The Iron Market

Tho quostion is ao often aaketl, what has caused the advanoo in iron, that fin examinatinn seeins necessary, although it would soom tliat those interested in' tho trade did fully comprehend the situation. There has been an unexpectcd incieaso in the demand tbr iron in England, not only to supply tho waste of the GormanFrench war, but from the United States, and the low prices previously current, and the general dullness of the trado, diminished the produotion, so that tho enorcnous increaso in the demand meets vrith a docreasod ability to meet it, and henee the advanco, and this is the legititnato consequence of a want of foresight in those engagod in tho trade, because when prioea were dcclining to a point below the cost of produotion, furnaces woro permitted to stop, and propriotors lost Lope at the time when they sliould liave been the most hopeful. The consuniption of iron in this country the past year is estimated at two and threo-quarter million tons, and yet tho production in that time hardly comes up to two million tons. The largo hicreasuin tho construction of railways leads to a corrosponding inciease in the demand for iron, but thero has not been an incre.ise in tho production of the United States, but a decreaso, and henee England lias been drawn upon for tho oxooss, and this has led to tho enormous advanee in that island. The results of "strikes" of tho coal minors in this country, and tho desponding of furnace men consequent upon the low price, which led them to permit thoir furnaces to go out, are now being developed, and all aro amazed that they failod to seo the true state of the case. The increase in the demand for iron in the United States is wonderful, especially in tho construction of railways, and tlio sequol shows that. the manutacturers of tho article did not comprohend the situation. - Cincinnati l'rice Cutrcnt. -te-.