The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-20
SCARCITY OF CARS
NO LONGER KNOWN
Iron Shipments Continue Very
Brisk
SELLING STEADILY AT SIS
Big Companies, However, Are Still
Quoting $12 as a 6asls-Few
Sales Made for 1908
Delivery.
SELLING STEADILY AT SIS

The iron market last week was without
special features. One no longer hears
complaint about scarcity of cars; railroad
equipment being ample for heavy traffic
shipments of iron are very brisk.
Taking an average there Is scarcely
more than a days make on the yards of
this district.
The large companies still quote iron on
the s12 basis, but smaller manufacturers
are selling right along at SIS. A few spot
sales are said to have been made within
the past ten days on a SIG basis.
representative of one of the fur
naces in Jefferson County said yester-
day:
II have been getting SIS for iron for
several weeks. 1t has been so long a
time since sold for s12 that I would for
get $12 had been the quotation II did
not look over the papers"
The Tennessee Company is reported to
have sold about all 1t will make this
year. and the Soss- Sheffield Company
has sold all of its make for the second
and third quarters.
A few sales have been made by small
companies for 1903 delivery; price. SIS for
No. foundry.
Extracts from Rogers, Brown & Co. s
circular of yesterdays date follow:
Cincinnati--At the beginning Of the
past week sales of Southern No. 2 foun-
dry were made on basis of SIS at Bir-
mingham, but at the close some trans
actions were noted at $3.50 for brands
that were preferred by the consumer. The
deliveries were during the last half of the
year. Aside from quick delivery ship
ments at fancy prices made by some of
the furnaces in the Southern combination
to Eastern points, there has not been
much business for delivery this side of
July. The price restrictions In the
South are apparently limited to the West
where no No. foundry is being sold on
the $12 basis. Consumers in the East are
ready and anxious to pay from SIS to $16,
and the opinion has been advanced that
If the Eastern demand continues there
will be very little iron left for the West
ern consumers. 1t Is stated that an
agent of one of the largest producers In
the South has verbally promised several
customers that they will be supplied with
$l2 iron when his company begins SELL
ing. An assurance of this kind over the
signature of the furnace company would
be valuable to the favored ones.
During the month of March the weekly
output in the four Southern,s states In
creased about 1900 tons. 1t Is not likely
that the present stocks can be decreased
much, IL any more N
The total stocks of all kinds of iron re-
ported at the furnaces In the United
States were about 20 per cent less than
during the lowest period of 1899. They
are too insignificant now to be considered.
The question of how many pounds shall
constitute ton of Southern iron Is APP
parently unsettled. One of the leaders
in the Southern combination states that
1t will ship on new contracts 224O pounds
while the agent of another company of
equal Importance In the market says that
his company will continue to ship 226s
pounds.
Mr. J. J. Gray, Jr., who for years has
been recognized as being in the front rank
of Southern iron makers, has purchased
the furnace at Rockdale. Tenn, and In
tends to put it in blast in June. The
output will be small, but Mr. Gray's rep
utation is a guarantee that It will be of
choicest quality.
Piusburg-We have mentioned from
time to time that some sales at practically
current figures were being made into 1903.
Such business can only come from con-
Germs knowing their actual wants far in
advance, but there are many of them in
this district.
Within the week we have had unsolicit-
ed inquiries from four large meters for
1908 deliveries and we feel sure that more
will follow. Prices continue to advance.
New York-Incidents of the week requir-
ing comment are not numerous. There
has been further advance in the price
paid for spot iron, but the volume of this
business is too small to cut any figure
in the average costs of foundry and mill
men. AS before stated, meters have, as
a rule, made contracts covering anticipat-
ed wants. The urgent demand applies to
cases where actual needs exceed esti-
mates, or where furnaces are behind In
contract deliveries.
There is no apparent relief from the
scarcity, except by importations either of
pig or finished forms. These are steadily
increasing in volume, several thousand
tons of pig having been engaged the past
week. The trouble is,, however that
prices in England and Germany are ex-
tremely sensitive to demand from this
side, the advance there fully keeps pace
with the rise at home. No Mfddlesboro