The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-03
INQUIRY FOR IRON
DEMAND FOR PRODUCT OVER
 REACHES SUPPLY.
Alabama Manufacturers are calling off their Agents Being Filled up With
 Orders-SteeI and Coal

-lAlaDdHna DIE Iron manuidctureiS oA beginning to call off their sales az ents, having sold as much iron for de- livery during the last half of this year as they desire to and having book ed a number of orders for delivery during the first three months of the coming year A large number of in- quiries are being received in this dis trict for iron to be delivered during the first three months of the com ing year and while 1t is not doubt ed but that many of these inquiries are only sounding prospective market. there Is evidence that the iron IS wanted and that orders will follow a good proportion of these inquiries. Sales agents have been notified not to hustle for business but to let the consumers seek the market. The Ala bama manufacturers will protect the local consumers and those ~who have been coming to this market regularly and the consumers will shortly know that this Is being done.
 The production in Alabama shows no improvement to amount to any, thing The Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company will blow in a fur mace at Ensley this week, the iron maker having just gone through a thorough repairing. The Sloss-Shef- field Steel & Iron Company will be ready in short while to blow in one of its two furnaces now under re- pairs. Another furnace or two will shortly be ready for the torch but some of the furnaces in blast now will have to be blown out for re- pairs so that the prospects for increas- ing the production are not as bright as they might be. The probable make for the last half of the year has been we'll covered. If there is
 he lyn hA same will be used as spot iron, most likely.
 There Is not much dealing in spot iron going on right now, statement being made that the furnace companies have theE hands full in filling orders that were accepted some weeks ago and longer. Some of the furnace companies in this district are said to be behind little in their de- liveries There Is no reserve or &C., cumulated iron to be seen and the shipping clerks are being kept busy performing their work. Spot iron still commands a high price, $23.50 and even SPA per ton, No. foundry being quoted. Iron for delivery dur ing the fourth quarter of this year has gone up some, $20.50 and S2l be- ing quoted for No. 2 foundry year and a half ago this price was hardly
  delivery during next year under $1sS0 per ton, No. 2 foundry. At this price there Is good profit and even the small est furnace company which has to purchase its raw material from other companies can exist thereon.
 In notifying selling agents not to be active, some of the furnace com panies in this district have taken the position that the local consum- ha far Whtla others who have been trading in this section will make their usual inquiries and If the same can be accommodated they will soon find out, whereas if the busi- nes is sought by the agents, then the , furnace companies would feel as if they should handle the business whether it is hard tack or not The calling off of the sales agents is most significant, showing the strength of the mart.
 It is not denied that almost twice as much iron was sold during the month just over as can be made in a month and longer. The probable make for the balance of the year with almost all of the companies in this district has been we'll covered and the prospects are that if the manu- facturers desire to they can sell in a very short while the probable make for the first three months In 1908.
 The production in Alabama has been we'll considered In the booking of business No chance to increase the production was overlooked and sales were made contingent on a bet ter output at furnaces than is now being obtained. The iron sold by the Alabama furnacemen Is going out in all directions. Of course, there is a large home consumption but the out ward movement is extensive. The cast iron pipe plants, the foundries and machine shops. soil pipe works, the rolling mills and the steel plants re- quire a large tonnage of iron. Every one of these industries In the Birming- ham district are in full operation and prospects are very bright for a con- tinuation through the summer. Even at the rolling mills there promises to be only a short lay off this summer to permit of repairs to be made. When the plants resume there will be room for a large number of rolling mill men. Efforts have been made already to locate a number of hands and it would appear that as soon as repairs have been made at the rolling mills and resumption is on there will be a steady run for many months. No change is noted in the cast iron pipe mart conditions. The various plants throughout Alabama and at Chatta- nooga are said to have many orders on rand and the melt of iron for this year will be healthy. Many pipe testers are being kept busy and from the different plants car loads of the products are being moved out right along. Good prices obtain forsa cast iron pipe with no indication of a reduction or change in the near future. This is one industry that does not lag In the summer time in fact the greater DOT tion of pipe used in theindH1lFea1i5af tion of pipe used by the larger cities is used during the summer months when piping can be laid and other similar improvement is usually pushed.
 In steel, only the best of reports are received in Birmingham, the center of the steel and iron hub. The an nouncement of the sale of an addition al lot of thirty thousand tons of rail by the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company brings on more talk and gives reason why the work on the new steel plant at Ensley should be push ed. The probable make of rail for next year, even with the new steel plant on Is fast selling. The last thirty thous- and tons will be delivered to the Southern Railway and 1t is understood that plenty of time is given the Ten nessee Company to make the delivery. The blast iron furnace which will blow in this week at EnSley will fur