The sun., 1915-12-19
to f,nd that the total contracts for rolled

10 nnd that the total contracts for rolled
products taken sine" January I arr only
about "o"."oo tons In excess If tho eleven
months capacity of tho various com.
pan'cs An explanation is found in tho
fact that earlier in tho year only Al
per ccnt. Of tho steel capacity was In
operation in fact. early In January in
Rots were being produced At the rate
OF Only ~ per cent. while on the same
OASIS mills to-day are operating between
lo@ and 103 per cent OF total capacity
the advance over 100 per cent. hcing
due To the operation Of new and obso-
let" plants. OF which no account was
taken during the FIRST half OF the year.
The exports Of iron and steel during
the calendar year IL Is estimated will
he approximately 3.45o.OOo tons. This
II based upon the expectation ths, $50
900 tons viii have been shi ipped In No
rembcr and December II is thus in
dicatcd that tho average monthly ship
nents during the twelve months ending
with December will be about css, ooO
TONG. The 1915 exports of course will
establish new nigh record In foreign
trade.
II is understood that the orders for
steel products booked since Deccmb |
't iV 10 per cent.
as compared with the record hteal,ing
contracts taken In October. Any de-
crease. however. that will relieve the
mills is welcomed by the steel compa-
MES. but specifications against contracts
were never SO heavy as they are to-day.
The recent falling of In business is
largely due to less active buying OF rail-
road equipment The daily tonnage
booked. however. In the last week is
said to be so per cent. in excess OF the
daily plant capacity.
The railroad equipment cont ra cts
placed last week called for about 40, 900
tons of rolled steel. including 10000
tons OF standard section rails. OF which
$4,000 tons are for export Car con-
tracts were unusually light and tho To-
connective builders received orders for
only twenty-nine engines outside of
twenty-five small locomotives for export
to Russia Bridge contracts were less
than 1000 tons, but 5000 tons addi-
tional for lines In the South and West
are on the point OF being closed. No
yember orders, because OF Withdrawals,
aggregated only 2+.75A.
An inquiry came to the surface yes
terday for 100000 3 inch shells for
tho Russian Government. but much diff
ficulty is being experienced in placinc
the order because the buyers insist on
one-third Of the payment being made
In notes. Under present conditions
American manufacturers are not willing
10 sell war munitions OH credit, The
largest new Inquiries for direct shipment
into the war zone last week Included
66, 900 tons of rolled products and g.
600. 900 shells OF 75 nm. for France.
Co., 900 tons OF semi-fnished steel for
Italy and 10000 tons OF sheet bars for
Great Britain. Through brokers the In
quiries included 1900. 900 high explo-
sive and shrapnel shells and 80, 900
so MN. shells for France, the latter
being a sub-contract. Actual orders
were placed for about 10000 tons of
round bars and $4,000 tons of . 2-l0
incl, shell forgings.
The volume Of business transacted in
pig iron was again heavy, amounting to
between 5000 and 100000 tons In the
various distributing districts or the
sales reported about $4,000 tons were
made In the Eastern district, outside of
Buffalo. while east OF tho Alleghany
Mountains the sales aggregated between
$4,000 and 100000 tons, Tho new fca-
lures as referred to during the week
were the larger sales made for delivery
over the third quarter and second half
OF the year. and the active buying Of
small lots for prompt shipment. tndicat-
Ing that some meters are consuming
much iarger tonnage than had been an
ticipated a month or two ago. There
was leSs activity, however, in steel maxi
ing irons In the Pittsburg district. Some
speculative metal hes been disposed Of
recently. but It u relatively OF small
tonnage. Freight congestion, however.
In interfNripg with tn snof unarkNk