THE METAL MARKET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 254, 17 February 1921, Page 5

THE METAL MARKET.

TRADE CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN

AS SEEN BY MR. E. JESI'ERSEN.

Mr Erio Jesperscn, of the Manawai | Machinery Exchange, who has lately n turned from an extended tour of Europe, confident of the substantial condition of tit , metal trade in England at the present t inn despite frequent reports to the contrar; i In conversation with a "Standard" repri : seritfttivc this morning, lie gave a re vieof trade conditions a » he found them, wliic should be of interest to some of our reader: "There is h growing feeling," " said JM Josperson, "that prices of iron and ste< products will not bo advanced much furthei although, on the other ll!ind » no . drop vri bo made for the coining two or three year; In spite oi the high level to which value have attained, and the prosperous state a present, it has opened the way in Englain for the importation of material produced ii other countries, and especially are consider able quantities of American-finished am semi-finished manufactures being offered a a substantially lower figure than quoted b; British makers. In all the circumstances many buyers are now acting with nion caution, as shown by the fact that they an not pressing orders on makers to the sam< extent as was formerly the case, thougl many of England's large engineering work: have however, their order books well Idled and several makers are even still so mud in arrears with deliveries that they are no in a position to entertain much new bust ness. Tho steel works, especially, are hum ming with activity, and, apart altogethei from any further orders that may be ac copied there is abundant work to keep the various establishments going fully for a long time to come. Therefore, being so fai behind with deliveries, there is very little prospect cf anv material fall in prices; at any rate, no great drop will be felt lor, say, two to three years. In the Scottish iron and steel trades, the chief features aro abnormal demand and soaring prices. 1 lie cost of the ore to the ironmaster has been largely increased within recent date owing to "higher freights and wages, and consequently tho price of pig-iron has jumped and dearer pig-iron results in dearer finished material. "In the Midlands, nearly all the firms in tho engineering circles are working at full pressure to make up arrears, but orders are still pouring in at even greater speed than the output, and quite a Iwgo number of firms are making extensions to their works. Buyin" h Incoming a much simpler matter than it lias been in the pan. Merc and more the tendency is for showing the many new lines manufactured. Early in the spring no less than three largo trade fairs were held in London, Birmingham and Glasgow respectively, and in London they were even followed by a Marine Engineering Exhibition. Amongst .some of the latest machines exhibited were many for use in the manufacture of concrete and other forms of artificial blocks for house-building purposes. Tho hardware trades are if possible busier than ever, and apparently many new 'firms are .starting in the hardware and iron business alike in the Empire on the Continent, South America and Llio t'ar East, all anxious for suitable machinery. Among the many' enquiries and orders m this line are nut and rivet machinery horsenail plant, tack machinery, wire drawing plant, shearing and punching machines white tho demand for presses, from the small hand press to the heaviest drawing-through power press, is even larger than ever.