The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-04-11
IRON REVIEW


Special Dispatch to The ln,eiieehcer'
NEW YORK. April 9.-Thc price flN-
ing wrsnrlc at Washington has halted
nn.;ncsa in iron and steel. While osten-
sih,v some developments from the re-
noatca conferences between the hccda o.
tho Industrial Board and tho Raiiroaa
Administration arc awaited, the beliei Is
widcsprcad tina, confidence in cooper
alive uric. maintenance has been SHAT
tered.
Those buyers Of steel products. VINO
considered that tho recent reductions "io
not 20 lar enough. have bccn QUICK 10
nrcdict compctitiv" prices. ami lherc
have moi BEEN wanting. eTen among pro-
ducers, advocates of an open market az
thn shortest road 10 a OASIS 'h"' wa
invite tn" free placing OF orders.
The outstanding feature IN thal cohhe'-
ton is tho growing expectation 'na' th'
rc,ldiuslmcnt in iron and steel VIII ''lNs
q, ,nh,r as we'll as products. All thai
hrs h.en snjd about wage maintenance
bo. IGNORED ,h, fact that 80 percent OPP
cr,tio,, If mill. as is the case WIN noSl
indcnpnhcnt steel companies. has NJ
ready made inrnads Oh we"k'S WY
earnings Here and thcrc, ans" Si5H'
rc,luctiuns have been made III W'lEe
rates particularly 1T blast furnaces "'"
In common labor at smaller mills. NJ
.nro,, Eastern iron mills puddlcrs wages
in lime with recent declines IN par ,t"t.'
have been reduced from 5l-''' 10 ~"
pcr ton. ,;, L,,
been the slcrm center nj NhSh'"H WI -
tho loves, list Of finished ma'rria's'
hcI,r two cents Dor pound for Bc&S"mcr
and nnproximntciy 30 cents per pound
[or oncn hcrr,h rails. whereas bars me
cbrancsi ur tho other finished rrhduc'S'
orc > * cents, other materials. th"F1"'''
hold ont more Chnnc. Of further F"ou|
ton than rails.
The list Of idle blast furnaces Is grow
inr RAPIDLY. IN March mere WAS Il We
or no less than forty stacks. inc hu'u
har active April being 26G. against Jus
onr month previous ,. s.
Pr iron output was 3.990."4" gross
! tons in March TOR ?9.6S5 tons a n7!
arolus; 2.ain,l68 tons In renr"ar!' VI
165 nos tons Il day. Furnaces a''iN. ~.
ApriI / were capable OF producing '"'io"
ions a day. against l9l.Ta IONS u"S a.
the rated capacity active on -nuI." -.
Since December l. nincty-iour
have been blown out. IL, ~,
rhc plentiful supply Of coke. with the
! slowing down OF blast furnace opera
lions. has brought " IVAN
1915 per net ton. l., ,,,-
Gain the automobile industry IS CON
! sniruous rs Il buyer in an othcrwlSc
siarnaul market. II is placing oroc.s
for second quarter shipments tor na
third quarter production. but - expect,
inr 10 get the benefit Of any do"h"aru
price rcvisions. u,,
The sheet trade is suffering cspcc'A,'E
from over production. Sohc VI
heavier cages are hcinG quoted NJ pial.
nr,ccs q reduction OF mar" IMAM .! pc,
ion At least ono maker has sofa hluu
st.cI hurs, as for reinforcing PURPOSES
,t 50 n ton below thu mill steel basis.
Negotiations for American snecl par
r,r cynnprt to Great Britain nave oe-
vc,orrd some low prices. which BRUSH
s,rri works arc not likely 10 meet Al
nrcsenI high costs there. and the pros
,,rrI rf higher as coal miners wages an-
vance rhc removal OF British govern
n,nnI subsidies on steel April ~ Is ca
ncrtcd to bring an advance OK MY
shilling, in domestic prices thcre' VI
nrnctically to the level OF recent export
rr,ccs In tin plate bars an advance OIL
iwo mounds rs looked for ~nicn Wouiu
br,nr tin plates up 10 about Sc shiiiAnss'