The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-18
PIG IRON MARKET
ALABAMA MANUFACTURERS woR.
 REED OVER TWO FRINGE.
T'ransportation Facilities Remain Inad- equate and it is Impossible to Increase the Production-- Good Prices Are Se-
 cured

Birmingham, March 17.--(Special. l--- The manufacturers of pig iron in this State are worried over but two things the poor transportation facilities and the inability to increase the produc- ton.
 It is easily seen that the railroad service now is worse than it has been during the past two months, despite the promises made for better con- dition in that line and personal effort made to carry out the promises. The month will end with much disappoint- ment on the part of the iron msnufac- turers in the delivery of the product The yards will carry considerable iron and cast iron pipe and the present in- dications are that there will be more than 30.000 tons still on the yards when the month shall have passed by.
 The manufacturers of iron have been receiving many requests from consum- ers to push out the Iron ordered sev- eraI months back and some of the larger consumers have been making inquiries for small lots of spot Iron.
 The spot iron Is hard proposition, though some sales are to be noticed, SEA per ton, No. foundry being the price Several furnaces in this sec ton now report having sold well ahead on the probable make to October, Sales are being made right along for delivery after October and in every
 
 out that s1s per ton. No. foundry. Is the price booked.
 The manufacturers of iron in this section are again considering the pro- posed advance in freight rates which Is now due to go into effect on April 3. The iron men expect the railroads to protect them on rates until all or the accumulated tonnage has been re- moved from the district
 The production is of considerably. Furnaces have been working SO hard that several are needing repairs. The repairing Is not going on as rapidly as the furnaces are going out, in other words the companies are working the furnaces just as long as they will stand for It. The Woodward Iron Company lost one furnace this week, the lining giving away. A large force of men was put to work on the iron maker at l once and just as quickly as the work can be done the plant will be put in shape again and the torch applied. A casual investigation shows fifteen furnaces out of blast in this section Five of these furnaces will be ready for operation before the expiration of four weeks, two to go into blast dur ing this week. The Sloss-Shefheld Steel and Iron Company is still push ing the work of repairing on the Flor ence furnace and when the iron maker does get back to work the daily out put will be greater by good deal than | heretofore.
 The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rail- road Company is working on five fur naces in the immediate district with prospects of completing two during the l next four weeks. The Republic Com 1 pany has one furnace out, the Ala 1 bama Consolidated Coal and Iron one, the Southern Steel Company one. and others.
 have one furnace going in short ! while now, while the furnace at Ris- | ing Pawn, Ga, should be in full op- eration again before many days pass.
 While furnace repairing is going on, preparations are being made to improve the raw material supply. The furnaces are suffering a little for the want of ore. coke and other products. It is stated on the best of authority that this condition is caused by the poor ! railroad service instead of the mines and ovens not working steadily.
 As an illustration, prominent iron man states that few days ago. one of the railroads stated that freight was subject to three days delay and that several car loads of coal being brought less than fifty miles. were on the road three days. Investigation showed that there was a tremendous block at the terminals.
 All the roads appear to be suffering alike and the delay in transportation is considerably augmented by conditions at the terminals. Very few of the new railroad cars said to have been ordered some time back are arriving. A few more locomotives are coming this way now, but the block at the terminals is in a most serious condition. With proper transportation facilities, the opinion is expressed that the pig l iron production in this State could be increased at least five per cent. There is delay on all sides.
 The Labor Question. | More foreign labor was brought to 1 the Birmingham district during the week just passed than during any one | week in the last year. A large number | of Sicilians arrived about the middle | of the week, while Friday and Satur- day, Austrians came almost in droves. | The Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad 1 Company, is getting the larger number of these foreigners. and they are being put to work immediately on arrival. In and around Ensley there is now a con glomerated colony of foreigners. Slavs,
 Poles, Hungarians, Italians and Rus slams are mingling. At Woodward, | there arc Mexioans.
 Around Thomas and Pratt City, Ital- 1 fans, Slavs and Hungarians are to be | Is receiving a large amount of this for eign labor, and the needs do not appear
 to be satisfied by good deal yet. A
 large force of men is at work on the
 new steel plant at Ensley. no little of
 the new labor to be given employment
 here later.
 The Job is such a. big one that 1t
 takes several weeks for any great
 amount of difference in the progress to
 be noted by anyone who can sec the job daily. The industrial corporations
 are managing to keep the labor well In
 the district Some of the larger rail
 road contractors in this district. who
 have recently secured large jobs, have
 made effort to get negro labor to go
 with them from this district, but 1t Is
 learned on good authority that the la
 bor is sticking better in this district than was the case year ago.
 Coal and Coke,
 The coal production In this State is held down only by the poor faIlroad service The Pratt Consolidated Coal Company will shortly be working at full capacity twenty-seven new mines in the western part of Jefferson Coun-