The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-06-21
President Mabtn of SIOss- Sheffield Says There is
 Up Truth in Report
HIS COMPANY HAS NOT SOLD IRON UNDER S13. 5O
Does Not Believe That Gates and His Crowd Arc Seeking to Force the Sloss- Sheffield Into
 Combine.

J. C. Maben president of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company laughs at the idea of the Tennessee-Republ companies seeking to force the Sloss com- pany to enter into a combine of all the southern iron, coke and steel companies by reducing the price of iron from s14 for No, ? to SIS, or lower.
 MT. Majben also declares most positively that his company has not sold d ton of iron for less than s1350 since the disso- lution of the recent agreement, tenn porary affair, he states, which was or ganized to control the price of iron. He also enters into a detailed statement of the conditions that existed and of the creation of the agreement some two months ago.
 The story from the Age-Herald's New York correspondent, and also the weekly summary of the Iron Age were shown MT. Maben last night at his residence. and he dictated the following statement in regard to the reports fin the two stories:
 Mir. Maben's Statement.
 '"There is no Southern Furnace asso- citation in the Birmingham district. There NAApStfAoO about two years ago.
 About sixty days ago J. A. Topping Of the Tennessee Republic company opened the subject and we replied that the Sloss- Sheffield company did not feel in- clined to go into an association to con trol the price of iron He proposed that we try it for one month as between the Tennessee and Republic companies and the Sloss-Sheffield company. Feeling that to make trial of it for so short time could not result in any serious injury. the Sloss- Sheffield company consented to make the trial. The trial resulted as was to have expected In the three com panies, quoting iron at s14 but making practically no sales. while competitors, knowing the price at which these com panies were holding, cut the price 25 cents per ton, and took the business Very recently, after discussion by the representatives of the three companies It was decided, considering the then exist ing conditions of the market, to terminate the agreement. But it was done with the best feeling between the companies and an understanding that We would do noth- ing to demoralize the market as it was believed that around $l3.5O for No. ? sales could be had for all iron which We de- sired to sell.
 Since the termination of the agreemen, the Sheffield company has made very liberal sales of iron and has not found 1t necessary in any instance to gc below SIS 5O and it Is believed that at ol about that price the market can be main tained.
 Knows Nothing of Effort. "I know nothing whatever of any effort on the part of what your correspondent is pleased to call the John w. Gates party to secure control of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron company. The story that 1t acquired the common stock of that company recently from the Maben- Bryan Goadby management is without founda ton as these parties have not been sellers of the stock.
 "'rhe further statement of your core spondent that it was reported and moi denied that they had secured control oi the $7,5OO 900 preferred stock. but had beer
 
 obtain controlling interest in the s10000,- 900 common stock, is even more absurd than the former statement.
 Tn the first place there is only s6,1 .00i of the preferred stock outstanding anc that is closely held by investors and does not appear in the market a month ofter passing without 100 shares being offered. hot [. being made out of a molehill in this whole matter I know of no effort whatever or the part of Gates or his associates to ob ] tain control of the Sloss-Sheffield com pany, and they have certainly not ap preached any of the stockholders witt | that object in view.
 "The truth Is that if the Republic-Ten nessee company has cut the price of iror sl it was simply because they felt tha 1 it was the best price which the marke , would stand, and 1t is absurd to thinl that they would imagine that they coulc drive us into consolidation or force us tt sell our stock by reducing the price O
 iron s1 per ton or any other amount.
 ''The same interests control the Slos | company today which have controlled i
 for the last nineteen years and We hav'
 seen iron sold at S ton without be
 coming frightened and the company Ii 1 today stronger financially and in ever,
 other way than it ever has been since i
 was originally organized
 Marriage Licenses. 1 Marriage licenses were issued by thu