New Britain herald., 1916-05-25
HEAVY DEMAND FOR STEEL FROM EUROPE
Increasing Activity Being Shown
 In Contracts for Plates
The Iron Age says today:

In the general tendency of the do- mestic market to less activity, the
 heavy demand for war steel and for
 plates becomes highly interesting.
 The Steel corporation has taken on
 the largest single contract for shell forgings yet let by the British gov
 ernment from 100000 to 25O, 900 tons
 being involved. Adding about 100,000
 tons for gun forgings closed by a Shenango Valley company and a like amount placed two weeks ago in east ern Pennsylvania puts the total above
 100000 tons. Present inquiries on behalf of the Allies represent nearly 100000 tons more.
 The place market has divided at tention with war blooms in view of the appearance of inquiries for 1000 locomotives for export, chiefly to Russia, and the new evidence of the enormous tonnage of steel yet to be bought for shipbuilding programs al- ready made. For 600 of the loco- motives the Russian inquiry is urgent. In the new ship plate requirements Pacific coast yards figure largely.
 Along with the sensational activity in shell steel there is just now sharper completion for forging and machining work. A good many mu- nitions plants have lately named prices we'll below those at which ex- pirlng contracts were taken.
 Cases are cropping up also of very close figuring on fabricating contracts, some recent bids indicating a basis of 2.35c. to 2.40c on structural shapes. The call for steel for new manufac- turing plants and enlargements has evidently passed the high point.
 The trade is checking itself against too broad conclusion from recent easing in prices of soft open-hearth steel. Billets and sheet bars can be had here and there on shorter de- liveries than were possible a month ago, and SAP, Pittsburgh, can be done, but the larger companies are not mak ing concessions. On some products they are sold not only for this year but well into the first quarter of 1917.
 On the other hand are instances of specifications falling off because con- sumers earlier in the year crowded upon the mills more than their cur rent needs, to insure against shortage.
 Implement makers are now actively in the market for bars for the first half of 1917. Some sales have been made at 2.35c., Pittsburgh.
 Sheets are not as firm as the heavier steel products. Mills whose sole product is sheets are cutting more than those which have other outlets for their steel. On light weight black sheets in roofing sizes some of the cuts have been deep.
 Belts and nuts are per cent. and rivets $5 ton higher, these being practically all the advances of the week. In all lines there is less buy ing at premium prices for prompt shipment.
 The railroad attitude toward high car prices is unchanged. Locomotive needs however, are more imperative and orders are not stopped by the advance to s45,000 from $27, 1000 for similar types last year.
 Apart from a, spurt in steel-making iron with sales of about 45,000 tons at Pittsburgh and Youngstown, the pig-iron market has been drifting. Basic iron for third quarter sold at SIS at Valley furnace and Bessemer iron at $20.5O, one steel company talk ing 15, 900 tons of each
 Foundry strikes, now extending to the Chicago district, have reduced foundry iron shipments somewhat and prices are off 25c. to soc. from ths top. Southern iron has sold at s15, for the first half Of 1917, and one Westingh house purchase Of 1 Southern No. 2 foundry was at S1s.15 1 for the last quarter of this year.