Steel and Iron Volume 76, No. 12

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 Excerpt: ...generally satisfactory. Some contracts have been cancelled because the mills in the pool were not able to make deliveries in time. This condition has been especially marked in the steel plate industry, some of these mills being two and three months behind. Little success has attended the effort of th- sheet manufacturers to enforce an advance of $2 a ton. Sales are reported not only at old prices but even below those figures. The justification of the advance on the ground that billets and sheet bars are scarce does not altogether reassure those who are inclined to complain. If there is so much scarcity of steel, it is argued by the critics, then some of the effort being made to get export business could be spared. Some improvement is reported in the Eastern purchases of standard rails, orders being Dot so scarce as they were although they are for only moderate quantities. Export reports indicate that South American countries, Cuba and Japan are buying rails in some quantities. Conservative men in the steel business depre cate the efforts that are being made to exaggerate the prosperous conditions of the market. Reports are set in motion in relation to large contracts as if they were new business when they were really awarded weeks ago. The more thoughtful say that the real situation is quite gratifying and there is danger of doing barm by artificial booming. Cincinnati.--The recent marked improvement in trade conditions has continued and developed to such an extent that the situation may be called distinctly active. Viewed impartially, the record of production and furnaces statistics for February, shows that consumption is being maintained at a point continuously in advance of production, however, ihis latter ma/ fluctuate. Unusually severe weather con...