Show SATISFIED WITH STEEL ADVANCES trade Is benefited by halse in prices gener general condition of iron and steel trade new york dec 22 the expected advance of 2 a ton in bars plates and shapes which have just been made is generally satisfactory to the trade says the iron age it was preceded by the booking ot considerable tonnage the billet association decided to let the official price alone but that actton had little significance because as a matter of tact the official prices have become purely nominal no ninal it Is today merely a question how largo a premium buyers must pay it Is understood that a very large amount ol 01 business has been booked interest centers on the steel rail trade it may be frankly acknowledged that the railroads are not coming into the ir arket quite EO prominently as has been expected some business has been placed in the west and south tho lines are in the market tor a total tonnage ot tons which are to be placed la the next ten days in the west one order tor tons has not been settled as yet various estimates aro made as to the rail requirements ot the coming year conservative leaders of the industry place them at tona others go as high as tons which la exclusive ot seconds ot light rails and ot girder rails even the lowest tonnage would be a very satisfactory on this years business some good sized orders are bonding in structural material specifications aro coming in satisfactory volume la heavy rolling mill products in the lighter lines tho volume of business keeps up surprisingly well it is said that the leading interest in the wire industry received orders during the first twelve days of december equal to the entire output of that month the U S steel corporation po ration has 97 per cent of its tin plate capacity in operation and sa per cent of the sheet mill capacity Is running with preparations under way to add to it at once serious anxiety is caused by the et of the drought which BO far as the iron industry ia concerned Is d erectly affecting output by cutting down the boko supply and indirectly by its influence upon transportation the banking of bladt furnaces is becoming more and more frequent even under normal circumstances blast naces are being cut down in their output pittsburg dec 22 the boby ot bishop phelan which is lying in state at the epiphany church was viewed by thousands of persons last night and today the funeral services will be held friday |