The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-11
IRON MARKET DULL
PRODUCTION IS CURTAILED IN BIR.
 MINGHAM DISTRICT.
Present Conditions Are Thought To Be Only Temporary, And Good Times Are Looked For Again
 Soon.

1 l Birmingham. Nov. 10.--(Special.)--
 Despite the fact that the pig Iron and l steel market is extremely dull and the production has been cartailed consid-
 erabiy in the Birmingham district there is much hope that the near flu. | ture will see a clearing off of condi- | tions and good times will be on again The furnaces which were shut down were left in fairly good condition, in l fact in such condition that they can be started Up again on very short mo- tice. Furnaces on which repairing was being done, looking to an early opera ton, are almost completed and the little army of men could be put back on again and in short while get
 everything in readiness. There will be
 q resumption of Work at several of the ore mines during the coming week
 that were shut down because of the dullness. It is believed now that a strong stock of ore will be laid in, prep aratcry to lengthy and steady opera ton at furnaces and other plants.
 There has been but little, if any, cur
 tailment at the coal mines since the reversal in business and general 6condi- tions started in. The coal operators
 
 for all the coal that can be mined. A few batteries of coke ovens have been shut down but thse. too, were left in such a condition that on very short notice they could be started up again. The raw material supplies are being watched again incident to big pro- duction of pig iron.
 The large number of hands laid off haves been. given to untierstand that the present conditions are only tenn porAfy. High officials of iron and steel companies state that indications point to a general improvement in the near future. The sales being made right now are In car lots. thirty to fifty ton sales being noted. The cast iron pipe makers are feeling the dull spell It. s..1 sA1ssA t !s positively denied that there has been any reduction of forces. Labor Is not plentiful enough when conditions are healthy to take any chances when a little dull spell comes on, says a prominent pipe interest.
 With furnaces recently blown out, 1t is stated that no less than eight iron makers can be blown in on less than a months notice, i've of these on a weeks notice almost.
 The purchase of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company by the Uni- ted States Steel corporation, is still the main topic of discussion in this section. The announcement that John A. Topplngf chairman of the board of directors. and F. H. Crockard. vice president ahd general manager of the Tennessee Company, had been elected to positions on the directory of the steel corporation, was pleasing to many people who watch industrial conditions in this State. This is taken to mean that not only the improvements started on by these gentlemen with the Ten nessee properties would be completed but further developmnt would be un- dertaken.
 There is positively no doubt but that the new purchaser of the proper ties intend operating the plants and to their fullest capacities. There may be some reorganization as to the oper ating department, but the local organ ization will not be changed to any great degree. Representatives of the new purchasers bAve been ip the dis trict for several days now, looking over the properties and preparing a report to be submitted to the higher officials of the United States Steel corporation.
 It has been known for some time that the big steel corporation had eyes on the Tennesse Company, because of the large acreage of coal and ore. It Is not denied that some rebuilding will have to be done as to iron makers, so as to bring them up to capacities of Northern and Western furnaces, but when 1t comes to raw material, the district has quite an asset that could not be overlooked. F. H. Crockard, who has been practically in full charge of operations of the Ten nessee company during the past few months, and who was slated for the of the Tennessee company, had not the sale been consumated, is
 
 district and has formed ideas as to a larger industrial corporation, which many believe will be put Into execu- ton.
 The plants of the Southern Steel Company, recently placed in the hands of the receivers, have been doing we'll lately and reports which emanated from a good source have been all along that there will be no cessation and that with orders in hand and in sight there should be a steady run for some time to come. The demand for steel rod, wire and nail is good.
 The coal situation in Alabama does not feel the dullness as has the iron and steel lines. There are but few mines which have been working on slack time. The railroad car situation has been the terror in the coal fields, being delayed from this cause alone. It is not believed that there will be an extensive Interruption to the coal traffic in this State by the financial furry and the statisticians are still figuring on an output for the year of fifteen million tons. While the home consumption has let up a little the general conditions are favorable l and the miners are being given an op- to dig coal.
 Iron prices going down will shortly i affect the mining prices, though so far all wages have been stationary in mining circles In many quarters the | mining wages are not based any more | on the average price of pig iron but a | flat rate is paid. Where the union is | recognized pig iron prices set the min Ing price.