Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-04
stocks upon the market, thus demoraliz-

stocks upon. the market, thus demoraliz-
ing prices
The concerns which have agreed to act
together are as follows Pennsylvania
Steel company, Otis Steel company,
Cleveland Rolling Mill company, Bellaire
Steel company, Union Steel company,
Shenandoah Valley Steel company Mary
land Steel company, Wheeling Steel and
Iron company, Wheeling and Ashland
Steel company, Carnegie Steel company,
Hainsworth Steel company, Jones and
Loughln Steel company, Bethlehem
Iron company Cambria Iron company,
Johnson Steel company, Gilbert and
Warner company and the Lackawanna
Iron and Steel company.
At 8 O'Clock the steel manufacturers re
assembled for their evening session. The
proceedings continued behind closed
doors. At a few minutes before 10 o'clock
the business was completed and the
meeting adjourned. The manufacturers
came down to the lobby of the Hotel
Waldorf and stood in little groups here
and there congratulating one another
upon what they regarded as fully sue
cessful accomplishment of their eonfed-
Grafton.
Mr.. George T. Oliver said: I'VE are
through with our work and are now
ready to depart for our homes
Mr.. Oliver also said that so far as the
result was concerned there was nothing
important to add to what he had already
stated The evening had been spent in
completing details. Committees were ap
pointed. but it was deemed best to With
hold the name of the committeeman
from publication for the present 1t was
thought wise to arrange for perpetua-
ton of the combination, but the agree
ment to protect their mutual interests
the manufacturers wished should not be
regarded as anything the nature of a
trust.
The steel men declare that they have
not even directly formed a trust, but that
they have merely adopted regulations
designed to benefit their business within
the laws of the United States and the
legislative enactments of the Individual
states of the union. The new steel asso-
citation will have president vice presi-
dents, secretary and treasurer aud other
officers but there will be no shares or
stock about the concern. 1t might not
inappropriately be called club of steel
men. Another meeting will be called in
the near future.
Among the gentlemen who participated
in the discussion at the evening session
were Willis l. King, John G. A. Leish-
mann, George T. Oliver, j. d. Stackhouse
and R M. Gilbert. The hope was ex-
pressed that half dozen large steel
manufacturing firms, which are now out
side the organization, will soon come in,
but there are two concerns invited to join
that cannot do so because of existing
agreements with middlemen and con-
SumefS. IN lllDOlS there are peculiar
state laws which may be Interpreted as
somewhat against the association. 1t
was the opinion of the majority present
at the conference that the price of steel
will not be advanced above $40 per ton.
The manufacturers expressed an inten-
tion to keep the price only high enough
to cover expenses and a fair profit. Spe-
cial attention will be given to the trial of
improved methods of manufacture, and
the expectation is that the steel business
will soon be on steadier and more SUBJ
stantial basis than for several years past.
For short time last fall the business
was profitable, but 1t relapsed into the
unfavorable condition which called for
the conference which has just been held.
A circular containing an official report
of the proceedings will probably be is
sued to manufacturers within few days.
COTTON MILL SHUT DOWN.
Some OF the Operatives Would Like to Come
South.
Lowell, Mass, April 3.-The No. mill
of the Lawrence Manufacturing corpora
ton has been shut down in conformity
with the decision Of the directors to dis
continue manufacturing cloth. Other
portions of the cloth plant will be closed
as fast as the stock in process is finished
UP. The change In policy will throw out
something less than half of the 5000 op-
eratives. Most of them are French Cana
dians whose labor, as compared with
that of operatives engaged on fine work
in other mills, Is relatively unskilled.
Many of those people return to Canada
every spring to stay through the sum-
mer, and the only change to them will be
that they go this year a little earlier
than usual and find some other place to
work In the fall. 1t is said. however, that
some of them would like to go south,
where work of a grade to which they are
accustomed is carried on.
1T is understood that the Lawrence
company will sell portions of the plant
not required for its hosiery business, and
ii is said that such portions will practi-
cally be all absorbed by other local COR
porations.
The change in policy has caused very
much interesting comment in this COM
munity of mill interests as to whether
or not the reason given by the treasurer
is the real reason for the discontinuance
of cloth making, and Is the subject OF a
good deal of discussion.
STRIKE SITUATION MORE HOPEFUL.
Many Families Will Leave Unless the
Trouble lis Soon Settled.
Columbus, Ga, April 3.--(Special.)-
The strike situation looks little more
hopeful than it has yet. Tomorrow a
committee from the strikers will proba,'
bly, call upon President Bigsby OF the
mills, and it is hoped that some amicable
adjustment of matters may result.
Mr. F. c. Fay, representing new mill
at Alabama City. near Gadsden. Is In
Phenix City in search of skilled labor,
and 1t Is said nearly 100 families have
already signified their intention of going
to Alabama City in case the mills here
are not in operation by Monday morning.
Cotton Fire.
savannah, Ca, April 3.-Five hundred
talxs4 af cotfan in tha british steamship
Cecelia, loading cotton and phosphate
for Barcelona, were damaged by fire to-
night Fire broke out in the hold of the
vessel where it had evidently been
smouldering for some time, and burned
fiercely until the compartment was food
ed with water. The origin of the fire is
unknown The cargo will be discharged
and a survey held on the vessel
The Delks Located.
Atlanta, Ca. April S-The Delks. who
fied from Pike county last night after
tod ~