The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-29
ZINC MARKET UPSET
BY DEMANDS OF WAR
European and Domestic Buyers
In Competition Cause sharp
Rise i'm Price.
CORNER CHARGE Is DENIED

The zinc market I'm this country has
become so strained since the first OF the
year, owing to abnormal demands from
abroad, that the or, Of a corner on the
metal has been raised vehemently in many
quarters. The present prices have sell
dom been equalcd and no one IN touch
with the industry will attempt to predict
tho outcome OF The chaotic conditions.
Abnormal conditions brought on in this
country since the war. a man prominent
in the metal industry said yesterday.
have caused, since the first of the year
especially, the keenest competitive buy
ing OF zinc In an effort to get ahead of
European buyers whose supply has been
curtailcd by the war. The result has been
that certain consumers have bought up
more than they needed for current de-
mands. while producers have tried to hold
back metal ia order to get the benefit OF
top prices. In the face Of this situation
the zinc market has never been so erratic
since the United stat became an inn
portant producer Of this metal
The market in this product is so eN-
cited, this producer declared. that Il is
difficult to quote prices. Seven and
quarter cents pound. an average OF
three cents above the normal prize OF
zinc Cor spcltcr), Is considered fair
zinc has not been higher in twenty years.
Tho charge that corner on the metal
Is being attempted was denied emphati-
,ally yesterday. II was explained that
this countrys normal output Of zinc, 3d.
900 tons per month, which hitherto has
been taken almost entirely by domestic
consumers, is now taxed by "a monthly
export demand on the part OF England.
France. Italy and Russia. amounting
10 from 5000 to 10000 tons per month.
The output Of spelter per year in Ger
many Is about SOC, 900 tons; in Belgium,
100000. and In England. 10000. Eng
land. however. consumes about 100000
tons per year, and has been buying most
az tho product on the European con-
t,nent. This supply has been almost en-
tirely cut off.
Owing to bad business conditions last
July there MAS a large stock of zinc in
this country at that time, but the war
reduced il to q 900 tons. about $4,000
tons having been shipped by the first
Of this year. Continued letharEy In the
steel and iron industry would have offset
the increased demands from abroad IL
SO said. II the demands Of American am
nunltlou makers had not increased They
need spCtcr to make brass shells, max
ing the demand for the better grade Of
zinc particularly heavy, so that grades
of zinc not ordinarily employed in brass
making have been used for II, further re-
ducng the amount Of ordinary metal
available for Galvanizing and similar pur-
poses IN this country.
Statistics we're quoted TO show that
for the past four years the aver1 ge
export Of zinc from this country was
900 tons annually. as against 1000
tons monthly now, Three years ago this
country had to import quite a Tonnage
from Belgium and Germany.
Most of the zinc industry in this coun.
try is said to be controlled by the Ger
mans. the three big companies being l..
Nogelsten & Co. the American Metals
Company. and Beer. Sondheim & Co. J.
]. Archer. the metal market expert Of
tho aiCtdl Industry, reviewing the spelter
situation for the year, says: The Gov
crnment has not been able n issue any
preliminary report on the production, &C..
OF the year. because certain foreign pro-
duccrs objected to the publicity"