The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-24

the set prices of 5000 for Besscmer
iron, $33 for basic or No. > foundry
and $3.50 for malleablc free on board
furnace. There are practically no open
market offerings for soft steel billetS
or sheet bars, While there is consider
able inquiry. Occasionally an odd lot is
picked up.
There are fairly free offerings Of high
carbon steel, representing discards in
the manufacture of she'll steel, but this
steel is not well adapted to ordinary
consumptive requirements, and is not
being bought freely.
The steel market is in a stagnant con
dition, although there is a large volume
of government business being placed.
Inquiries continue light, and the book
ings for ordinary commercial purposes
are small The market is always quiet
nj this time of the year, and added to
this is the restriction of operations on
the part of consumers, due to fuel and
labor shortage and to the talk that an
other price revision rs coming at the
| beginning of the year.
| A meeting of the war industries board
with the stcclmakers is looked for soon,
but the trade is skcptical about another
change i'll prices. No increase i'll pro
duction is noted, and although the cold
snap has disappeared, the production
continues at the low cbb brought about
the previous week by weather condi-
Itions. Many of the steel mills are still
short of coal, while the blast furnace
Operations are hampcrcd by scarcity of
coke.
| The Carnegie steel company is OPP
lninc blast furnaces, the smallest mum
Der in activity since the worst part OF
last winter. The company had forty
four in blast last week, and three
weeks ago fifty were producing iron,
the company's output of steel being
couespondingly reduced.
Scrap is being used in an effort to
keep up the production of steel. but
supplies are limited and there Is little
Of that III the open market. steel i,
being distributed to finishing mills ac-
cording to their requirements in tin
iShcd products for war purposes chiefly.
Consequently the plate mills are oper
ating at capacity. while structural mill,
are fairly wen supplied with steel.
Sheet mills are not receiving a full
supply of bars, and the production OF
sheet bars is restricted in consequence
As far as transportation facilities al
low. the tin mills are getting a full sup
ply, but there is falling off in the sup
ply of steel to pipe, wire, and merchant
> bar mills. An estimate Of the coun
try s production OF ingot> is So PEI
cent of capacity, a loss OF 10 per cent
in two or three weeks.
Production of pig iron continues in ;
restricted state and there is little hop,
, OF any improvement. There is consij
cradle inquiry for early deliveries OF
, pig iron. billcts. sheet bars, and rods
while there is little inquiry for fin
shod rolled products. the consumer
; evidently waiting until the turn Of tn,
, year before paying any attention t
. fresh purchases.
While the trade processes TO believe
in an increase of iron and steel in tn,
near future there is no tangible cvi
, dence in sight Of this hope being full
filed. The sheet mills are working a
% Il little over half capacity, and sheet
+. are hard to buy, sellers reporting tina
b, they are out of the market for earl
=. deliveries, their prospective make bein
- already taken up.
u When the Government prices cam
: out in November there was free move
!. ment in sales, and this, added 70 tn
:, restriction i'm operations. leaves YER
little for sale. There is a satiafactoI
i delivery of black sheets TO consumer.
q hut the latter are SO uncertain rs t
f.. their operations in future that they Wi
not carry stocks of sheets or fuishc
Il products, and so this tendency to kee
!, cleaned up has fitted in with the r,
Il s,rictcd deliveries from the mills.