The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-19
Pic IRON MARKET
FIRM AND ACTIVE
Brisk Selling for Last Half of
the Year
TONNAGE is INCREASING
Railroad Companies Putting Embar-
Goes on Iron Shipments Causing
TroubIe-Furnace Operators
Complain of Freight Rate.

The Birmingham iron market continues
strong at recent quotations. Most OF the
companies have sold the bulk OF thelr
OUTPUT for the first half and are selling
freely for the last half. The Sloss-Shef-
field company has been selling this week
for last half delivery at the rate of 1000
tons a day, which is about twice as
much as it's present daily production.
The price for delivery after July is $l9
on No. 2 basis. Quotations for the hrst
quarter are $3.50 to $24 for No. and for
the second quarter. $22 to $500.
The Sloss-Sheffield has about 10000 tons
of metal on its yards most of which
would have been shipped could the rail-
roads have furnished transportation. Inc
embargoes that some of the lines nave
put on iron shipments-"unth further
notice'-hamper shippers seriously and
iron will accumulate faster than ever. The
furnace companies are making loud com
plants against the railroads for advanc-
ing freight rate in pig iron in view of
the fact that large tonnage sold for de-
livery weeks ago, is unshipped for want
of cars.
Rogers, Brown x GO. Cincinnati iO-
port for the current week follows;
Inquiries and sales of good size and
for delivery during an extended period
are still the features of the iron trade in
the early weeks of 1907. 1t is recognized
now by buyers generally, that any iron
available for the first half will have to
be manufactured over and above the es-
Inmates as they have been made by the
furnaces which means that such small
tonnage will only be available from time
to time as spot iron at spot prices.
The week has seen several advances
in northern iron and southern figures are
strong and firm. There Is more uniform
itv among sellers of both northern ana
southern product in regard to figures for
the last half of the year and TINS mas
resulted in encouraging sales for these
deliveries.
The production of pig iron in Decem-
Der. although a month when holidays
figured largely in interfering with fun
work, especially in the south, made
high water mark for several months,
with over 2.270,oOo tons.
The buying movement for the last half
which has been in evidence for several
weeks, took a new lease on life in the
Pittsburgh district recently and large
tonnage was bought for last half de-
livery by the leading consumers there
abouts.
Little change is noted in coke mar
kets at various districts. Prices continue
steady and the demand is quiet. DeliV-
cries, while far from satisfactory, are
infinitely better than they would have
been in nine cases out of ten at this
time of the year, due entirely to the
wonderfully open winter, which so far
has been experienced. Each day of this
unreasonable weather means just that
much gain for the coke manufacturers
and one more step nearer spring.
resenting The State, one OF the largest
papers published in South Carolina, and
one of the best. He arrived with Gov
ernor Hayward yesterday, and during the
afternoon talked of the troubles of turn
ing the relns of government over to
new governor In his state.
1.-THE dispensary problem makes it very
difficult for one administration to turn
over the reIns of government to another"
said Mr. Norman. There is so much
machinery in connection with the dspen-
sary that it is an exceedingly difficult
and tedious task. 1t takes much longer
in South Carolina than in the other states
where the dispensary question does not
arise"