Advance in the Price of Iron.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume I, Issue 39, 25 December 1879, Page 4

Advance in the Price of Iron.

The wisdom of the Borough Council’s action—so far at leas* as prices are concerned—in ordering the iron pipes for their water supply at the time they did, is shown by the advices that roach ns per the Rotomahana of the recent great advance in the price of iron. In Melbourne the following' prices are quoted, to take effect on January 1 :—Bar iron, for shoeing bars, £l3; girder plates, £l3 ; black sheets, £2O ; guage, £l4 ; fencing wire, Nos. 6,7, and 8, £l4 7s. to £l4 10s., and £ls respectively. Galvanised iron is sellingl ■ freely at £27 per ton. Telegrams from Dondon, dated Dec. 20, advise the following advances: —Barrow bar iron, £9 ; galvanised coirngated, £2O ; stage, black-sheet, £lO ; hoop iron, £S 10s. all delivered at the works, French wire nails are quoted at £ll ; anvil nails, £26 j bolts and nails, £l7 10s. Fencing wire has also very greatly risen in price. The rise in price of all iron goods that has necessarily followed the enhanced value of the raw material is indication of a looking up in the manufacturing interest at Home, at least that portion of it represented by the iron trade, and already many large works that have for some time been idle are again in operation. The rise in iron, it is said by recent papei’s from Home, will have the effect of making many ironmasters wealthy who have been on the verge of bankruptcy. In other manufacturing departments in the Home country the same hopeful tone is exhibited, the only really depressed branch of industry being the agricultural interest to whom i’o evangel of hope promises to come.