The age-herald., 1900-08-06
BIG STEEL MILL
 STARTS UP TODAY
Will Be in Full Operation By End
 of Week,
SEEKING NLARGED MARKET I
Alabama Iron Magnates Say They Cam not Depend on the North to Con sume Their Products in the Future
 Stocks Accommodating

It is announced that the steel mill at Ensley will resume operations this week. Three of the furnaces will be started up today, and the others as soon thereafter as practicable The blooming mill will be started Wednesday.
 The steel mill has daily capacity of 1000 tons, but in the past only six of the fur naces have been operated, and the output consequently has not been oyer 600 tons day. The entire plant was closed down early in June for repairs and for other purposes, and at that time the impression prevailed that it would not be started up until the latter part of August, if then.
 The tone of the steel market has strengthened in Jhe last two or three weeks and considerable sales are reported at Pittsburg and elsewhere. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company about ten days ago made shipment of steel for export, and it is believed others will follow in the near future.
 It is believed that if the railroads grant the 50 cent reduction in freight charges on export il 4n to Atlantic ports much larger foreign trade in iron can be built up, and that Considerable portion of the local pro- duction of steel can also be placed in Europe.
 The local iron manufacturers say they will have to look elsewhere than to the north for a market. For the past five or six years and up to a short time ago the cost of making iron in the Birmingham district was several dollars a ton cheaper TV..4kN fafn Ina contention has all along been made that the difference in the cost of production in Alabama and Pennsylvania was more than equal to the freight charges from Birmingham to Pittsburg. Whatever the conditions may have been during that period they are now changed. The wealthy iron manufacturers in the north have spent enormous sums of money in adding machinery and labor-saying ap- pliances to their furnaces and thereby reduced the cost of making iron several dollars a ton. It is claimed by local man. ufacturers that there is not now exceeding $15O difference in the cost of making iron in Birmingham ana in Pittsburg. The freight charge from Birmingham to Pitts burg is three times that amount.
 An official of one of the local companies states that the north cannot be depended on to take the southern product when the furnaces in that section are able to supply the same metal at less price. He said that the equipment of some of the furnaces in the north was such that four men there could do the work of several hundred in this district.
 The Republic Iron and Steel Company did not sign the Amagamated scale last week, and consequently their mills are still idle The mills in this city have been prac- tically rebuilt and especially is this true of the Birmingham Rolling Mill, in the western portion of the city.
 The Alabama Consolidated Coal and Iron Company has banked one of its furnaces, and will not put 1t in blast again until there is a change in the market.
 It is stated that some of the local com panies are sending their products to the warrant yards Stocks are accommodating on all of the furnace yards in the district.