New Britain herald., 1920-03-18
PIG IRON AND
 STEEL MARKETS
The Iron Age says:

Reports from the leading steel producing centers still dwell on the struggle with short coal supply and with scarcity of cars and motive power. Similar reports prevailed throughout February and yet the off, clal statistics given out in the past week show steel ingot production in that month avera ging 142,000 tons per day. or almost a high record rate. The trade is frankly surprised at these figures, in view of existing handicaps.
 New activities of labor organizers at various steel works districts, in cluding Gary, are a subject of com- ment in the trade and latest strike plans are presumed to center about May 1. Reports of preparations for a second strike have been circulated for several weeks, but the willingness of workers to repeat so soon their heavy sacrifice of wages is doubted.
 Chicago is the principal source of rolling stock orders. those Of the week including 100 locomotives and 4.0O0 cars. For the latter 2S,O00 tons of steel has been placed. The first rail order for next year. 5000 tons, has ben given by the Missouri Pacific to the Colorado mill.
 IiS udtloil dS bO sheets remains unaffected by the in crease in ingot production. One De- troit company offered $500 per ton at Cleveland for open-hearth sheet bars for conversion. One Ohio steel company made it's March adjustment on sheet bars at $70.
 Notwithstanding various reports $ the Steel corporation still adheres to the finished steel prices of March 21. 1919. The extent to which the Amer ican Steel X Wire Co.. has sold wire products on the basis of the price ruling with it at time of delivery does not appear, nor is it certain that this policy actually points to an advance in it's prices.
 How little effect high prices and more or less delivery uncertainty have had upon building work is indi- cated by the large volume of abri- cated steel bookings. which amounted to 95 per cent. of the capacity of the country's shops in February. It is the largest months business for two years and compares with an average rate of contracting over eight years of 53- per cent. Much Of this work goes for constructing industrial plant exteu- Sions.
 
 market for upward of 0,000 tons Of plates on which 4c and possibly 3.75c has been quoted. Of the 300, 900 tons of shipbuildins material recently bought from the United States Ship ping Board. 20,000 tons have been sold to England. 5000 tons to Italy and 10000 tons to Japan. with 15,OOo tons likely to go to Scotland. Two Danish shipbuilding projects have been a abandoned on account of high prices. Thus far March has deVel- oped a larger export business than was put Oil the books in the first half of February.
 The basic pig iron market presents interesting and conflicting phases. While the merchant sellers of such iron are holding firmly to s43 at fur mace and have made some sales at that figure, several steel companies whose steel works have not been able to operate to full capacity owing 70 unfavorable conditions have sold some of their, basic iron at about S41.50 furnace. and at least one com pany has made even a lower quota ton. Increased inquiry for pig iron has developed in the East, coming from radiator, locom otive, railroad and other large melters. and the foundry market is very firm in that