The Washington herald., 1922-01-30
SHADING OF PRICES
CONTINUES In MAIN
STEEL DISTRICTS
Concessions Now Apply
To Majority of Or.
ders Received.
EASILY OBTAINED
Much Wavering From Nomi-
nal Prices for Bars, Shapes
Wire, and Pipe.
EASILY OBTAINED

PITTSBURGH, Jan. 29.-As a re-
suit of the much more strenuous
competition in the steel market of
the past fortnight, prices are no
longer precisely quotable on a num-
ber Of products. The regular ask
ing prices are unchanged in the
case OF the more prominent prod
ucts. but concessions now apply to
the majority OF orders instead of to
the most attractive orders only.
Some products are quite steady,
however. Sheets are not steady. but
firm. There are no cases reported
Of any concessions on either black
or galvanized sheets from the regu-
lar prices of . cents and 4 cents, re-
spectively, and, what is even more
remarkable. there are no divergences
in the extras" for special finishes
and similar lines.
Tin plate Is quite steady, conces-
sions from the regular pr!c" Cf
s475 being given only on pgrtica-
larly large orders. according to es-.
tablished custom. and the concesl
sions are no greater than were
commonly given before the war.
when the basic price was lower. so
that shadings are smaller in per-
centage than formerly. The stead;-
ness of tin plate is natural, in view
of the fact that in all probability
there will be full normal demand
this year. IL not indeed a record
demand.
Concessions Ensily Obtained.
In bars. shapes. and plates the
regular asking price. as for several
weeks past, is 1.50 cents. but only
a moderately attractive order is re-
quired TO draw concession, and
prices above l.50 cents for single
carloads have entirely disappeared.
II is said that a single ton Of bars
can be bought at 1.5o cents.
In wire products the Emergencies
In territory removed from Pitts
burgh where there are local mills
are more pronounced. and there are
even runors of occasional shadings
OF base prices at Pittsburgh. where
the concession is general one.
rather than a mere departure from
the pittsburgh plus" system OF
quoting delivered nrices
SNffl u DFlHS
ed by independents by approximate
ly the usual amount. but there is
also some shading in oil county,
goods. and in boiler tubes the shad-
ing is unusually great.
Real Cuts In Small Products.
Prices of various manufactured
steel products. made from the reg
ular rolled products of the mills.
are declining from time TO time.
rejecting a somewhat tardy read
justment to the lower prices at
which their raw material.-bars,
rods, wire. etc.-are now obtain
able. Bolts and nuts have declined
sharply. with An extra 10, per cent
discount given as compared with
prices a fortnight ago. Chain has
been formally reduced from $50 to
$50 cents in the base price. while
some of the extras have been re-
duced in addition. Rivets are read
lily obtainable at 2.20 cents. against
2.25 cents formerly maintained
quite steadily. Railroad spikes
have gone at 2.15 cents. when 2.15
cents was the minimum in Decem-
ber Cold finished stel bars are
quotable in very moderate sized
lots at 100 cents, against cents
formerly held. while rumor has it
that an occasional order has been
taken at LIS cents. Even with
recent declines practically all man.
ufactured steel lines show a wider
spread above the mill products
from which they .are made than
obtained before the war.
Copyright. 1872. N. Y. Evening Post, Inc.)