The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-21
IRON PRICES ARE
GOING SOME HIGHER
Birmingham No. 2 is Bring
ing S14
QUOTATIONS ARE UPWARDS
While the Birmingham Iron Market
Has Been Dull During the Week
Past, Inquiries Indicate
Summer Activity.

The Birmingham Iron market has been
more active this week than last and the
tendency is to higher prices. As mat
ter of fact sales have been made at s14
for No foundry. which is so cents
higher than conventional quotations.
Rogers, Brown & Co.'S Cincinnati re-
port for the current week. says:
Business during the week. while of good
tonnage and well distributed, has not
been marked by any special sales Of
unusual size or any other unexpected
feature. Conditions are eminently salts
factory both to buyer and seller and this
is reelected in the general tone of re-
ports throughout the country. As we ad-
vance into the last half, the outlook for
steady market is improved almost daily.
Demand for iron generally is strong
and furnaces have little or nothing now
unsold for the third quarter, and sales
for the last half have been freely made.
Consumption, which has heretofore pro-
coded as a record breaker, shows no
signs of diminution, whereas production,
as shown by statistics available for June,
is falling behind. During that month there
was 100000 tons approximately less pro-
duction than in April. the next thirty
day month previous. June was trying
month for furnaces, besides being a
short one, and II is hardly likely that
this reduction will be duplicated to such
an extent However, the fact that in the
face of enormous consumption and sold
supply should be curtailed in the midst
of the year to this extent is worthy of
very serious consideration.
Bessemer and basic are still scare and
1t is not expected that any increase In
the supply of these grades will come
until late in the fall. 1t is reported that
the entire capacity Of the Bessemer fur
naees of western Pennsylvania and east
ern Ohio has been engaged for the next
four months, and it Is believed that a
sharp advance in prices of this grade
will soon be recorded.
Prices are very firm for both northern
and southern product in some cases adj
VanCeS having DeeH TeCenlly TtslSieltu
Shortage of labor Is cutting big figure,
in the south particularly, and will oper-
ate strongly against normal output In
that district during several months to
come.
Last November we remarked upon the
exceptionally favorable report of CONNER
cial failures In this country during the
month of October, 1905. An interesting
Item at this time Is this same report
for June, the most satisfactory of its
kind as to the amount of defaulted in
debtedness of any month since last Oc-
tober As current mercantile conditions
are best indicated by the very last Pc
Rod for which comparison Is available
this is simply another bit of evidence as
to general conditions and should add to
the confidence which is felt In the future
Coke shows up strongly each week
There is good buying movement among
the foundries and the activity in the
leading districts is unusual. Prices are
firm and number of producers are sold
up to such an extent that they do not
care to consider business for thirty to
sixty days.