New Britain herald., 1916-10-20
BELLICOSE NATIONS
 STILL CRY STEEL
Have Asked for Prices for Last
 Quarter Of 1917
The Iron Age says:

The appearance of the allies in this market inquiring for shell steel for the third quarter of 1917 is the lat- est development in the pre- emption of next years output Deliveries on existing contracts extend only to July 1. These latest inquiries confirm steel manufacturers in the opinion that as long as the war lasts export demand for war and other needs will take practically all the steel the United States can supply.
 A new factor is the Rumanian com- mission, which has come to New York as 8 buyer of munitions. It's needs are largely ordnance and It's buying may not run heavily into tonnage. For France the latest inquiry Is for 19,300 tons of B to ss in. Bessemer steel bars
 Shell makers who have contracts with the United States government are also sounding the market Three | such inquiries are for 3,750, 5000 and $500 tons All told, the government munitions program represents 30O,- 900 tons
 With all the buying for 1917 of which market reports have said so much, there is no condition of steel famine, present or prospective; nor is there the excited buying which was seen late in 1915 and early this year. Mills have taken the measure of the home demand and are supplying it Without tnordinate advances in price
 With so many steel producers, es- pecially those of smaller outputs, avoiding long delivery contra cts, there are times when some mill needs to <>IIf seller seeks the buyer In this way variations in tank plate prices, for ex- ample, have come about, early delivery business in some cases going at 3.50c., Pittsburgh, or at 325c. for universal plates of specification material
 Chicago mills have just sold 60,O0O tons of rails, of which 24,000 tons arc for the Pacific & Great Eastern of British Columbia and 10000 tons for the Missouri Pacific Recent buying for 1918 includes 57,000 tons for the Frisco, placed with the Alabama mill.
 FabricatOrs have an average of about four months work on their books, but labor is so scarce and so inefficient that some Of this will carry over into the second quarter of next year. Railroad more than architectur- al work is counted on in this trade. The Bridge Builders and Structural society's figures show but 52.5 per cent. of the shop capacity contracted for in September lettings.
 The American Sheet 6 Tin Plate company named $5.75 as it's base price on 1917 tin-p1ate contracts and has sold freely at that figure. As high as $e has been paid for tin plate for the first half of next year. Greater activ- jtv has deve1ODed 2 lSO in sheets and the leading interest has made advances ranging from $3 to $5.
 That wire rrices would go higher has been an almost Outworn predic- tion; but this week has brought it to pass. On October IS, wire nails went to $2.7O, anncaled fence wire to S6.25 and galvanized barb wire to $3.55-- all up $2 a ton. The discount on wov- en wire fencing was shortened one point to 59.
 For a proposed oil line from Okla homa to St. Louis 400 to 500 miles of to 8 in. pipe will be required and other large oil interests are figuring Additional capacity in wrought pipe has had no effect on prices So much steel can be marketed in semi finished form that the less than full operation of some finishing mills makes no inn Iression. Cast iron pipe works are not crowded. Detroit has let 3O,0OO tons to a local foundry. Important outside works whose low bids on other occasions were not regarded re- trained from bidding.
 The foundry pigiron market, par ticularly in the south. has responded sharply to recent heavy sales On Southern No. 2 s16.5o, Birmingham, is