The New York herald., 1922-09-17
sheet Demand Maintained.


The feature Of the sheet market is the
continued demand. but. as usual in a
reriod Of good business. consid cradle diff
ficulty is experienced in getting deliv-
cries. The business placed lately with
tie sheet makers has been so heavy that
unless mill operations broaden ma
terially some tonnages will be carried
over into next year. The leading inter-
est is scheduled to operate 60 per cent
OF it's hot mill capacity and will do bet
ter than that next week. Its specifica
tion receipts on practically all grades OF
sheets are heavy, including automobile
Price differentials still are noted.
While one or two independent produ-
GERS are understood to be taking bids at
the levels maintained by the leading in
terest--2.50c. for blue annealed. 3.35c.
for black 4.36c. for galvanized. and
4.50c for full finished sheets--others
are from 50 to sS ton above those
levels. particularly on black and gal
vanized. on which as high as 3.75c. and
l.75c., respectively, have been quoted.
Sheet mills generally are UP against a
severe shortage of box cars, which
promises to grow. They also note a
shortage of workmen. On $40 sheet
bars. which appears to be the minimum
of the market. some fairly representa-
vert black sheets under 3.72c.
Some fairly good tonnages Of tin plate
are being booked, but 1t is expected that
the demand from now on will decrease
One sale reported this week involved
In excess of 10000 base boxes and
was from a mid Western can company
said TO be for food containers. Several
can makers failed to estimate their re-
quirements accurately and have had
to place additional lots of this charac-
ter, Notwithstanding the fact that ship
ments cannot begin before October is.
The price OF s4.75 per base box OF 100
pounds. Pittsburgh. Is firm, and IL any
thing is becoming stronger. Among sew
eral large Independent makers a view
point OF higher prices. is being taken, be-
cause of increased production costs in
cluding $40 tin bars and high priced
fuel Operations among tin mills are
increasing slightly, particularly in Penn
sylvania- number of Ohio mills still
are practically shut down. A fair aver
age of operations is about So per cent.
of capacity.
Iron Prices Due for Advance.
Fig Iron prices, as quotable in the
open market, are unchanged from a
week ago. but these prices rest upon
rather an insecure foundation. The
general alignment as to supplies. which
are extremely limited. would indicate
that higher prices are certain to come.
Tho common opinion in the trade Is that
the pig iron consumers will have to
obtain higher prices for thefr finished
steel products. especially with the fol-
lowing quotable figures for pig iron
Beesemer. sa4; basic. $40; foundry
$3.50.
The buying OF foundry coke continues
In limited way. Operating foundries
are buying strictly from hand "a mouth
being very uncertain as TO future prices,
and the market this week Is quotable at
sf1 to si1.50 for furnace cSke and
1880 to s13 for foundry coke.
Since announcement of higher prices
on tubular goods little important new
business has come out but pine mills
generally are we'll filled up on tonnage,
vooked some time ago. On much of this
however, they cannot make desired de.
liveries. majority OF mills being three
to four months behind on deliveries OF
standard full weight merchant pipe, due
TO the shortage OF Bessemer steel.
Increased buying OF iron and steel
scrap on the part Of consumers, com.
bined with higher prices recently paid
on railroad offerings, has resulted In
steady market advances. Practically all
grades are MP from 81 to 81 a ton.