The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-07
IRON MARKET QUIET
BIRMINGHAM MANUFACTURERS
 ARE OPTIMISTIC, HOWEVER.
The Furnace Companies Believe That The Consumers WnI Soon Re- turn to Market And No
 Apprehension is Felt.

Birmingham, Oct, 6--(SpeciaD--
 Despite the fact that the pig iron mar ket in this territory Is still quiet. the
 iron manufacturers in the Birmingham
 district are holding up their heads and are in an optimistic mood as regard l the future There is very little iron | to be sold for delivery during the balance of the year and there is posi- lively no accumulation on the furnace
 yards, notwithstanding complaint Is
 heard as to a car shortage in the dis
 trict.
 With the probable make for the last quarter of 1907 well covered and no prospects of appreciable increase in the output this year yet. thesfurnace com l panies say they Are in 8 position where
 they do not have to get out and give concessions to get business. All iron
 that is now selling for delivery during ' the last quarter of the year is bringing between SIS and $1s.50 per ton No. 2 foundry. No price Is given for iron
 to be delivered during the first half Of the year though the egstatement Is made that a few sales nave been booked
 recently at SIT per ton. with $16 as the
 lowest price heard. No. 2. foundry, con- | sidered
 There has been a denial that No 9 l foundry, has been selling in this dis
 trict under SIG per ton, delivery dur
 ing the first half of the year. While the consumers are holding off from the market there is no doubt but that
 they will need some iron with which
 to complete contracts already on hand
 and the prospects for other work are
 very bright. However. the manufac-
 turers show no apprehension and boz | lieve that the consumers will return to the market in the near future and
 begin buying in quantity for future,
 needs Positively no effort is being
 spared in this district to keep up the production. Talk heard in other dis centers in particular. that hard times are staring the people in the face, is not putting a stop to much of the work
 being done in his section. The Birm- ingham Coal and Iron Company Is pushing the work on the new blast
 iron furnace at Vanderbilt. near here.
 The Shelby Iron Company is putting
 in several stoves at the Shelby furnace plant. This will have Q tendency to in- I crease the make at that place con-
 siderably when the improvements are
 completed. One furnace at Shelby is out for repairs. The Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company will within
 ready for the torch also. The raw
 material supplies are somewhat easier
 and all prospects point to a better out put of iron right along.
 | The fact that there is no accumula- ton of iron and that deliveries are be-
 ing made about as rapidly as the iron
 Is being produced is a good sign and gives the manufacturers permission to put on the bold front that is noticed When there Is a large quantity of iron on the yards and the market is quiet as 1t Is now some apprehension is created among the producers and an
 effort Is made to secure business.
 While it is not denied that the mart
 is quiet right now, there Is no iron on the yards and the probable make for the three months to come has been dis- posed of practically which makes a diff
 ferent condition. The inquiry for Iron 4 for delivery during the first half of
 the coming year is still noticed but little of this inquiry is developing into
 business. What sales are being made
 now are for car lots mostly. showing
 that in many cases the consumers are
 buying for their immediate needs only. Il Reports received from the foundries and machine shops are to the effect that while better condition could be enjoyed. there is steady work for the employees and indications point fairly l good season ahead. The foundries and l machine shops in the immediate neigh borhood have iron on hand for nearly
 all contracts on hand and should there be 8 big improvement the buying of l supplies win not be delayed any at all. 1 In other words. the foundries and machine shops are expecting some healthy contracts for the future but
 until these contracts are received there | will be no buying of iron.
 Ther is no change in the steel situa- 1 tion in Alabama. The new open hearth
 furnacessat the big steel plant of the | Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company at Ensley will not be able to begin operation for quite a while yet, possibly three weeks If not longer.
 The little accident last week causes | the delay. Every ton of steel being manufactured or rolled into various shapes Is finding a ready demand. The prospects in the steel mart are l bright, regardless of reports to the contrary from the North.
 Coal and Coke Both coal and coke in this district are in good demand
 with prices healthy. Fuel agents of several of the Southern railroads have been in this district looking after com tracts for the coming winter and ! several healthy orders have been placed with coal producers hereabouts. The mines are working hard. gas explosion in Mine No. z, of the Tenes- | see Coal, Iron and Railroad Company's | mines, during the past week was the first of the kind in this district in many months. The inspectors keep after a close inspection by fire bosses | in the mines for gas all the time and very few accidents from this cause are | reported. Coal mined in this State is finding its way into many Southern sections now. A proposition has been received by Congressman Underwood | to have some coal briquettes made of | the Alabama product and then send same to several foreign countries | where the briquette plan is used look | ing to the working up of such trade. | The coal will be furnished in this dis l trict. The railroads are expecting all needs on their part to be filled this
 winter and they express no uneasiness. With but two exceptions the railroads
 getting their supplies from this dis
 trict are looking for a steady delivery during the winter months, in other
 words. there has not been very great
 stacking up of the product to be used during the rush months
 l Coke Is becoming stronger in demand
 and the prices are improving right
 along.
 GREAT IN ALL WAYS.