The age-herald., 1901-06-30
THE DEMAND FOR
 IRON MORE ACTIVE Recent Sales by Local Compa-
 nies of Importance HIGHER PRICES PREDICTED Consumers Paying Premiums for Early Delivery of Steel BIIIets-P. G.
 Shook Reviews tho Local
 Iron and Steel Market.
HIGHER PRICES PREDICTED

MT Paschal c. Shook, for many years with the Tennessee Company, and now of She firm of Shook and Fletcher, man ufacturers agents. talked interestingly about the iron situation yesterday
 There Is an undercurrent of strength in the iron market this week." said MT. Shook (which denotes a continuation of the enormous consumption which has characterized the situation for the past several months. and while no actual ad- vance in prices has taken place and no large sales have been made, yet inquir- les are decidedly more numerous and the aggregate business reported by the Sa- rious companies In the district is of con- siderable consequence"
 What do you think of the prospects of resumption of export shipments?"
 'A reduction of 50 cents 0 ton in the export rate on pig iron goes into effect July 15. This fact taken in connection with noticeable evidences of strength which have developed in the market on the other side fin the last few days in- dlcates that there Is possibility of reopening of export business at an early date It is hoped by the time the cot ton crop begins to move, foreign prices will have reached a point which will en- able export shipments to be resumed"
 What is the condition of the steel market"
 and strong the demand for biliets for early delivery fig a noticeable feature of the steel situation and we are advised that many consumers are paying a pre- mium for quick delivery. This Is an- other evidence of the enormous consump- tion of both steel and pig iron. In fin- ished lines the demand is also good and we predict higher prices in the near fu- ture Any advance in the price of steel and finished material should be follow ed by an advance in pig iron, for the reason that the difference existing today between the vaiue of steel and pig iron is illogical, and the natural course for the market to pursue Is, If present con sumption continues, for prices of all Iron and steel products to advance, and in pig iron a greater advance will prob ably take place."
 concerns Represented.
 In talking about the business of his firm. Mir Shook said:
 "We have succeeded in the past week in closing a contract with the Ports mouth-Kentu Fire Brick Company covering an exclusive representation of their products in the State of Alabama. erbis ts the cacopd atron1oqt hrfck ma n- ufacturing concern in the world, and Is composed of four of the largest and best plants in the Portsmouth Ohio, district. namely, the Portsmouth Fire Brick Company, works at Portsmouth, O.; the works of the Kentucky Fire Brick Com pany, Webster Fire Brick Company, and the Blast Furnace Fire Brick Company. We report sales of brick the past week aggregating approximately quarter of a million brick, which will be used for new construction in this district. We are now the sole representatives of the Mes- ia Machine Go. of Pittsburg, Pa., which is decidedly the largest manufacturer of heavy rolling mill machinery in the United States. They also build engines of a later and more improved design than any of their competitors In the North. We represent all of the Talbot patents covering gas producers. melting, heating and annealing furnaces, air and gas valves, etc; l.. Childs & Co. in pipe covering; the Aultman-Taylor Machine Company of Mansfield. O., under a sub- contract with the Cahall Sales Depart ment of Pittsburg, Pa., in the sale of water tube boilers of both verticle and horizontal types.
 'Tt is our intention to make our agency department a conspicuous feature of our business, believing that the devel- opment C. Southern enterprises will open a wide field and create an extensive de- mand for such articles as we propose to handle
 Manufacture of Finished Products.
 "I think that few people fin this section realize the possibilities in store for this district" continued MT. Shook. ''If suf- flcient brains and capital can be controll- ed to develop the mineral resources along lines which will result in growth of a most advantageous nature. In my opin- ion every effort should be put forth and every dollar spent looking to finishing articles of daily consumption, in this dis trict, of iron and steel products. While the expenditure of money on the raw ma terial end might reduce the cost of crude products a few cents per ton the applica- ton of the same amount of money on the finishing end would increase the value a great many dollars per ton, so that man ifestly the true policy is to turn atten- tion to finishing all the iron and steel manufactured in this district. If this Is done and the total tonnage is put in ar ticles of daily use that can be marketed from this point practically as we'll as from any other. then the cost of the raw material will take care of itself
 ''The fact that cast iron pipe Is a com modity ready for use without further work upon it is the secret of the success of pipe works located in the South, be- cause they are able to market their pro- ducts in nearby localities and to obtain all of the profit that accrues in the pro- cess of manufacture
 At Ensley a large percentage of the output is finished in the form of wire, wire nails and barb wire. but there still remaina a very larae tont1a 1e of steeI fhat