The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-23
RAIL ORDERS VERY
SLOW COMING IN
Alabama Steel Plant Lays
Off Many Men
PLACE CAR ORDERS
Plate Market Has Declined Slowly.
Structural Lines Show Effects of
Dear Mcney--Halt In Pig
Iron Buying

New York, October 22.--Cspeoial.) 1.-The
Iron Age will say tomorrow:
While the slowing down in steel works
operations is not marked, each week
makes some addition to Idle forces. The
Alabama steel plant has just laid Off
several hundred men. as railorders, on
several hundred men, as rail orders, on
coming to the mill. The readjustment of
prices of steel products goes on:
Sentiment In the industry Is not SO
hopeful as the probability of any con-
price levels grows less.
Car inquiries and car buying publish
the encouraging developments of the
week. The Atlantic Coast Line has
placed 1900 cars and a number of western
roads have made inquiries, these includ-
ing 25O0 for the Wabash and several thou
sand for the Missouri Pacific.
The plate market has declined slowly,
as low as $3.50 Pittsburg having been
done. Foreign plates have been quoted
at s1.65 on the Pacific coast.
Structural lines show the effects of
dear money and the wait for lower steel
prices. The market has settled to 81. 35
Pittsburg. In Chicago territory the weak
ness is pronounced In bar iron.
Recent pig iron buying in the central
west developed some weakness, No. 2
foundry iron having sold at $13.75 at
Valley furnace, a decline of 25 cents.
There is halt in pig iron buying,
even more pronounced than that In fin
ished steel.
Cleveland, October 22.--The Iron Trade
Review tomorrow will say:
Extreme reluctance to import iron and
steel unless there Is a distinct price ac-
vantage is being shown by American
consumers who nave been investigating
the foreign markets since the enactment
of the new tariff law. Hence foreign COM
petition does not promise to be an inpor-
tant factor unless prices in England ard
Germany decline sharply or remain sta
tionary while prices. in this country adj
vance several dollars per ton. In the
case of billets, which are now on the free
list, an American company has met Ger
man competition, although the buyer paid
them 81 to 81 per ton more for the steel
than would have been necessary for him
to pay for the German product.
This shows that quality Is an important
factor. A Richmond consumer has placed
n trial order with German makers and is
IepOIteu 10 Dt SLiil III TIE llidIhtl fibO'l
the very active demand for steel for re-
inforcing concrete, importers have been
investigating as to the possibility OF iin-
porting German material. German rounds
for bolt making have been quoted 1910
under the domestic price, but the Ger
man steel was rejected on the ground
that it Is very much inferior to the Amer
lean product for bolt manufacturing pur-
poses A New York shipbuilding eom-
II ic mn mi < fat1ripr n
German shapes. Experiences of another
shipbuiiding company In the east with for
eign steel have been unsatisfactory. A
Philadelphia company which recently in
vestigated as to the price of Scotch steel
making iron, similar to our Bessemer
found the price fully $3.50 above the price
quoted by eastern Pennsylvania makers
Eastern pipe makers express the opinion
that English makers of pipe Iron will have
to do a dollar ton better than at pres
ent before they can compete with tn"
American product. Observers who have
watched the market for many years state
that English warrants for pig iron sell
dom fall below sos, and when they do
as the result of speculation the reaction
comes quickly, especially If there is any
demand from America.
Very active competition continues on
fabricating and erecting of structural ma
terial and 1.33 Pittsburg is being freely
quoted in eastern territory and to some
extent in other parts of the country on
the plain material. Contracts for thu
work include 500 tons for the Los Angeles
Pipe line, awarded to the Lacey Manufae>
turing company, and 272 tons for the saTt
line to the Welland Iron Works; 2500 tons
for lock gates for Puget Sound waterway
near Seattle. to the Pennsylvania Bridge
company: New York Telephone company
building. New York, 2200 tons. to Lever
ing and Gerigues. The Yale club OF New
York, 5000 tons, has awarded the general
contract to Mare Editz & Sons. The
steel will probably be furnished by the
American Bridge company. The Ritter
Connoly Manufacturing company has
taken 1900 tons of oil tanks from the
PENNSYLVANIA Mexico Fuel company.
The government Eas awarded the Con-
crete Steel company of New Y~k 1900
tons of reinforcing bars for the Panama
canal.
Increased interest on the part Of some
railroads has aroused the hope of prom
inent men in the steel business that velv
large orders for cars will be placed dur
ing the next 60 days and some positive
statements have been made as to orders
likely to be entered. but inquiries of
definite form have not developed for more
than 10000 cars and some car builders are
very dubious asgto there being any heavy
ordering during the next few months.
while the questions of advancing freight
rates arc still pending
The Norfolk and Western is inquiring
for from 10000 to 1900 tons of steel to be
used In building hoppers in its own plant.
The rail order for the Australian Trans
continental line. ON which American mills
were permitted to bid. has not resulted
in any business coming to this country,
as q 900 tons were awarded to an English
firm, 1900 tons to an Australian concern
and 10000 tone We're withdrawn.