ADVANCE LIKELY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 67, 20 March 1937, Page 10

ADVANCE LIKELY

THE PRICE OF STEEL

(Special to the "Evoning Post.") DUNEDIN, This Day, One effect of Britain's armament' jroeramme has been an advance locally Of 25s a ton in the price of wire and wire netting, importers having been advised to that effect. It is also anticipated that when Australia commences the > export of steel to England for munition purposes the price of 'ructural building steel will advance. Recently there has been difficulty on y-ic part of concerns in New Zealand in executing orders for iron and steel. One of the largest pig-iron importing companies in Dunedin is not now able to guarantee delivery of orders. Previously a firm ordering, say, 100 tons of pig iron could expect delivery within two months, but the position has changed to such an extent that it is fort'uriate if it is supplied within five months, the result being that firms are drawing on their stocks to a large extent. It is assumed that if Australia exports steel to England prices will harden. The drug trade depends to a certain extent on the supply of materials related to metals. It is not, however, affected by the general shortage o£ metals, as the quantity used is comparatively small, but it may be expected that the salts of metals such ns copper and zinc wiJl harden in price as Ihe metals themselves rise in value, j