The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-06-12
STEEL MILLS BOOKED
FOR MOST OF SUMMER
Industry Is In for Zig Year-AA fro'
ducts Hold Up Well IN Price

Spccial Dispatch to The lntelhgehcer'
Pittsburgh. June ll.--With the steer
mills booked up 80 solidly Tor SOM
time to come, IL appears that the opei
ating rates now being recorded Will DC
continued for at least three months, and
this will carry them over the DULL part
Of the summer. All this in spite OF the
coal strike Is very pleasing 10 the steer
men. and shows that the industry IS IN
Tor a big year. However, there cou'u
hardly be any increase in tho operating
rate were the coal strike ended. owing
to r scarcity OF mill labor Wnlch -
making itself felt in various localities.
Plates and shapes have fully caught
I'D with merchant bars in the matter OF
price. and as nearly as can be seen the
three products show about the same
| strength at any given price.
Busy In Line Pipe
| There ia n fair volume of line pipe IN
| uuiry In the tubular goods market. Inc
| mills have been we'll sold up on butt
! weld sizes for some time past. and sales
! arc well In excess of shipments. Tho
| large pipes have been relatively slack
but with the Pipe line inquiry now In
| the market rather stiff prices are likely
| TO be quoted. Instead Of prices at or be-
! low cost rf r',irCt On.
In standard steel pipe. prices have
been very strong. Mills arc being con-
stantly importuned 10 make quicker
| shipments Boiler tubes are In moder-
ately good demand and prices s.e some
what less irregular.
Before the American Sheet and TIN
/ Plate Company opened it's order books
| last Friday. for July. tho majority or
, Independents had been selling for July;
! but now the extreme high prices have
| disappeared. at least as regards the far
| forward deliveries. while the regular
prlcns-o4Oc for blue nnncaled, 3.l5c for
! black. 415c for galvanized. and 4.5n for
| automobile shcets---hnvc largely disap-
reared for August and September deliv'
| cries In these deliveries tho independ
! rnts have the field 10 themselves, as the
! leading interest is selling for uly only.
| The latter has very fair bookings FOR
/ July For August and September the
usual asking prices or tho independents
nro above the regular prices by 81 ton
| on blue anncalcd, 50 ton on black and
galvanized. and SIS on picked sheets.
With the order book openings of the
| American Sheet and Tin Plato Company,
! all remaining doubt was eliminated az
| Ia the continuance OF tho $4.75 price and
as to tho delivery periods the mills
would obligate thcmsclvea 10 cover, the
period DelnE the lulrn quarter III liio
case Of jobbcrs and the second half In
the case Of manufacturing consumers.
Tho demand. as far "a 1t can be sized
at this time. is heavy for early deliv-
cries.
However, the demand for tin plato Is
good and mills are easily able to ship
their product as fast az made, while
they are producing at between so and
SIS per cent. OF capacity. The leading
Interest continues to operate 80 per
cent Of it's tin mills. the independents
Mt near 90 per cent. The market re-
mains Quotable at S4T6 for 100-pound
cokes.
Littl. Pressure on wire
There g -ot the pressure on the mar
kct FOR wire products that is exhibited
In bars, shapes and plates or in sheets.
Perhaps the best tost In that, while,
about the middle Of April, the indie
pendent mills all advanced their price
on nails from t2.40 to $3.50, some OF
them are now selling at the old price or
to40 again. In number OF other pro-
ducts independents appear to experience
no difficulty in maintaining prices high
or than those of the Steel Corporation.
There has been no improvement In the
mig iron mlrket for several weeks. Con-
sumers are using all stocks on hand ana
working out old contracts before enter
ing the market again.
The Connellsville coal market mas
been stifrcnIng almost continuously IN
the Inst week. reaching firm level OF
ssa5 -. .hA ond OF last week and then
Going on 70 s350 and even 1915.