New Britain herald., 1919-07-31
STEEL AND PIG
 IRON MARKET
The Iron Age says:

increasing operation of blast fur naces and steel plants is still the rule, and the tendency is rather empha- sized in the Pittsburgh district. The Carnegie Steel Co. is now operating 46 out of 59 blast furnaces, having started up 15 in theI past month. It's steel insot capacity is now operating at 75 to so per cent.
 What is notable throughout the in dustry is that unified orders are ac- cumulatng in d midsummer month often marked by slackening
 Higher prices have become effective in few lines. Most of the mills have announced d $5 per ton advance on all wire D. oducts for export. but Tn the case of Canada have confined the advance to wire rods which arc now $57. Several independent sheet mills advanced black sheets $2 per ton on July 2S and galvanized sheets S4. Three other sheet mills are praC- tlcally sold up for the year. On some aut om obi)c sheet sales for the first half of next year one or two mills realized $5 per ton over todays prices
 
 emphasized, but prices stay where they were.
 While some steel companies have sold about 15o per cent of their ca pacity in July, their bookings con tinue unbalanced being less than ca paCity in plates the larger size bars and in all railroad products. Mean- while the inevitable day of railroad buying is nearer, with Jndica tions that on some products riccS will he high CT than at the time of tho railroad ad- ministration's great refusal.
 The activities of the labor unions have heen most marked lately att Cleveland, Chicago and in western Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh. At Cleveland a strike on a steel works railroad fer an actual 9-hOur day with the same Il hours pay now given for Q hours work caused a partial shut ting down Of mills and a banking of furnaces. At Chicago the building trades lockout continues, but it's 'carIy termination is expected
 \ canvass of tho actual rcturninCS of common laborerS to Europe shows some eXaggeratiOn of this factor But the scarcity of skilled labor in metal working shops in New England and some OCllel U1StrlC IS continues.
 Our cable indicates but little ad- vance out of the chaotic conditions in British and Continental steel trades. The sCVen-hou day has cut down Welsh coal output and steel producers are further at sea over uncertainty as to costs. Some steel plants have clos ed down. Japan is buying Welsh tinplate freely. Bcleian rods have sold at C17 5s. f. o. b. Antwerp.
 German, works are greatly ham pcred by lack of raw materials and by rising labor costs It is arranged that sweden shall provide large quan- tities of ore in future, but the coal scarcity is marked and railroad facil- itie5 almost at the breaking point Many rolling mills are down to 25 per cent. operation. SiemenS- Ha!sllc and other electrical works have been closed by impossible demands of workers. For thin sheets the Syndi- cate price of German mills is 900 marks per ton, but dealers have ac- tually obtained 2,OOO marks. The steel syndicate is to iQuidate and s new one will be formed, leaving out the Saar works and some others Indicating the new proposals for German industry is the report that
 
 and rolling stock on the basis that all profit over a fixed per Centage goes to the state, while the company stands any losses.
 Steel making iron, after a quiet period, has been active at Pittsburgh, recent sales amounting to 75, 900 tons of basic, at $25.75 1t furnace. and 1 D. 900 tons of Bessemer, at $27.95. Steel works and fOundrieS are melting more iron and the market still tends upward.
 Coke ovens have resumed lately at 1 a faster rate than blast furnaces and prices have eased off, furnace coke having been offered at $3.S5 at oven. French steel works engineers are negotiating in this country for equip l ment to rebuild two plants there, the ] proiect involving an $S,000,000 out lav. Electric furnaces are figuring in an important way in French and Bel R gian reconstruction plans. ...,1ult,.uu