The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-13
SMALL LOT SALES
PIG IRON MARKET SHOWS A RE-
 MARExABLE IMPROVEMENT.
This Lively Selling Even in Small Lots, Has Brought About . Strength ening In Quotatfons--Fur-
 nacea To Resume.

Birmingham, Jan. 12-tSpecial)-- The aggregate of the small lot sales being made by the Alabama pig iron manufacturers is of such proportions that there Is no doubt but that in the near future, the blowing in of some additional furnaces will be necessary.
 Stocks of iron, which accumulated since the middle of October when the collapse in the iron market was first felt, are being reduced so rapidly that In short while the furnace companies will have to increase the output in order to keep up with the demand. But few orders of a healthy size have been received in this section in the last three months but the small lot orders have been numerous and are still of great frequency that the amount of iron being moved out is far from be- ing of mean proportions.
 The lively selling of iron, even in small lots. has brought about a strengthening in quotations. The larger producers of iron are not quot ing No. foundry iron under $1350 per ton. Iron sold under this price was disposed of by smaller manufac- turers and by the receivers of the Southern Steel Company who are said to have had two thousand tons of pig iron which went below the SIS mark The smaller manufacturers are not selling rapidly under the common quotations. however, though the larger makers are anxious for them to fill their books.
 J. c. Maben, president of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company, in speaking of the pig iron market said:
 There Is no denying the fact that ment in the market. There is con siderable iron being sold right now in small lots-the aggregate being quite satisfactory, So far there Is no neces- sity for blowing In furnaces. The stock of iron on the yards In the Southern territory has been reduced some since the first of the year. The indications are that better times are coming fast. There is a good inquiry being started for the product and l look for healthy conditions in the near future."
 It is estimated that the stock on furnace yards in athis state will be under fifty thousand tons when the re- ports are received from furnace man. agers the first of this week. Before the first of the year it was announced that something over ninety thousand tons or iron were to be found on the Alabama furnace yards. The railroads are giving every assistance in moving
 
 tion is improving right along. Some or the larger consumers of iron in this district announce that their business IS picking up--the cast iron pipe makers. An official of one of the larger pipe plants of the district said that the trade was improving rapidly and that despite the fact that the rail- roads were not buying the large pipe as before, other business was taking US place right along and the plans are stil working, practically on full time. Some healthy orders for cast iron pipe are being figured on from Oklahoma and Indian Territory. Bids have been made for this business and It Is positive that the business will be handled py some of the pipe makers- in the Birmingham territory The Bessemer Soil Pipe Company plant at Bessemer, which resumed operations during the past week. the employees ac- cepting readjustment in wages