New Britain herald., 1916-12-22
Steel and Pig
 Iron Markets
The Iron Age says:

Ino Iron Age says:
 The first effect of peace talk upon the steel trade was a halt in new or ders. That was confined, however, to last week. The market of the past three days shows practical return to conditions of ten days ago. De- mestic consumers are working just as hard to get steel from the mills, inquiry is strong for all forms of products and the new foreign demand is greater than can be considered.
 Here and there is 8 change of at titude as to placing orders for the far future, and a resurvey of projects based on indefinite continuance of the war. What has happened mainly is that peace is taking definite place in calculations, whereas it had no place before or was thought of as too far in the future to affect present plans.
 The difficulties of getting any early deliveries of pig iron or steel or any concessions In prices for such deliv- cries, are unchanged by the peace proposal That the war may end In 1917 Is more seriously thought of than heretofore, and it is granted that price establishments will anticipate | ment of some prices may even be up- ward. Billets are s5 and lighter rails $3 higher this week. Early ad- vances in contract plates, shapes and bars are looked for, and wire prod ucts apparently have not yet reached their high point.
 In view of the large contracts for shell steel already on the books for the Allies to b seiepphshrludmcfw the Allies to be shipped in 1917, prob ably 3,OO0,o0O to 3,5O0,O00 tons, it is significant that France and Italy have placed additional orders in the past Week-Italy for upwards of 25,OO0 tons. Italy only lately bought 25,- 900 tons of barb wire here, part of a total of 5000 tons of wire products for export taken by the Steel Corpo- ration in November.
 Car builders have been large buy CTS of plates and shapes, estimates ranging above 100,0 tons. A 3,000- car order for Russia was divided be- tween two companies and all told 10,- 900 cars have been ordered in week. Russia's recent locomotive contracts cover $50 and both Great Britain and France are buying locomotives here.
 Transportation machinery is break ing down in all directions and the situation is most acute in the Pitts burgh and Valley districts. Most blast furnaces have banked because short of coke, and steel is piling up at the mills. The deplorable shortsighted- ness of the railroads promises more or less of a blockade at Pittsburgh throughout the winter. There will be no ten-day shut down there, as has been proposed; such a thing with the present demand for steel, is out of the question. Pittsburgh district producers are hurt also by serious lack of natural gas.
 Apart from car material, plate mills still have a large business of- fered them. Italy Is making new ef- forts to get 10000 tons of plates and the demand from neutral countries is unabated.
 Europe's needs of railroad steel is seen in the taking up of 100000 tons of rails in Canada for shipment to France. A similar removal of Cana dian track was made some months ago. The replacement of such steel will be but one factor in the after theWar demand
 Producers of wrought pipe are gen. erally sold up for six months; with business from. usual customers added, some have little to offer in the second half. Late gas and oil-line business includes 100 miles of Sin. pipe, and 500 miles of Sin. pipe for Oklahoma and Texas oil lines will soon be placed. For Canadian natural gas line so miles of 10 to 16-in. pipe will be wanted.
 Domestic pig-iron inquiry has fallen off sharply and export business is less Italy has just taken 10000 tons more of Bessemer iron. Steel-making pig iron in the Pittsburgh district is very quiet
 Blast furnaces are facing much higher coke cost. They refused to contract at $4 for the first half but $4.50 is now the producers figure Spot coke has sold in considera ble | quantity at $9.
 The general use of 50 per cent l forrOsilicOn in steel works operations l makes important the reported limita- tion of Canadian electric power now l employed at Niagara in making this | product for the American market l The movement is causing concern to l other American users of Canadian | power.