The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-16
IRON MEN HOPEFUL
BELIEVE CONDITIONS WILL IM-
 PROVE IN 1908.
No Chance for Immediate Reaction. Few Plants Will Be Shut Down.


 Birmingham. Dec. 15.-(Special.)- The consensus of opinion among the iron manufacturers in the Birmingham district which practically means the Southern territory. is that there will be a decided change for the better be- fore the second week in the coming year. The holiday season Is now about to set in. together with the de- pressed condition of the financial and business world. which precludes any chance of an immediate recovery. There will be but little shutting down of the few plants that are yet In opera tion to allow the employees to take the holiday season. The men who are at work are not anxious to lose time, evi- dently pleased that they have not met the same fate that a number of their co-laborers in other plants met win no work and winter on
 An estimate as to the number of fur naces in this State which can be start ed up on very short notice IS placed al twelve. Several more furnaces could be gotten ready within a few weeks for the torch. When the furnaces oo once start up again in Alabama. there will be nothing in the way or an in- terruption for many months, if the de- mand is only apparent. Ore Is being stocked high. while coke and coal has been assembled already in great quan-
 
 titles.
 ii will be remembered that during the first part of this year when DIE iron was needed so badly to hil most active demand, that some of the furnaces had to run slow because of the lack of ore. the mines not being able to furnish enough of the prod uct. This trouble was experienced by the larger iron companies in the dls- trict. While the demand for iron IS off now, 1t is intended to accumulate ore. coal and coke so that when the conditions change for the better again there will be plenty of raw material on hand to keep the furnaces III iuii blast right along.
 Several of the foundries and machine shops in this State, which have oesn dragging along. have closed down Io' the holiday season or are getting reaoS to do so.
 There is to be very littlestime lost al fhe steel plant of the Tennessee Coai Iron and Railroad Company at Ensley as far as can be learned. Quite large quantity of eighty pound stee rail has recently been shipped iron this plant. Some healthy orders wer' received several months back for thl product and delivery is being mau' as rapidly thereon as possible. Goo' | prices prevail for open hearth rall tSe ports again given out in the North Una | the open hearth steel rail IS giVin' the best of satisfaction with h' larger railroad systems which nav been buying much rail In the last Iou ar five years, causes much encourage ment to be shown in this distric' | Some of the best trade journals Tn th | North and West are still discussing th 1 open hearth steel rail and other proou nets and are predicting great iu 1 ture for this class of steel. The opel
 hearth steel rail is made altosethe | in the Birmingham district.
 An investigation reveals the lac
 that comparatively few laborers hay | left the Birmingham district. Consid | arabIe of the common labor has move away. some never to return again o u | the substantial labor is holding Ias' 1 full of hope yet that the depresslol | will all be over when this year shai 1 have passed away. 1t is evident Una with conditions active as they wer nine months of this year, the lapor 1 ing man has a good show in the Soutf | Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia ITO and coal industries paying in the ron run as we'll s do those of PennsyiVa mia. Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. It ha been ascertained that during the grea | activity In industrial circles In Ala | hama many of the working men pur
 chased their own homes and Tn tn majority of the instances these nome | have been paid for. At Pratt City' wy
 lam. Ensley, Woodward and even
 inc Blue Creek coal region. where th
 most desirable property Is owned the coal company, many homes MsI purchased by working people the mn