The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-23
P.R.R.d SHUAPNEL ORDERS
HELP BIG Steel CONCERNS
Canadian Car B. Foundry Company
Gets $4,000. 900 Contract From
Bhssia-Penns7's Move for Equip
ment Wakes UP Other Railroads


New York, April 23.-"The Iron
Age" says the Pennsylvania Rail-
road IS announcement that it is about
to buy or build 16,500 ears and 194
locomotives and the tentative placing
in this country of further large Sec
tions of the Canadian Car & Foundry
Company's $S0,000,000 shrapnel con-
tract have been the main contributions
of the week to the news of better bust
ness. There is also the expectation
that the Pennsylvania rail order will
soon be distributed, adding 10000
tons or more to the 10000 tons already
placed.
There are signs that other railroads
are getting more alive to the low
prices car and locomotive companies
would make just now, and the steel
trade looks for further developments
in this direction. How far the large
war contracts the equipment companies
are now figuring on might affect deliv-
cries of new cars that may be wanted
by fall, is a factor not entirely over
looked.
Of the $S0,O00,OOO Canadian con-
tract for Russia, it is now known that
over $20,000,000 has been sublet in
this country and that $20,000,000
more is nearly closed. Much less clear
is the status of other pending business,
involving many millions, presumably
for Great Britain.
Actual exports of iron and steel grow
slowly, February showing a total of
145,000 tons for products reported by
weight against 100000 tons in Janu
ary. The rate of orders lately should
give 200,000-ton month soon. 1t is
noticed this month that foreign in
quiries are from variety of new
sources in neutral countries and the
prices realized are often higher than OIL
home business
in business with Europe. Sweden want:
American pig iron, but so shillings il
asked for vessel room. Inquiries fol
thousands. of tons of pig iron have
come up, including 10000 tons fol
Italian Government works and large
amounts. of hematite, for England, bu
little is put through A radiator com
pany has bought 5000 tons of NAL
leable pig iron at Buffalo for shipmen
to its plant at Hull, England.
The Lake Superior iron-ore marke
has been opened for 1915 by sales O.
Mesaba non-Bessemer and of old-rang,
Bessemer ores in the past few days
the total thus far being less than 1,
600, 900 tons Prices, as expected, arr
the same as in 1914-a basis of $3.7i
at lower lake port for old-range Besse
mer, $3.50 for Mesaba Bessemer, s.
for old-range non-Bessemer and $2.8'
for Mesaba non -Bessemer Vessel rate
are also the same as last years.
The volume of new buying in fin
ished lines continues to be less than il
March. Shipments by some steel com
panies are less, also; by others sub
stantially the same. The handling O.
the price situation in bars, shapes ant
plates has been apparently more eff
fective from the producers standpoint
than at other times when demand wa
not equal to capacity. In bars partieu
larly, the 1.20e., Pittsburgh, price ha
been established, and in the past weel
, several producers have named 1.25c. al
{ their price for third quarter shipments
This applies also to plates and struc
tural shapes.
In the Pittsburgh and Valley dis
!, tricts the sheet bar market has quieteG
} down lately after the active buying
by sheet mills which had been idle in
the deadlock over wages.
} The foreign rail trade has shown 9
, good deal of life, but British rail mills
have had no hand in it, the Govern
ment having well-nigh monopolized
} their output. The Tata works in India
|, have taken $4,000 tons for govern
, ment roads there and the Dominion
, works in Nova Scotia are reported to
have sold $4,000 tons more for South
} Africa, making 5000 tons in all The
Broken Hill Proprietary Company, New
South Wales, will roll 5000 tons fol-
South Australia and probably $4,000
tons for New South Wales. In the do
nestle market a 6,000-ton order fol
the Atlantic Coast Line has gone tC
the Tennessee Company and there have
been scattering orders of 1000 tons
The Chicago surface lines have placed
10000 tons of girder rails with the Lo
rain Steel Company.