The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-21
IRON MARKET DULL
MANUFACTURERS ARE BUILDING
 AND IMPROVING FURNACES.
All Are ef the Opinion That Production is the Thing Now--Msny New Furnaces Ready
 for Torch.

Rirminrham, Oct, o.--(Specfal .)-- Alabama pig iron manufacturers are giving every attention to the prouuc- tion of iron and just as quickly as possible furnaces not in condition are being improved and made ready for the torch. The iron mart right now is dull, and. the prospects not alto gether bright.
 nauufacturers and indications to | their being able to carry some iron on the yards. The production is the
 thing, as far as can be seen m tnis
 The Alabama Consolidated Coal and | Iron Company Is ready to blow in two furnaces. The little Williamson fur- mace in the city proper. which has daily capacity of between eisnty-nve and 100 tons of iron, is being worked | on and the lining will be repaired be- | fore the end of the month. The Ten- nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com pany has two furnaces ready for the torch with one iron maker in need of repairs The Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company will shortly increase It's
 make of iron. Other furnaces In this State are almost ready to have the torch applied. There Is no iron on the furnace yards, hereabouts, the ship ments being as great as the produce
 tion. S
 Despite the fact that the iron mart | is dull, the manufacturers are not wtl- | ling to accept business for delivery during the last quarter of this year under SIS per ton, No. foundry. Re- ports have been current that some No. 8 foundry iron was sold in this dis | trist at s16 per ton. but If this Is true, | the tonnage was not very great and s4@ best time possible for delivery was taken. It Is given out openly that very little, if any. business for the frst
 half of the coming year is being re- ce1yed in this State. Some inquiries have been heard of but the urgency of the need ts not shown. There Is no set price on the product for deliv- cry during the coming year, though it is reported that the, manufacturers are not fearing the future. All kinds of alarming reports are being received from the North and West. but the fact that every effort is being made to in- crease the production demonstrates that the producers are stili full of hopes and anticipate no extensive set back. The present dullness may wear Tom shortly. If it continues. the fur mace companies can afford to accumu- Hate some of the product. A couple of years ago the furnace yards in the Birmingham district were well filled with pig iron and when the demand was very active the reduction of stocks was not a slow matter and in a short while it was announced that surplus stocks could not be looked to and the
 make would have to be figured on alone.
 There, is again some talk that the coming year Is presidential year. The stringeney of other markets in the East and West both is pointed to as bound to have some effect on the iron and steel mart Bearish reports concern ing the larger iron and steel concerns are to be heard in this district
 And still the production goes on and efforts are yet being made to increase the production and some success is be- ing attained in that direction.
 In addition to the pig iron market being dull, the steel, cast iron pipe, soil pipe, machine shop and foundry trades
 are also reported quiet. The laying of of several hundred hands at the l steel plants at Ensley during the past week caused considerable surprise, but 1t is announced that this action is only temporary The steel plants are said to have a number of orders stiIf on hand for their varous products, but | the demand for future delivery is somewhat like that in the Iron mart. The cast-iron manufacturers in this l district have hopes of getting . part | of if not all of the recent Cuban order let to an English concern. It is stated I that failure to add the duty on the product in the cost has caused . de- sire to cancel the original order. In
 this case the cast-iron pipe makers of this district will receive business that will keep them busy awhile at least. i.
 Coal aHd Coke--Every ton of coal that can be mined and every ton of coke that can be produced is finding
 a ready demand A shortage of rail-
 roaod cars Is reported in the coal folds. There are no prospects of an abatement
 in the near future in the dmand for
 and coke both.