New-York tribune., 1919-06-29
Buying Improves !
In NOn-FerrOus !
Metals Markets
Trading i'll Tin, Now Re.
moved From Government
Control, Will Soon Start
OH the Local Exchange

Under the influence of the approac,
of actual peace conditions and tie re,
turn Of normal trade conditions all
over the world. copper. lead and zinc
were strong last week, with prices
slightly higher than the week before.
Along with the improvement in senti-
ment there YVES fairly substantial buv-
ing. The Daily Iron Trade and Metal
Market Report summarizes the mark
as follows:
Brass and copper products wsrr
marked up ? cents pound Thursday
by the leading mills. making sheet cor
Per 27.50 cents, sheet brass 2275 cents
and seamless copper tubing 80 cents :,
pound. These advances were forced
partly by strong copper market and
were partly the outcome of the strikes
at number of mills. Brass sheets now
have recovered cents Of the 1l.25
cents they dropped early in the yea,
the price at that time being 80 cents.
while for the most of the time copper
was 26 cents, sheets were 2S.25 to 2a2,
cents. Brass sheets are among the
most widely used metal products IN
sheet copper the recovery is cent,
out of drop of 1850 cents early ia
the year For other products the huc-
tuation is similar
Auto Makers Buy Brass
Buying of brass and copper prod
ucts by automobile manufacturers has
been good for some time, and now the
general manufacturing and construc-
tion inquiry for these products is mucn
larger than a few months ago. If the
bullish gossip on copper comes true tne
brass and copper rolled products, a,
we'll as cast goods, are due for rapid
rides to higher levels.
ho frr nc
market from government control was
another factor of great interest to both
the steel and the non-ferrous indus
tries. This metal had been under the
close hand of the government since
Novem ber, 1917, and on imports still IS
under license, as announced last week,
but on domestic trading sales now arc
made without license. Not much
change has been made in tin prices, but
metal for future shipment from Singa-
pore is little lower, being quoted On
Friday at 81 y cents, C. j. f. New York
for July shipment, and at 51.25 cents
for August shipment, while a few days
before the Straits future market was
So cents to 52l2 cents, respectively.
Weakness was due largely to dropping
in London. Spot Straits tin in New
York is a little stronger at II cents.
while domestic electrolytic is steady at
70 cents. The open marke' is not yet
active. Trading will be s tted or the
New York metal exchang- next week.
Copper Prices Strengthen
"The copper market has been watch
ing the brass mills during the past
week, and at the same time has been
threatened with labor troubles of is
own at the mines and smelters in the
West. But despite the curtaied manu-
featuring of brass and copper products
and the comparatively quiet situation
on buying the red metal has gone
steadily upward during the week. Ii
now is approaching 19 cents, whereas
week ago it was around 18 cents.
On Thursday some prices were heard
as high as 1875 cents, delivered and
some producers quoted 1S625 cents.
while metal still was available at
1880 cents. The market was strong.
but with the price range about the
same at the end of the week.
with the labor situation looking
much brighter at the New England
brass mills, it is said the copper
market is in good condition for still
further climb, and there is much
gossip in the market that the 20 cents
copper recently predicted is only few
weeks away, and now the talk is of 23
cents. This strength is aided by the
fact that there is not much metal out
side of the hands of producers, while
brass founders and rollers recognize
that the metal is cheap in comparison
with other comm odities, the pre-war
average being around 1850 cents. Bids
of 19 cents and over are being made
for fall delivery, but for the most part
are not accepted"