Show arts ARMS RACE BOOSTS SCRAP RON IRON PRICES junk Is eagerly grabbed up by foreign nations new orleans la between nd tons of 0 scrap fro aror are arc being shipped from this port everi ever i week according to estimates hour bokn 4 to italy japan poland belgium I 1 england germany and mexico huge piles of scrap iron copper brass aluminum and tin cans are here one day and gone the next relatively high prices are being 0 o paid ly fy foreign nations and the jurk jur t business has brought boom timea tw t thousands in the scrap iron business today great combines and syndicates syndicate are organized to handle the inactions nations castoff metals they work through the parent company down to a the ragamuffins raga muffins of the alleys who wander through the back streets picking up iron cans brass and ropper copper to sell for a few nickels to ithe the local agent who in turn sells it to a trucker the trucker hauls it to the company dump and again sells it for a good profit goes for armament the junkers know and admit thata great part of the metal they sell is going to be used in the manufacture of munitions which some time might be used against this country but they say they must taake make a living iron is bringing around 9 cents a pound in new orleans brass and copper bring as much as 14 cents aluminum sells for about the same freight agents are anxious to get cargoes of scrap for their vessels ithe the rate is high as much as 11 i ic it ton and a ton of iron takes far less i space than a ton of cotton which pays about the same rate so great has been the demand i for tin in italy that one enterprising dealer sold a load of dismantled taxicab doors to the italian government the doors were loaded into an italian freighter without having the wood upholstery or broken glass removed iron Is conditioned solid chunk iron brings the best price before being loaded aboard a freighter the metal is conditioned conditioning consists of cutting the metal into P pieces feces not more than 5 feet long 18 inches wide and 18 inches thick steel rails ship plates railroad wheels and parts form the most lucrative items of the trade but iron bolts discarded flails pipes radiators all go into making up a full cargo for a freighter rising foreign prices have made it pos possible for the junker to salvage many iron objects formerly not considered worth the effort tin cans are being hauled from municipal trash heaps and smashed by a giant compressor into compact suit case size parcels for cargo the tin brings a high price in foreign countries A compressor for such work costs about and must have a large market to enable the operator to show a profit for its operation foreign markets are paying Rs as high as 1750 a ton for new orleans iron and steel prices for copper and brass are based on the need of the nation buying the material fabulous tales have been told of prices obtained for a cargo of brass for use in the manufacture of cartridge cases |