The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03
Some Advance I'm sheet.

Some Advance I'm sheet.
Some of the sheet mills have come
into line in the matter of advance IN
prices. in some cases 80 a ton in black
sheets and 81 a ton in galvanized. There
Is no doubt that the mills which have
made the advances will be able to MAIN
tain their position for time. even II the
whole market does not advance, as they
have a good volume Of shipping orders
on books as we'll as contracts. Specif-
cations against contracts are likely to DO
stimulated by advances announced.
About 80 per cent of all the sheet mills
arc In operation and getting out good
tonnage mill, practically up to fup
normal A demand In excess OF present
capacity evidently is expected. judging
by the fact that scarcely a week passes
without a project being announced for
the building of a new sheet plant. while
extensions to old plants are common.
Fabricated steel contracts are being
let frequently. the volume OF business
increasing every week. 1t is predicted
by the trade that fabricated steel BUSH
ness for recent months will be shown
by the official report to have been about
100 per cent. of the fabricating capacity,
against IS per cent. reported for June.
40 for May, and 24h per cent for April
Prices on fabricated steel represent q
| narrow margin above the recogniz9d
| market prices for the plain shapes, and
II is said that on much Of the work
placed in the last few months the mar
gin was not equal to shop cost, indicat-
ing that there were concessions In mill
prices or the fabricators were using ma
terial purchased long ago.
Latest reports are that the Cleveland
al tnta xuhi
for 500 tons of ferromanganese has not
acted. That inquiry is the only business
of Importance before the trade In this
general territory. Consumers seem to
be well provided for the immediate
future, and evidently are not attracted
by lower prices that can be made.
Export Demand for Products.
There has been a slight falling Off in
export demand for steel products. ac-
cording to reports from some Of the
mills. July did not prove to be as good
as June in booking export orders A
part of the decrease in demand is at
tributed to what Is commonly called the
decline in exchange. although the cor
rect presentation is to refer to the mat
ter as an advance in exchange abroad
on the United States, namely an advance
| In dollar exchange in London rather than
decline In sterling exchange In New
York. Tin plate export demand has In
creased somewhat but Is still fairly
heavy. A rough guess would be that tin
plate exports are going to run at some
thing like $1,000 gross tons a month, or
at about the rate obtained In recent
months. which would represent about
~ vper cent. of the production X that
were maintained at the rate of 1917 and
1918, but the rate this year Is consider
/ ably lower and 5000 tons a month
would come nearer being Is per cent of
| the production. Steamship companies
vessels OF which ply the Atlantic are
making special efforts to establish d.
rect relations with steel producers to
insure regular sailing dates and establish
trade routes whereby small orders can
be handled with facility.
| The quantity OF Connellsville furnace
coke accumulated on track has been
increasing. according to all reports, and
amounts to a quantity Of coke repre-
scented by hundreds of cars. Rumor at
tributes 500 cars to one interest, which
may be slightly exaggerated. The ac-
emulation Of coke has caused opera
tors to increase their efforts to sell, but
has not moved them to recede from their
81 asking prices. No coke operator
shows willingness to consider $3.50 for
fourth quarter only with no August and
September shipments. Foundry coke on
the other hand Is very strong. The
$i.75 quoted iats;y has entirely disap-
peared. A few sales may go through,
perhaps, within the next few days on
old quotations. but nothing below So
Is being quoted. even on not particu-
larly good coke, and operators making
standard brands with regular Quotations