The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-03
Premiums Offered on
 Quick Delivery.
THE COAL AND IRON DISTRICT
Many Improvements in Progress or
 Contemplation.
Companies Increase Capital and Pre-. pare for the Enlargement of Outputs and the Construction
 of New Plants.

Alabama pig iron manufacturers can get almost any pricc for their product immediately delivery stipulated. Iron that can be delivered within thirty days commands $16 per ton. No. foun- dry, while the product that can be de- livered within three months time brings fifty cents less.
 Considerable iron has been sold at $15 per ten, No. foundry. delivery during the first part of the coming year.
 Despite rumors that the consumers are figuring on refraining from the market in order to bring about change in prices of the product, there is no fear on the part of the manufac- turers and the assurance is given that there will be an active demand for iron for many months to come. The production in this district has been improved some by the blowing in of one furnace at Bessemer, Tennessee, Republic Company and two. other iron makers will be ready for the torch within the next two weeks. Every effort is being made to increase the production as rapidly as possible.
 Tn industrial circles in this district, two very important meetings by coal, iron and steel companies have just been held. The Bessemer Coal. Land and Improvement Company. at a meet ing held in Bessemer, increased it's capital stock, $250,o00. This company owns and operates big coal mines in Bibb county and at Wind Rock. Tenn. It is understood that there is to be properties. The company also owns a great amount of property in and around Bessemer.
 Southern Hi1I Company.
 The other meeting was that of the Southern Steel. Company at Gadsden. when the capital stock was increased from $1s,000.000 to $25,00 ,000. Five million dollars of the additional stock will be preferred and $4,00o.O00 coni- mon. This company owns furnace and steel plants at Gadsden steel rod, wire and nail mills at Ensley. coal mines and coke ovens, limestone quarries and ore mines in various parts of the in dustrial section of Alabama.
 While no definite announcement was made at this meeting. it is generally understood that the object Of the in- crease in capital stock was to get money with which to acquire addition al properties and the properties of the Lacey-Buck Iron Company and the Chattanooga Iron Company, consisting of blast iron furnaces, coal and ore lands and quarries and other desirable property will be absorbed, so 1t is stat ed. The absorption of the properties named will place the Southern Steel Company among the larger concerns of the district, the capital stock of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company being but $30, 900. There have been rumors recently that the ab- sorption of the little iron companies mentioned was not all the Southern Steel intended doing, but that other concerns were to be approached look ing to a general concentrations How ever, these rumors have not progressed sufficiently to bring them to a head and nothing tangible is to be seen in the future.
 The Southern Steel has a strong de- mand for every ton of steel they can produce. The greater portion of the product manufactured at Gadsden is brought to the immediate Birmingham district and at Ensley is turned into steel rod, wire and nails. This is an independent mill and while the combi nation offers strong competition the conditions are ably contended with.
 Shipments from Ensley.
 There is healthy shipment of all the products at the Ensley plant, in fact orders are on hand thab Will war rant @ steady operation of the plant for some time to come The shipment of steel. wire and nails to foreign countries, Japan and China, via the New Orleans port, promises to keep up for several months, though, just at present, the shipments are not in very large lots.
 Every iron company in the Birming- ham district will make a most Erati- flying statement of earnings for the last three months of the year. With one exception all of the iron com panies will be shipping out high priced iron during that period. It is learned that one of the larger com panies sold too liberally when the nfq nd rate war on. When this rate war was on, one of the men interested ex- pressed the opinion that some one would be sorry in a short while He made efforts to show a contending in terest that the market was bound to recover and take an upward course. He called attention to the production of steel, the extensive consumption of pig iron and the amount of orders said to be on hand at foundries and machine shops, warranting a steady operation in that end of the business. The arguments could not be seen fin the same light and, as a consequences the company which now sees its folly has been delivering iron at $11 and $1850, while others are shipping iron at from $14 to $15, having cleared the books of the cheap orders.
 It is also announced in this district that furnace companies in the Brm- ingham district are buying Iron from one another in order to fill contracts. Regular customers are being pFotec- ted on iron and in other lines. The lowest possible prices are allowed these customers. that is on longtime delivery. Immediate delivery iron commands a nice premium
 John A. Topping president of the Republic Iron and Steel Company and chairman of the board of directors of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company, is in the Birmingham dis trict looking over conditionsN and watching matters in general He will sDend seVe~sl days nere. Every visit of this industrial leader so far to the Birningham district has resulted in some good to the section and it Is be- Iieved that his visit this time means something.
 second Large Steel Plant.
 He will spend some of his time at Ensley where his company is erecting Q second large steel plant rms m