The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-12
ORDERS AVERAGE:
$4,000 TONS ADAY
Steel Market Starts Good
for February
FERRO-ALLOY MARKET
Pig Iron Producers Find Encourage.
ment in Demand for Bar Iron in
Central West-Structural
Work Increasing

New York, February 11.-(Specia1)
The Iron Age will say tomorrow.
The signs of betterment in iron and
steel markets are now read with little
difficulty and larger steel manufae-
turers SET basis of fair operation of
their plants for frem two to four
months.
The Steel corporations statement of
untitled orders of January g. more than
met expectation as showing a gain Of
$4,000 in the month after a year of
losses. The january bookings We're
about 10000 tons a day. For the first
week of February the new orders are
reported to have averaged $4,000 tons
a day.
Pig iron producers find encourage
ment in the demand for bar iron in
the central west that has carried the
price 81 ton above low points in the
past week Sales of about $4,000 tons
have been made at $1325 valley furnace
following a total of $4,000 tons at low
er prices in the week preceding In
southern Ohio 10000 tons of basic was
sold and in eastern Pennsylvania sales
and inquiries total $4,000 tons. Foundry
iron has been inactive in the east, but
the quiet buying in the central west
and the Chicago district has kept up
though at less than the January rate.
A large malleable interest has closed
Tor 10000 tons at Chicago. Southern
iron, with considerable accumulations
of stock in Alabama. January has sold
at S10.75 Birmingham and in some
cases at $1,000 for No 2. st. Louis
sales of foundry and basic in the past
two weeks are put at 10000 tons
Structural work is increasing and on
LOTT fha Ira atra of A. ixy
higher than In January.
Cleveland, O., February 1.-THE
Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
The inevitable decrease in buying of
pig iron and finished materials, as the
result of recent heavy ordering ad-
Nances in prices and some uncertain
ty as to the future, has come in most
parts of the country, but a very com
Portable volume of business is being
transacted and it seems probable that
when buying becomes more active 1t
"ill be at prices somewhat more sat
lsfactory to sellers. There is, how
ever. no likelihood of prices for the
second half of the year ascending to
the levels of boom period.
The largest transaction of the week
was The purchase of 5000 tons of basic
pig iron for delivery in the second
half of the year to the American Roll
this tonnage, 10000 were taken by
Columbus company and the remaining
$4,000 were divided between Toledo and
lronton furnaces. A Pittsburs con-
gunner of basic has taken 10000 tons.
a 1ittsburg consumer of Bessemer has
purchased 5000 tons at S14.25 valley.
The Pennsylvania railroad has sent out
an inquiry for from 1900 to 1850 tons
of various grades for the second quar-
ter. \ Trenton steelmaker purchased
ffam 6000 to 5000 tons of basic from
an eastern Pennsylvania furnace at
Si425 delivered, % cents higher than
the last reported sale. Harrisburg
buyer of basic is in the market for
1900 tons.
Interesting developments in the
Ferro-alloy market show that the
United States Steel corporation which
a short time ago appeare as a seller
of ferro, entered the market with an
offer TO buy 10000 tons of English
ferro at S35 seaboard. a price al which
some tonnage was sold This offer was
promptly declined and the price ad-
ranced to a minimum of $39. Fully 75-
oee tons We're purchased from Eng
lish and German makers during the re-
cent movement. Cur German market re-
Ports that the convention between
English and German makers of ferro-
manganese in regard to the Belgian
market has been renewed.
The Philadelphia firm of r. D, Wood
g. Co. has received an order for $4,000
TO 10000 tons of cast iron pipe for an
anueduct in Italy. The business was
taken in competition with Italian,
French. German and English makers
The Los Angeles order for 1000 tons
was awarded to the United States Cast
Iron Pipe and Foundry company. A
number of the other cities have re-
celved bids or made awards on mod
crate tonnages.