The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-15
BUSINESS |NSTEEL
TRADE FALLING OFF
New Buying LOw-Conces-
siOns in Prices
LABOR is RESTLESS
Pig Iron Market Dull, But Statistical
Conditions Favorable-Some In
crease in Stocks in
the South

Cleveland, May 14-(Special THE Iron
Trade Review tomorrow will say;
Continued mill activity with new buy
ing at low ebb, increasing concessions in
prices and some restlessness of labor,
especially in foundries, characterize the
market. In finished materials, especially
plates and shapes, prices are generally
settling to these which the Steel corpora
tons have been asking for many months
Independent companies find it impossible
to obtain premiums which were enjoyed
until recently. Dissatisfaction of work
ingmen coming at time when many en-
ployers are fearing that they will be com
PEELED to reduce the number of their elm
some quarters to the fact that working
men, feeling the strain of long activity
are willing to quit on slight preteXt.
Pig Iron Dull
Although pig iron is dull. statistical
conditions are favorable. There has been
some increase in stocks in the SOUTH but
the eastern pig iron associations report
for April shows that stocks which were
light remained about stationary. while
there was substantial increase in un-
filed orders. As eastern merchant fur
naces are shipping about 25,0O0 tons
monthly, the bookings are by no means
small The Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke
company is shipping at the rate of about
25,0Oo tons per month, and has cut down
to about 10000 tons its stocsk on hand.
which was very large a year ago. The
American Steel and Wire company has
purchased 6000 tons of low phosphorus
iron from a New York state furnace for
delivery during the last half of the year
nj. 7
iron makers are apparently preparing to
sound the market on pig iron in the east.
but the large consumers of foundry and
maleable grades are for the most part
showing interest in the market. AS few
of them have bought for their require
ments after July l, a buying movement
is expected at an early date. Southern
Birmingham will soon be the prevailing
price for No. .. Reports of foundry sell
ing as low as $14.5O valley are heard
Giving Prompt Shipment
Although for prompt shipment higher
figures are ocea sionally obtained 45C
Pittsburg is now the usual quotation on
structural material, and some mills are
giving very prompt shipment. Keen COM
petition has developed among fabricators
in eastern territory. The United States
Steel Products company has taken an
order for 1000 tons of structural material
for refrigerating plant at Rio Janeiro.
Post & McCord have a contract for 1850
tons for loft at Madison avenue and
Fifty-third street, New York Structural
contracts for the week at Chicago
amounted to about 10000 tons, including
1000 tons foi the Stevens building in that
city. Railroads are placing orders very
slowly at the present time and it is esti-
mated that inquiries for cars now pend
ing amount to only about 10000.
The Lackawanna is in the market for
10 or II bridges. number of important
orders for locomotives have been placed.
Car shops are filled to capacity for fully
three months and some will be able to
keep busy for six months present or
ders.
Foreign inquiries include a fair tonnage
of bridge work for railroads in Maula
and Japan