The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-01-10
IRON REVIEW

NEW YORK. Jan. 9.---Thc Iron ACC
in it's summary nt market conditions
tomorrow. will say:
~ slight inrrcaS" i'll the rnlum" OF
business marks tho first week "f IN"
now year. No %lgniliCarCc can ~ AT
ta.hrrlI to IN" fact. for thrr" ar" no
gn$ ms yet of buying movement. y
few steel departments ar" operating at
81 per cent Of capacity. hut the E"n-
tral average is nearer "a per c"n'. NJ
that the present rate of pr"dn"li"n Is
equivalent t" IS per cent "f the "apa-
city ~ four years ago.
"Cnnrumrr and producer arr "ach
settling down ~ Il contest 10 .iir" cut
thn thor. The one Is convinced NJ
present that prices will 90 lower. TIL"
othr claims that il would h" disastrous
If they did unless wages are rrriuCed.
yui labor rcadjust excerpt through
tn" lung-drawn-uut process ri m"n hid
ding against nn" another. ia not YET
rnnSid"r"d Tho increasing moods must
IL shared by IN" buying clement "i IN"
market and an unsw"rving adherence"
To prrScut price a"hrdui"" Will hav" I"
riominair III" s"llIuE element :" mann
tain tho deadlock
Revision OF steel rnntrn'iS "a present
levels have h"ru made even an hhi"-
rial Cor sNcrIfjc projects hut generally
they represent concessions N return
| for greatly delayed DELIVERIES last year.
! md To irhhrrs and iahrlcni"r$ inr re-
| sale R"durtionS Of sheet contract at
! prices IN sales under HE presumably
I Irun-"iad contracts peculiar tn mat
I irad' weaken tn" chances "t wide nitro
! durii"n IT tn" recently approved form
Of the general IRON AMI steel contract.
ri. ilN me-
! - reduce prices on undclvcr"d tom
| narcs is noted In. som" districts. So in
| C2rvcIanI where ono company is Freely
! revising contracts. hut many large ROLL
; crs havr not YET decided 10 follow tins
/ y, licy except in rarc rHF"s. and COM
! prniniSr frequently adopted l.: {" "N-
/ tend deliveries. inst nnd Of GrhntinE can
! rrllatIunS nr prlr" revisIonS. MANY
! fnundrirS hay" It'll" huSincS" on hand,
and an not confident nS tn prospects.
An nrEaniza1inn nf war contractors
has h"cn effected nj Cleveland In urge
PROMPT settlement az claims aEEr"Ea'-
inc 81 500 h0h0h for war work. per-
formed on Informal Coutra"t@. many "t
wIirh wcr" mCr"I, telephone orders. in
tho matter IL written pig iron contracts
thnrr is tall; ii transferring them /" IN"
ordnance department. If tn" i"on-nak"r
refuses {" cancel. "r IN mrrrpt cash
consideration in leu vi delivery. and
leave tn" producer 10 deal with tho WAR
Department.
EXPORT business - d"TclupnE slowly
due To Questions If price and also 10
tho scarcity Of ships and high freight
rates. The United States shipping board
has begun 10 release ships for"commrT-
cial trade, but II VIII he some months
before the tonnage will he sufficient.
What is regarded ua essential is some
international puulinE of shipping s"
that ships leaving hrrr may be assured
Of CarcnrG on return voyages. IN no
other way is explained tho making OF
ocean rates from the United states
ports two or three times those from
British, ports II condition which puts
our exports nj II decided disadvantage.
4 reduction OF - Ia 30 per cent in rcs-
sci freight has certainly not stimulated
an export movement.
The pig iron production Of 1918 was
3S50sHIS tnns. The December output
was %42%.5l1 Ions, or 1876" Tons
daily. and This nj nm annua! rate Of
4S.63S.tnh tons. hul thnr" were hvc
months of last year in which higher
rate was maintained,