The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-24
P|G IRON MARKET
 IS NOW IMPROVING
Considerable Tonnage Is Now
 Being Contracted For
OUTLOOK MUCH BRIGHTER
Mining Situation Favorable from op- erators' Point of view-Produc- ton Increasing and Outside
 Coke Not in Demand.

The Birmingham pig iron market is beginning to show signs of improvement. | After several weeks of dullness, following i the heavy buying in May and the early part of June, considerable tonnage has recently been contracted for. The Re- public recently sold 10000 tons to one con- 1 cern, and Vice President Mcqueen of the ! Sloss- Sheffield reports that he has sold 10000 tons within the past two days. Some other companies are making sales of varying tonnage and the total for the month will, after all, make fair show ing.
 While quotations range from S12 to $12.50 on d No. ? basis, there has been some shading, and sales have been made at
 figures around $1150. MT. Mcqueen de- cined to state what prices he got for large tonnage, but it is. understood that it was around SIP. All agents seem to feel that if buying movement of good proportions comes in evidence, and shows staying qualities. the price will quickly advance to $1250, if not $13. The statistical position of the market is said to be decidedly favorable to higher price level.
 Rogers, Brown & Co.'S Cincinnati cir cular for the current week says:
 "rhe gradual improvement which has been noted from week to week has been well sustained and gives every indica- tion of further improvement. From now until the middle of August Is, under nor nal conditions, the dullest period in the iron and steel trade, and is always to be reckoned on as such. Comparing with normal times, present activity is some what less than usual, but, looking back over the last nine months, it Is the best we have had, and, being such a period of the year, this is all to be taken into consideration.
 "The peculiar feature of the market in general is the varying percentages of operation among metal manufacturing concerns. This will run from one-tenth of normal to night and day shifts through a varying scale and shows that buying in certain lines Is unusually heavy, whereas in others 1t is almost entirely, if not quite, down and out. The gains in most of the classes of manufacture during the last six weeks have been sub stantial, and at the present time per- haps the busiest are the plate and struc- tural shape-makers.
 Necessity facing the railroads for handling fall business in many lines, it | is expected, will shortly bring about a better condition among the malleablc companies, and with this class of busi- ness improved an immense step forward | will have been made. Movements on old contracts are better than they have been and current sales and inquiries are fair. The tendency is still to buy for imme diate needs, but as this particular class of tonnage is increasing, prices still re- main firm.
 "The labor troubles in the Birmingham : district have so far not affected the ope- ration of furnaces at that point, and the furnace stocks are being decreased daily by the large demands made upon them by meters. Forage irons are in strong de- mand and a considerable tonnage of these have been sold, particularly in the east
 "The coke market is in good shape. Sales of foundry coke are being made, but in no great tonnage. Furnace coke is active, especially in the Virginia and West Virginia fields"
 The mining situation in this district Is improving. Nearly all the furnace com panies reported increased output of coal yesterday. New miners are coming into the district this week in larger numbers than last, and arrangements have been made for bringing them in at still fast CT rate.
 One of the practical evidences of the ease in the 1ocat coke situation is this: Yesterday Virginia coke was offered here at a figure that would have been jumped at had iron companies been un- able to supply themselves, but the broker who was commissioned to sell 1t tried hard, it is said, but found no takers.