New Britain herald., 1916-08-17
HOME AND ABROAD
 DEMAND FOR STEEL
Greatest Volume in Trade
 Recent Weeks Is Noted
The Iron Age says today.

The Iron Age says today.
 The distinct change in the steel market which came with the closings of the first large war and other export contracts late in July has now devel- oped into a volume of domestic buy ing such as has not been seen in weeks. At the same time the buyingE large proportions. It is now esti- mated that 3,OOO,000 large shells are included in the contracts of the past two weeks, and in addition 500,000l tons of shell steel has now been placedl by the Allies, two large steel compan-2 ies taking the bulk of this. On theI shell business deliveries run to AprilI 1, 1917, and on the steel blooms, forgings and rounds for the AlliedI governments, to July l.
 The significance of the foreign pre-l
 emption of steel capacity in the first| half of 1917 has taken hold of somel classes of domestic buyers in the pastl week, particularly buyers of bars, and| considerable sales are reported. Att Chicago. following the placing of al contract for 1700C0 tons of rounds| for export, indicating that Steel cor- poration mills more favorably located| l for export were well sold, implementI 1 and car works and other users of bars
 have placed orders for delivery in the l first half of 1917 at 2.50c.
 It is becoming apparent that in cer-
 tain finished products the mills will
 fo nci1 To h If nrfr mol
 before January 1 what is scheduled
 for this year. Appreciation of this l fact and of the forehandedness of
 foreign buyers accounts for the great
 CT stir the week has brought amongI
 domestic buyers.
 The tightening of the semi finished steel market has attracted attention in the Pittsburgh district and it de-
 velops that a large producer has been a buyer of ingots from a western Pennsylvania plant. Foreign buyers have secured the Central West for sheet bars with little success. On 8 1000-ton lot $50 avs quoted.
 Ship plate business has figured prominently in eastern Pennsylvania. Sales made and on the point of clos ing in that district for home and for eign account are put at 10000 tons, including 12,000 tons for Italy. Two Eastern yards have been buyers and a third is in the market. At Chicago 25,00O tons of plates and shapes were sold to a Pacific coast shipyard.
 An interesting sale by a Pennsyl- vania mill is of 15,0O0 tons of 6-in. channels for France. Of structural steel for home use Chicago reports hn 4o1 ,Jt of 30,00O tons for car works and 20,- 900 tons for fabricatIng purposes H Building contracts run 10 numerous small tonnages. The Bridge Builders and Structural society puts the July orders for the country at but 47.5 per cent of the fabricating capacity.
 Another indication of the attitude of steel makers is the refusal of n large producer of sheets to enter reservations of automobile companies for delivery in the first half of 1917, though no question was raised as to price. The apportionment of ton- nages, in the way familiar six and nine months ago, is thus forecasted.
 In the pig-iron market there are signs of activity in Buffalo and in Eastern districts, with indications hat the buying movement predicted Or September is starting in August 3uftalo has made good sales of foun- Try iron, and in the east inouiries amount to 60,000 tons, including oundry and malIeabIe grades and 'teel-malIing iron for export. Con- 'esstons on pig iron have been gem 'ral in recent weeks but the tono S firmer today, and there is some re- 'oVery from the special weakness in Southern irons