The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-06
SELLING MUCH IRON
PRODUCTION NOT INCREASED IN
 BIRMINGHAM DISTRICT.
Manufacturer Are Talking of Strong- CT Prices-May Blow in More Furnaces at Early
 Date.

Birmingham. Jan. 5.-(Special )-- l Pig iron manufacturers in Alabama are
 disposing of more iron now than they ! have for several weeks. and the pros poets are bright for steady improve | ment in conditions all around. While I the production has not been improved, | the little surplus iron in the yards is | being moved of and if the improvement | in demand already started in just
 keeps up there will be need for a few | furnaces blowing in.
 The improvement in conditions has
 caused the manufacturers to talk of strong price and the public state
 ment as to quotations places the figure around the S14 per ton mark for No. 1 | foundry If there Is any iron selling | at 312.50 now. no verihcation can be
 secured. The accumulated stock is not
 so great. one of the larger companies | reporting 50,000 tons of iron to be
 sold.
 The railroads are giving prompt ser- vice land if the demands keep on i'm proving there will be no iron on hand and the furnaces can be started with | impunity. The readjustment of wages has extended from the ore fields to the iron works. the furnaces. steel plants
 and now is on in the coal fields. When the next pay day comes around, about ! the middle of February, all labor will have sustained a cut in wages. There | has been no serious objection so far | to the readjustment in wages inasmuch
 as the workingmen are aware of the | fact that unless they do submit to this
 the manufacturers could hardly hope
 to maintain a steady production. A we'll known young broker in the | Birmingham district in speaking of the | iron market said, that while the ag- gregate business being done now was
 not to be bragged about, that it in- | Al .~.k | and that the consumers are slowly re-
 turning to the market He intiBlated
 that the demand was sufficient to war rant the optimistic feeling to hold up | prices. He expressed the belief that
 before the expiration of this month | there will have been a decided im- provement in the general conditions.
 Two furnaces in the Birmingham dis l trict, basic iron makers, will resume operation this week at Ensley. A large quantity of raw material for | iron making has been stored in conve- nient places near furnace plants fin this district to be used when the cur tailment of production shall be of the past. The mines have been kept up right along. though not at full speed, | and as consequence there Is a large | quantity of ore, ready for use. Cast iron pipe makers are doing nicely the daily output being inter- esting and the demand being reason-
 ably good. The prices are favorable also with the cast iron pipe makers. The consumption of iron in the Bir-
 mingham district is still little slug gish. the cast iron pipe makers being practically the only consumers that are f in the market. There is nothing being
 done at rolling mills in this State. al most all of them being shut down.
 There is not a full stock of bar iron II ,-.VIF IF.,1r NNa
 and the least improvement in the con-
 ditions will necessltate the starting up
 of the plants again.
 While 1t is admitted that much la
 bor is idle right now. the best of feel
 Ing prevails and the workingmen are
 resting up from the three years of great prosperity that prevailed The
 labor is ready to resume work just as soon as Is desired.
 The prospects at the big steel plant are bright, the production being very
 healthy.
 Announcement is made that the Bes- semer Soil Pipe Plant. which has been idle for three weeks and longer. giv- ing employment to between 400 and 500 men. will resume operations Mon day R. O. Nelson of St. Louis. is President of this concern. and W. B. Graham is General Manager. This is one of the largest plants In the district to resume operation since the nrst or the year. It is understood that 1t will be followed by other industries now either idle or running slack.
 Many rumors prevail again in the Birmingham district that the United States Steel Corporation which re- gently purchased the properties of the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad Com pany. will begin on the expenditure of several million dollars in making the improvements and enlargements decided on some time ago. Plans for big operations In this district are said to be under consideration in the gem eral offices of the big corporation.
 The coal mining industry in Ala bama has taken a fresh start for the year and already there is as large. an output as was noted before the holi- day season set in. The completion of the extension of the Birmingham Southern Railway to Mine No. 12, the new opening of the Tennessee Com pany in the Pratt Mines division, means much in the coal mining section. It will not be many weeks now before a regular production will be coming from the new place.
 It Is the consensus of opinion that before the expiration of another month the demand for pig iron. steel and oth- CT products of a similar nature will have improved to such an extent that the manufacturers will be warranted in startling up at least four or Ave furnaces. if not more.