The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-29
IS STILL OPTIMISTIC
PIG IRON PEOPLE NOT ALL PEssI-
 MIST1.
There is Not much, If Any Iron Beapg Sold Right Now and the Prices
 Are Very Weak.


 Birmingham. Mar. Especially Notwithstand nding the fact that the pessimists are in the majority. there Is still considerable optimism being ex- pressed in the pig iron market In Ala bama and throughout the Southern field. There 10 not much. if any. Iron being sold right now and the prices are very weak. Some of the furnace companies continue to hold for 3l2 per ton, No. foundry. while reports are current that the product is being sold right along at el1.5o per tons and even lower. An interesting rumor pre- vsils that some large interests have been in the Birmingham district seek ing very cheap iron. the purchases to be made for speculation. ridicu- lously low price of ten dollars per ton, No. 2 foundry iron, Is said to have been offered for a lot of ten thousand tons of iron, delivery in the future, but the offer was not acceptable.
 There are indications that some spec ulative iron may be sold in this dis trict at S11 per ton. No. 2 foundry. It Is figured that kind of trading will mean much for the purchasers as there Is no doubt here but that pig iron prices will take on an improvement within the next sixty or ninety days and that the top will not be reached until fall when SIS to $15 per ton, IT not $1s will be /e steady price for No. 2 foundry. At that rate the man who buys ten thousand tons of Iron at VII will make S20O If SIS should be the price while double that amount is as- sured at 315 and fifty thousand dollars at the $l6 per ton rate. The manufac- turers here laugh at the offer of ten dollars per ton but further assert that the speculation buying might put some activity in the market and in the long run do some good for the market.
 Such men as J. c. Maben. president of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron Company, is to be counted among the optimists in this district. MT. Maben recently returned from trip to the East and he met not only industrial men but also representatives In Con- gross, several Senators In particular: He discussed while away the financiai and business conditions as well as the political situation and the future pros poets. He expresses the belief that within sixty to ninety days the coun- try will have returned to the splenoiu conditions that prevailed couple oi years back there will be no complaint heard of on any side: He says uha. there will be a wide difference between the tariff bill that has been introduced and the one that is to be adopted ana by the time the amendments have been adopted the bill will hardly be known. Considerable of the depression al pres snt. says he, is caused by the tariH agitation and until the bill Is adopted there will hardly be any great improve ment in general conditions.
 The present week promises to pc an Interesting one in the affairs of the of thu South. The month of April will see several happen ings in this district, according to ru- nor. A reduction of wages among the employees of the Republic Steel ana Iron Company is scheduled for the hrst or the month. The closing down or the big steel mills of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company, suosio- iary company of the United states Steel Corporation, is on the calendar 10 take place during the coming month. On April 12th the properties or the Southern Steel Company, (bankrupo, will be sold at public outcry in front of the court house and the reorganlzeo company Is to buy 1t in and take steps looking to an immediate resumption ot oneratfon and other events are said to l be in store, some that will have a de- pressing effects and others that VIII change the gioominess to one or happi- ness.
 Steel Shipments.
 1 There have been some steady snip ments of steel from this district lately. ! For the first time in years pig Iron has been leaving Ensley. the steel cen ter of the Birmingham district. the product going to the west. hereto- fore, basic iron has been produced eX clusiyely in the furnaces at Ensley ana the same has been used ni the steer plant There has been a little accum- ulation of steel and rail but not enough to cause any general alarm.
 The raw material accumulation Tn th. birmingham district has been quite extensive and every preoaration mas been made for an increased iron pro- duction at any time. The ore Is stacked in great quantities around the mines while considerable coke has been stacked up also.
 Coal and Coke Output.
 During the past week the omclal hs ures of the coal and coke output III Alabama for 1908 were given out oy Chief of Mine Inspector Ed. Flynn Ine | state produced 11,523.299 tons Of coal of which 8.764,429 tons were run or mines. The production in 1907 amount cd to l4.424S63 tons. The coke pro- duction last year amounted to 2,336.- SOP tons as compared to 3.Os6,fz2 tons the year before. There were lS'S. men employed In and about the coal mines last year and 1os miners ana mine employees were killed In accidents in and about the mines. ten or them oe- ing electrocuted by the electrical haui- age system.
 The coal production this year so far has not been so very encouraging, in fact there Is a smaller production or coal right now than at any time In several years. There Is hope, however that some improvement will take place in the near future.