The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-16
fnam aaa1fERr t1 HUN MARktl lS WITHOUT FEATURE Prices About the Same as They
 Have Been COKE CONTINUES SCARCE General Conditions In the Iron Trade Continue Favorable and consump- ton Is Exceedingly Heavy.
 Week Has Been Quiet.
 

The week closed with the iron market view. Prices are about the same as they have been for some weeks. The bulk of the iron made for the first half of 1903 is sold but selling on a large scale for the second half has hardly begun.
 Iron Age Statement.
 The Iron Age of Thursday says:
 "Our monthly blast furnace statement reflects the disheartened feeling among furnaoemen who have been experiencing so much trouble in securing a supply of coke. The active furnace capacity No vember was 8S1b5s gross tons weekly, against 345.oB tons October 1. The reduc- ed capacity occurs despite the fact that the pig iron production in October was 1,50S,98 tons or more than in any preced- ing month since May. More furnaces were blown out during October than were blown in, quite a number of fur nacemen having grown tired of banking every few days because they had run out of fuel and decided to discontinue oper- atons completely until better deliveries could be made. The furnaces in the an- thracite region which were laid of dur ing the miners strike are slowly resum- ing. A few have been blown in since the | first of the month and others are being prepared for an early resumption of work
 The general conditions in the iron trade continue favorable in the main. Con- sumption is exceedingly heavy.
 Business in foreign steel billets is a1- most at a standstiI1 not because of the duty question, but because buyers are en- deavorfng to secure low prices. Billets of easy speculations can be imported. duty paid, at shade better than s27.5O. New York, but many consumers say the price is not low enough to enable them to work the steel into finished products and sell at ruling market rates"
 Of the-forty furnace stocks in Alabama thirty-four are now In blast as compared with thirty-two in blast October 1. The Alabama production in October amounted to 11S,710 gross tons.
 Extracts from Rogers. Brown & Co.'s circular of yesterdays date follow:
 At Cincinnati.
 Cincinnati-Prices, while still irregular. are generally on lower planes. The differ ence between the foreign and the do- mestic are not so great and the trend is toward a coser parity. Notwithstand- ing the obstacles they have had to con tend with, the furnaces by extra exertions produced in October a little over 100000 tons. It will be borne in mind that Octo- Der is a thirty y-one-day month. The fur mace stocks November by one eminent authority are reckoned about 40OO tons less than October 1; by another, deemed quite as reliable, about 4000 tons more than October l. If there was any in- crease at all, it was In off grades, as almost the entire visible stock consists of misfits of various kinds.
 The coke market continues very active. More conservatism prevails as to prices for prompt and early shipment. For next year the volume of business in foundry cokes is very large and prices have ad- vanced appreciably, "Pocahontas' and "Connellsville" are firm at $4.5O to $500 at the ovens; for choice Virginia" $500 at the ovens Is the minimum figure.
 At Chicago.
 Chicago-About the only thing which can be noted as a change in market com ditions which have existed for some weeks past, Is possibly a little additional in- quiry for next years deliveries In the main they are wanted to begin with the second quarter and continue for six months and occasional inquiry is made for the last half, but no tonnage of any consequence has been booked: the fact however, that there is some inquiry for these later deliveries would indicate thought in this direction. Such poor de- liveries have been made during the lat ter part of this year that buyers will not be go keen to cover far into the future with a possibility of not having any bet ter success in securing their iron at that time than at the present writing.
 The same difficulties in the direction of insufficient transportation and short coke