The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-10
A DEMAND FOR IRON
PREPARATIONS BEING MADE TO
 INCREASE MAKE.
Companies In the BirminRham District Announce that They win Increase. Their output-Good Prices
 Are Obtained.

blrmlnBnan, Aug. 9.-tSpecfal. )-- There is demand for every ton of pig iron that Is being manufactured in the Birmingham district and not only is l preparation being made to increase the | make. but quotations are improving The lowest price for No. 2 foundry | iron is now SIP per ton. with &12.5O be- ing asked the more frequently, and small lots being sold right along. The l last week of July and the first week of August saw considerable iron dis posed of. Announcement is made that during this week the Sloss- -She efiield Steel and Iron Company and the Ala bama Consolidated Coal and Iron Com pany will both put in a furnace and will increase their output 200 to 250 tons day. Three other furnaces In | the district are being worked on and will be placed in operation before fall The stocks of pig Iron on the furnace yards, which at present are not so ex- tensive as to attract attention. will be reduced right along. steady inroads now being made theron. The railroads report conditions in this district, occa-. sioned by the strike of the coal miners, as rather dull and they welcome the Improvement in the Iron market and the steady movement of the product.
 There Is a most healthy consumption of iron in the home territory. the cast iron pipe plants in particular melting large quantity of the product. Ma chine shops and foundries are still looking forward for some improve ment in their conditions and many for mer employees anticipate being able to return to their old places in the near future.
 The announcement that official ng- ures show that the production at the nineteen blast iron furnaces in opera tion in Alabama during the month of July had produced more iron than dur ing any month this year was most in teresting. The production in July is given at 124.670 tons. the next highest months production being In June. when 11t,3l9 tons were recorded. The pro-. duction so far this year is reported. at 730552 tons and there appears to be no doubt but that there will be e healthy
 make through the balance of the year. The first seven months of last year saw a big output at blast iron furnaces in this district; in fact, 1t was not un- til after the middle of October before the depression started in good and the curtailment of the production was put Into effect with what might be termed a vengeance. There was a good pro- duction during the year 1907. despite the three or four months bad times With a steady improvement in the make through August, September, oc- LONeTs NOFSnDeF ana DcCeHlpSts WltCfi appears most likely, the years make will
 not turn out so badly after all. There are forty-five stacks in Alabama, of which nineteen are only reported in operation. During this week there are two furnaces to have the torch applied, and by fall three others will be manu- featuring iron. so that there Is chance in this direction. With some hard
 work being done three other furnaces E run the total number Of furnaces in operation to twenty-seven. The two furnaces of the Shelby Iron Company. one of which usually manufactures nothing but charcoal Iron, are in good shape and need but little repairing to be ready for the torch. One of these furnaces was to have been started up a few weeks ago. but conditions of the market did not warrant 1t. The little Quinn furnace in the vicinity of Attalla, is also about ready for opera tion, though the company has had some financial troubles.
 There ss no iron being sold now in this district on a basis of $fl .b0 per ton, No. foundry. Even sl2 is con- siderod a low price. There is good line of inquiry being received in this district While 1t Is admitted that the strike in the coal field has disturbed conditions some and forced the pro- ducers of iron to get in a supply of both coal and coke from other States. the make Is being kept up right along.
 The cast iron. pipe plants are well supplied with orders and have other business in sight There appears 10 be general satisfaction In that line of business Nothing has been given out here as yet as to negotiations looking to the purchase of the Dimmick Pipe Company by the Sloss-Shefield Steel and Iron Company, a report to that effect having gotten out last week In New York. It Is known that direc- tor of the Dtnmick Company made statement in writing as to conditions of the ptpe plant and submitted them to the officials of the Sioss-Shefield Com many The purchase of this one pipe concern is said to be the nucleus of geenraI plan of purchasing pipe plants In this State, three or four others to be sought. It is said that this would supply a demand for pig iron that would require a handsome make and would bring about an organization that would be quite formidable. Cast iron pipe is being shipped out from this district in all directions. St. Louis recently has been receiving heavy shipments of the product while the Southwest has been getting no small amount of 1t also
 The Bessemer rolling mills have been closed down pending the settlement of tha miners strike. There art but few, if any, rolling mills in the Southern territory in operation night now. The prospects are good. however, for an early resumption in the mills.
 The steel plant at Ensiey (Tennes- see Coal Iron and Railroad Company
 continues to turn out a large quantity of steel in all shapes. 1t is expected that the production in August will be
 every bit as large as it was in July if not greater. There is hard work
 ing force of men employed at the steel plant and all appear anxious to make up all lost time during the summer. Steel rail is being called for by rail-
 roads who placed contracts some time ago back with delivery clauses at tached The product is being turned out in great shape and the quantity is
 most satisfactory.
 The coal production in Alabama, de- spite the strike. Is improving right along The operators have perfected strong organization and will work for mutual benefit This organization will assist the industry helping out the members when contracts cannot be filled or needs for coal cannot be sup- piled According to those in the lead of the movement, the organization rep resents all but 10 per cent of the en- fire production in the State. The lead CTS of the miners assert that they are dafarpafned fo reu1ain ont of the mines