The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-13
[. IN. PLACESA
BIC RAIL ORDER
Orders $4,000 Tons from the
7. C. |. Company
NEW BUSINESS COMING
Railroads Making Fair Purchases of
Spikes and BOlts-IrOn and Steel
Consumption Rate Continues
Quite Good


New York, November 1a--(Specialj
The Iron Age will say tomorrow
mo indications of general buying
movement yet seen, but as consump-
tion of iron and steel continues at good
rate 1t is to be expected that filing OF
current wants will at least provide as
much business as is now going through
| the mills.
Although it is assumed that offers
of foreign steel products are to some
extent responsible for weakness in
prices here especially on the seaboard
no business in foreign material is yet
reported"
Louisville and Nashville railroad has
bought about $4,000 tons steel rails
from Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
| company for winter delivery.
Some new business coming out In
railroad supplies and accessories The
Northern Pacific railroad bought 10000
tons of tie plate from the Illinois Steel
company. Other roads are making fair
purchases of spikes and bolts In
quiries have been received for 10000
|
900 tons for the Siamese State railways.
The last Siamese rail order was fur
nished by the United States Steel cor
poration. Between this time and the
end of December it is expected that
contracts VIII be placed for an aggre-
gate of $4,000 to 10000 tons structural
iron for new subway work in this
city.
| Now that price of tin plates has been
! fixed for next years delivery, quite a
good deal of contracting has been done
by large tin plate consumers. Manu-
facturers of tin plate look for much
larger consumption in 1914 than has
been the case in the present year.
Prices continue to show recessions
Billets and sheet bars have perhaps
shown greatest decline, due to efforts
of new steel making companies to Sc
cure orders. Plates have gone off about
81 per ton and concessions from re-
cent quotations are to be had on some
other finished products. notable ex-
ception In this respect is found in
wrought pipe.
Pig iron markets are all weak.
A New England buyer entered mar
ket last week for $500 tons foundry
iron for first half delivery and part Is
understood to have been taken at close
to $3.50, Buffalo.
Southern No. 2 foundry iron Is again
back to S10.50.
Birmingham, according to advices
from Cincinnati while it is reported
that large cast iron pipe maker has
bought 10000 tons for first half at
$40 Birmingham basis.
Cleveland, November 12.-(Special.) 1.-THE
Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
Gradual decline in demand for iron and
steel products is causing decided reduc-
tion in working forces, especially in east
ern and Pittsburg districts AT Pitts
burg men are being laid off by hundreds.
1t is understood one large independent
company has added 1000 to the idle list,
while another let out 1000 men. On ore
| ranges, mining forces are also being re-
duced and in some cases this is being
done to greater extent than ever before
at this time of year.
Reduction of wages of working men is
being considered at numerous plants, but
| except in case of wages of puddlers,
which are adjusted according to BIZ
| monthly settlement, no reductions are re-
ported. 1t is understood the Steel COPPER
alton Is very much opposed to any reduce
| tion of wages and will not make any Mt
its plants Settlement of representatives
| of the Amalgamated association and
Western Bar Iron association has resulted
in reduction of wages of puddlers to S.
| a ton for boiling during November and
December. Average realized price of bar
iron declined So ton for September and
October as compared with two preceding
months, decline being greatest in a num-
ber of years.
The storm which swept over the central
west district between Sandusky and Erie
as the point of greatest intensity has al
most brought manufacturing to stand
still. All furnaces in the Cleveland dis
trict are banked, largely on account of
shortage of coke. Mill operations are also
seriously curtailed and foundries already
are beginning to order suspensions of
shipments of pig iron on account of in
ability to keep up melt. Structural awards
of the week We're not numerous, the most
important being 5000 tons for the Statler
hotel. Detroit. taken by the American
| Bridge company contract for the smelter
| in Alask 2400 tons finally placed with the
| Kansas City Structural company, large
tonnages for subway and elevated con-
struction in New York city are pending.
there is considerable resistance to declines
below 1-30c Pittsburg on shapes, but 1.25c
Pittsburg is occasionally done on plates;
.25c is common blue annealed sheets No
10 are regularly quoted at 1.50c Pittsburg,
but this price has been shaded 81 a ton
for eastern shipment. Demand for sheets
is extremely limited. Usual quotation on
steel bars Is 1.30c Pittsburg. Buyers claim
this could be shaded on desirable basis
Bar iron is extremely weak. Warehouse
prices on shapes, plates. sheets steel
ban and bar iron have been reduced So
ton at Chicago and st. Louis in harmony
with recent reductions in Cleveland and
Cincinnati Warehouse business, which
L
tive. Would not be surprising to see still
further reductions. ,