The Washington times., 1901-07-22
INDUSTRY IN THE SOUTH.
A New Year Begun Under FIattering
Auspices.

BIRMINGHAM. Ala. July 21.-The Bir-
minrham district, in fact all industrial
Alabama, has entered upon new year
under the most aattering auspices. The
coal mines and the rolling mills have re-
sumed operations with all wage matters
settled for the year to come. The cast
iron pipe foundries are making more pipe
and finding a reader sale for the output
than they have done before in four years.
The machine shops and foundries are
rushed with orders, several OF the larger
plants being engaged exclusively in the
manufacture OF sugar mill machinery for
Cuba, Porto Rico, and Mexican points.
Others are making Corliss engines for all
parts of the South and for export.
The metal situation is as good as could
be desired. The semi-annual report of
the Southern Iron Committee shows
heavy shipments of pipe and pig iron for
the first six months of the year. as fol-
lows: Shipments of pig iron from Ala
bama and Tennessee, I60 yo3 tons, an IN
crease of Il $50 tons; shipped from the
Birmingham district alone, 420.sI9 tons;
exported 1894 tons Cast iron pipe ship
ments from Alabama and Tennessee were
1870 tons. against 1873 tons for
the same period last year; cast iron
pipe shipped from the Birmingham dis
trict alone, 40i26 tons, an increase
of 81 ,0i9 tons. or 400 per cent exports oil
cast iron pipe were 1,5s9 tons. The de-
crease in exports as compared to last year
is a credit to the state of the home mar
ket The Southern makers seek the eX-
port field when the domestic market is
Off but the domestic demand for the out
put of Southern furnaces and foundries
has been so great this year that export
shipments have been small, in fact the
smallest on record since the South en-
tered that field. The export freight rate to
the ports has been reduced 50 cents ton,
and cotton vessels will soon be asking for
pig iron at ballast rates This will to
some extent revive the export business,
and there will probably be heavy ship
ments this fall, as there generally are IN
the autumn months.
The Southern iron makers are gradually
increasing their output Two furnaces
long idle went into blast this week,
namely the Hattie Ensley, of the Sloss-
Sheffield Company, at Sheffield, and one
of the Woodstock furnaces at Admission.
The Taliadega and the Jenifer furnaces
new furnace of the Republic Iron and
Steel Company, at Thomas is almost
ready for the torch. The order has been
given for the erection at Ensley of the
pressed steel car plant of the Southern
Car and Foundry Company. 1t will be the
first in the South. II will employ about
1,2UO men, and its monthly payroll VIII
be about $4,000. The plans and specifica-
tioEs have been made and the machinery
has been ordered.
The steel rail mill of the Tennessee
Coal, Iron and Railroad Company at
Ensley will be completed in a short time
and the South will then begin for the tlrst
time the manufacture of steel rails. The
mill Is not an experiment. All metal ex-
perts agree that fine steel rail can be
made in the South. The Louisville and
Nashville railroads are interested in-the
mandatory TO be begun at Ensley, and
will be it's first patrons. In fact, some
orders for the output have been already
booked. All over the Industrial field there
is a general air of briSkneSS and pros
perity with an almost total absence of
strikes or other labor troubles. The coal
business already shows an Improvement
since the settlement of the wage scale,
and the threatened inroads of fuel oil do
not appear to be as formidable as was
at one time thought they would be. Nc
KinIey's second administration is even
more popular In industrial circles than his
first. and the industrial South Is forging
ahead, confident of his wisdom and pa
triotiSm.