The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-19
IRON REVIEW

NEW YORK, Dec. l7.-The govern
mcnts so per cent restriction on cook
ing coal came off after the miners de-
cison Of December % 10 return TO work.
and the limitations on coal for boilers
and gas producers have also been re-
moved. At the coal mines. which pro-
ducc metallurgical fuel resumption has
been quite general and nearly normal
output Is looked for within week or
ten days.
However, the distribution of coal is
still subject TO regulation by the rail-
road admin stration. and iron and steel
works. many OF which had drawn heav-
lily on their reserves. will be hampercd
for sometime. Fortunately. the banking
Of additional blast furnaces has been
avoided. and those now idle will start
up as fast as they can accumulate
enough coke.
The week has brought Little chanGe
in the rate Of steel works operations,
but II has Enthusiastically INCREASED the
pressure from consumers. IN" pcrpicN-
ity OF makers is not only that they arc
oversold for the first quarter and some
OF them for tho first half. but that
their fuel costs have risen and arc
likely 10 rise more. and that 1920 may
bring higher iron ore and higher ran
frcights.
To add TO the tension. there has bcc1
on industrious circulation Of reports Dy
the steel strike leaders that a Is per
cent advance In wages is TO DC maoc
early in 1870, but the Steel Corpora
TONS chairman says that no such adj
vance has been considered ar proposeu.
Already sales departments are mainly
employed in apportionins finished steer
among users according 10 their past con-
sumption. Meanwhile. IN spite OF me
policy OF the steel Corporation and Il
few other producers. Of sticking 10 the
March q prices. finished material tends
to follow the rise III pig iron. YET
tho amount OF unsold steel that the lead
ing sellers can offer for the first hair
Of the new ycnr is relatively small.
Illustrating the price tendency Is an
eastern sale Of 10000 tons Of rc-rol!ing
billcts at $50. Pittsburgh. an advance
in shapes from 3.i5c TO 2.5iC, Pit;9-
burgh, by two eastern mills ~" qu"lh-
ton Of $500; Pittsburgh tor 50 per IN
higher on bar iron by ca5tnr'' makers.
sales Of plates in the philadelphia as
tr!cts at 2.85c and Sc Pittsburgh. "hlN
n PENNSYLVANIA mill has put lis price AZ
Sc for early delivery and sac 70: inst
quarter.
Plates arc still foremost r"atur" in
current business. At Chicago T0,1rO
tons Of steel, two thirds % II plate"
has Just been sold to Pacific Coast
shipyard. Another order for -@,OoO toms
takne at Chicago Is for q PaCll.c yard;
business with England keeps up ana
10000 tons Of plates for ShipyarG
there. on which 3.2jc was quoted IL
nnnding. The navy department Will
soon take bids on 10000 tons for League
Island navy yard.
Belgium has placed 100 locomotives
with two American builders ana may
buy SO moro. It appears probnole that
Germany Will supply zoo.
The Canadian Pacific rail order placed
with the AlGoma mill has been increased
from 10000 tons to l4OOpV IONS Oa
$1,000 tons for the Dutch East midas
t,-1, -, NJ (,nYnOT3-
ton and onc-third 10 the Consolidated
PIG iron buying has fallen off. as
il was bound to do with so little avail
able for the next six months, but whcre
iron can be had It Is 81 to 81 above last
weeks prices New industrial construc-
ton Is more and more a factor IN the
demand upon iron AMI steel WORKS
Metal working manufacturers are DO
ginning program OF expansion when
promises to equal the remarkable &C.
Nrlopmcnt Of the autCmotiNc industries
mis- yrn- A locomotive company has
arrrrprintcd several million dollars ior
additions and new Equipment. ana an
electric company has bought one new
plant and Is building another. These arc
but examples of the new work that Is
going on. or being planned for in many
lines. orders for machine Tools run.
min. into hundreds Of thousands or
dollars have not been infreQuent. and
one company is now In the market lot
about 200 machines.
The demand upon the mach. merry trade
has bccn so great that the fear fcit
carly IN the year. OF the resalcS or ma
chine tools used in war work has quite
disappeared. ard his week washington
rCportS the sale to Franco OF S.9,Ooo'-
GnO worth of tools from the government
surnlus in this country, payment being
in 10 year bonds OF the French gov
eminent.