The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-19
IRON MARKET ACTIVE
WIDE DIrFERENCE IN PRICES s AMONG MANUFACTURERS.
Two or Three of the Smaller ConHpa- nies Are Stnl Out of the Mar.
 kct Having Sold Proba- bIe Make.

Birmingham, April 1S.--(special.)-- = Pig iron selling continues fairly ac- tive in the Southern iron market though there is a wide difference in prices among the manufacturers. With some the minimum price is $11.5o per toh, No. foundry. while $1l and $1i.25 per ton appears a quotation with others. Two or three of the smaller companies are still out of the market. having sold their probable make for the second quarter of the year and not desiring to sell at prevailing prices for the second half of 1909.
 The larger companies, however, are still in the market for iron to be de. livered at any period. the sooner the better. The Sloss-Sheffield Steel Com pany with i've furnaces in operation has already announced that it's sales during the month of April aggregates more iron than will be made during the month. The expectations are held also that during the remainder of the month at least one or two months probable make will be disposed of. :. There fs good line of inquiries being received in this district and 1t is be- ueveda there will be considerable iron sold before the end of the second quar- ter of the year. The nearer the end of the discussion on the tariff question comes, the better becomes the iron market and more confidence is being expressed.
 There has been no curtailment of production recently In this section of the country and 1t is not improbable that such a necessity win be obviated. It is figured that 1t would not take a very great spurt in the demand to wipe off the little accumulation of iron that Is to be seen on the furnace yards in this district and the. iron companies which have some iron on hand can well afford to carry same. As was stated, one of the little Iron companies Is making pig iron and holding the same for rise in the market, agur- ing out that such procedure will be most profitable. t
 The furnace companies in this sec ton look for fairly good summer considering and before fall it Is be- ,lieved there will be a fun and com plete resumption along. all lines. The aggregate for the past week of sales was not altogether disappointing and the officials of the companies look for ward to still better week now. The indications are that much of the iron that is being bought now is to fill fm- mediate needs and when 1t is determin- ed that there Is not to be any cheaper iron the future needs will be looked after and large>quantity. of Iron will be sought.
 The home consumption is steady, the cast iron pipe plants being as busy as they can be and melting pig iron right along. In addition to running the pipe plants on full time there is some of the accumulated stock being shipped out. The pipe continues to go out in all di- rections. The foundries' are beginning to melt more iron, too, and this pros- pect is very bright.
 A little iron is moving out of this district for export. The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company is sending little iron abroad from the Bessemer furnaces.
 The announcement that the big steel plant of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company at Ensley In the Birmingham immediate district, will roll at least 1000 tons of rail per day this week. $500 tons of which will be shipped to Mexico, via Pensacola, Fla, was most encouraging news in the face of current reports that the big in- dustry was to shut down. Officials of the Tennessee Company have been seen also, in a better humor recently than they were in several weeks past, lndi- eating that the conditions were im- proving right along and there may be no need for shutting down as was pro- posed a few weeks ago. The business that is coming In for the steel plant appears to come in slowly but surely and every week there is delay in the cessation of operations. The plant, however, Is working with a fairly good force at the rolls and there Is hope that these conditions can be kept up. The confirmation of the sale of the