being
steadily drawn down. More and more Or
ders are accompanied by requests't to hurry
shipments. With this means of knowing
how large a volume of steel products is
going directly into consumption. sellers
are only slowly yielding their position as
to prices. The Steel corporations book
ings in September averaged S3.70O tons q
day, or 250 tons more than in August.
Shipments We're under 4l,000 tons day,