The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-18
FRANCE WANTS STEEL
FOR Big SHELL ORDERS
Ready to Close Two Contracts
Means the Spending of
1904, 900, 900.

'"S HNSt interesting development IN
Sne steel trade yesterday was an inquiry
Dor approximately 26S, 900 tons OF round
steel bars to be used In the manufacture
On lo,OoO, 900 shells. 155mm., equivalent
10 bfa inches In diameter. The shells are
20 De manufactured according to the
french Government specifications. and
deliveries will be made as early in 1916
as possible AS each Shell will weigh
about sixty pounds, 26S, 900 gross tons
OF steel will be required. This will mean
the payment hf o thar $40, 00O. 900
ior the steel rounds and billets. When
the shells are loaded 1t will require the
payment OF $500, 600. 900 by the French
government mex year. The New York
manufacturers making inquiry for the
steel do not state that they have def
nltely secured the contract for the TO-
100000 shells, but the significant fact Is
that the contract will be placed as
speedily as possible with American
manufacturers. 1t Is only a question Of
time.
Another contract for 10000 shells,
2SOmm., equivalent to 9.2 inches i'm
diameter, Is TO be closed. Fac shell
weighs 43O pounds, and will require
$500 o OF steel blooms, which will
net the mills approximately s25S.O00 for
the steel ab5ne. The shells when loaded
VIII have cost the French Government
about $4,000, 900.
Eastern mills in the last two days
have booked additional contracts for
about $4,000 tons OF steel rods for ex-
port, mainly to France. SINE shipments
Will be made for delivery over the last
quarter OF this year, but possibly one
third or more OF the tonnage will go into
the first quarter of next year. This
sale takes up the entire capacity of the
sellers nor 1915 shipment. The estimated
cost OF the steel Is $500. 600. T1e
rounds, OF course, are to be used In the
manufacture OF projectiles abroad.
The export department of J. p. Nor
gan Il Co. is asking for bids from indie
pendent manufacturers of wire on 5000
tons Of four point barbs for his
Britannia Majesty' s Government" The
quotations are to be (. a. =. New York.
which Is to say. free along shipside. No
special tim for shipment other thar
\ earliest possible delivery" that can be
made is wanted.
The American Steel and Wire Com
pany will announce this morning an
advance of 81 per ton on all wire prod
ucts. effective at once. This means
that wire nails from to-day will be sl.75
per keg. plain annealed wire, $3.50
painted barbed wire. $3.50. and galva-
nized barbed wire, $3.50 per 100 lbs. Cold
rolled fat steel has also been advanced
81 per ton. Wire rods are up from SIS
to sac per ton. Shafting. known to the
wire people as screw stock had previ-
ously been advanced.
The United States Steel Products
Company. the export subsidiary to the
United States Steel Corporation. is
closing a contract for 40, 900 tons OF
barbed wire for export into the war zone
after January l. Another contract
previously closed was for 10000 tons OF
plain wire for Great Britain. Another
contract for 25, 900 tons of barbed wire
was closed by the same interests earlier
In the week. The American Steel and Wire
Company's orders this month, received
through the export department. have
thus been about So 900 tons. Indepcn-
dent manufacturers of wire are under
stood TO have taken about $4,000 tons
for export since September l.
One satisfactory feature OF the wire
trade this month has been an in,
crease of nearly so per cent. in the
orders for various products placed by
| uoiltSNt lIlltit ElSt 10 tbilhlhtlt Will Nlt
corresponding time last month. There
has been more active buying of wire
fencing and plain wire from the agricul'
tural districts, but quite a fair proper.
ton of the increase IN orders Is 10 cover
products that will eventually be eX'
ported. and II Is a significant fact that
more thar half Of the tonnage booked
by the American Steel and Wire Com
pany in the asst four or five months ha'
been for foreign shipment. In fact
officials say tina they could sell thcli
entire output for export II they met al
of the demand, but they prefer TO first
provide for the needs OF domestic con
sumers even at lower prices than arr
being paid on war contracts. Some ma
terial has beer old for foreign ship.
ment at premiums of from $40 TO S2(
per ton over prices current here.
Bids have been submitted N o,00t
tons Of fabricated structural steel fol
the Caxton Building, to be constructet
at 229-239 West Thirty-eighth street
New York city. 1t IL thought that tn
contract will be awarded today. Thu
new building will be occupied by th'
Radley Printing Company, The stee
work alone will cost about 100000.
Bids went in several lays ago or
$500 tons Of fabricated structural stee
for the Finck Building, which Will bt
located at Fifth avenue and Thlrty-hihtt
street The contract, II Is thousht' VII
be placed within the next day or two
STERLING RATES DECLINE.