The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-11
PIG IRON MARKET
nlRMIxGHAM DISTRICT IS JUDILANT OVER OUTLOOK.
oaIy Dfsesrdant Note Is Caused By FnfIure of Railroads To Come Up
 To Car Supply Neces-

With the probable make for the third quarter well covered and a steady in- qntry being received for iron to be < manufactured and delivered during the z latter part of the year, the happy con- ditions can well be imagined in the ip- duetrini section of Alabama
 The furnaces in blast are producing the usual amount of Iron. The make ia just about holding its own. Since the first of the month. one furnace has gone into blast manufacturing charcoal iron, and one furnace has been blown out for repairs.
 However, two furnaces are being got x ten ready to go into blast before the Q end of the month. The Si0ss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company are to make extensive repairs about one of their North Birmingham furnaces, skip hoist, and other modern appurtenances to be added.
 In the midst of the happiness &C., counted for above. good demand and high prices. there is still some distress evident in that the shipments are not as active as was anticipated In some cir a1es another loud complaint is being raised as to the movement. the expect aticns being for heavy traffic this month. while the facts show that in de- spite of promises to make an extraor- dinary effort the aggregate tonnage for the month will hardly be any better than it was in January, save there is something big done during the balance of the month.
 The railroad car shortage and the ! lack of locomotive power appears to be quite a proposition. Some railroad men who want to overlook the shortage of equipment assert that the railroads are doing just about as much business az they can do with one track. in other words, they say never before was it so apparent that double track lines are needed as at present.
 The indications point right now to large amount of Iron still being on the yards at the end of the present month. The advance of twenty-five cents per ton on freight rates will surely go into effect March 3, say the tratilc men and the Iron men are again signing as time passes and the shipments are not show Ing much improvement.
 There is, however, no fear expressed In this district that any orders for iron placed some time ago are likely to be 9ountermanded Indications point to the need of every ton Of iron that can be manufactured this year. There are two classes of people being seen in the Birmingham market right now, or be- ing heard from. They are the consum- CTS who are urging A delivery of the product ordered some months since, and those who are looking out for their fu- NuFG Heeds. The cOnSunerS nave many orders on hand which will require an immense lot of iron in manufacturing and carrying out.
 The importation of some pig iron does not disturb the manufacturers here any; in fact, there appears to be mo end of the needs. prominent iron interest in this distri in discussing the conditions states that the inquiries being received now indicate that many of the consumers are somewhat afraid that they are not going to be able to get all the iron they will need.
 That the furnace companies in this section should sell their probable make as far as nine months ahead of time causes considerable comment among those who have been watching the iron and steel marts of the Southern terri tory for years. The iron manufacturers in this district, with hardly any ex- ception, will sell their product a year ahead now if the prices warrant 1t.
 It is not denied that the prices being received for iron now, notwithstanding the fact that labor and cost of pro- ducing the commodity Is higher than For many years; in fact, than ever ba- fore, is most satisfactory. With No foundry iron selling at $19 per ton. and nine months time being given for delivery, hardly any better condition could be expected.
 
 steel and finished iron and steel All departments at the Ensley steel plant of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road Company are in full blast again. and the production is quite healthy. Plans have been drawn for larger bins for the raw material at the steel works The rail mill is on in full operation. and the product is being shipped out as quickly as it is finished The rail be- ing manufactured at Ensley is sold ahead into 1908 already. At the rolling mills there is steady employment for a large. number of men.
 Cast iron pipe is still in strong de- nand with good prices prevailing. The yards at the pipe works are well GOV cred with the manufactured product just as the yards around the furnaces are well covered with pig iron, Or ders are in hand. though for large quantities of pipe and just as soon Us the cars can be secured with which to make shipments the same will be sent out,
 Ore Mining Companies.
 Ore mining companies who sell to the manufacturers of pig iron are in fine letter right now because of the sharp demand for their product. The statement is made that some of these mining companies have accepted con tracts which will call for the better
  put during this year.
 The ore mining companies make d larger profit than do the coal producers as the mines are not so expensive to operate nor Is the labor as expensive. In coal mining. union labor plays an important part, while in ore mining common labor is the principal labor used. One of the latest ore mining companies Is that of the Red Ore Min ing Company, incorporated in the last few days by W. M. Byrd Jr., and as- sociates, capital stock, $G0,0OO.
 This company is said to have con tracts which will keep the mines in operation for a long while. Spur tracks are being constructed already to reach the mines of this company There Is but little good ore property to be purchased in this State now al is more undeveloped coal lands than ore lands. The development In the ore fields in the last six months has been better than for six years past, very little attention being given to the raw material supplies in the past except as to coAl and coke.
 Coal and Coke.
 State Mine Inspector J M. Gray vii this week complete the figures on his annual report for 1906. There is nc doubt now but that the report vii show a decrease as compared to tn, output in 1905 The railroad cal shortage during the last four months of the past year is now making