The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-08
IRON AND STEEL REVIEW.

Birmingham, Nov. 7.--(Special. l--- The pig iron production in the Birm- ingham district. which means the Southern territory practically. is att tracting much attention in the metal world. The output Is above any aver age that has been secured in more than two years and half and there ap- pears to be demand for every ton of the same.
 The shipments for the past two months have exceeded the make, which means that the accumulated iron has been worked off to considerable ex- tent There is some delay reported still on orders taken in three or four months ago when low prices prevailed. There is no denying that the furnace companies are anxious to complete the deliveries on iron for which orders were taken when the prices were much under those now In efkect. There Is no iron selling in this district now. under $I4.50 per ton and SIS per ton, No. foundry. is stated as the common price.
 It is a very difficult matter to locate from what once the s14.50 per ton is going and inquiry reveals very little Iron being sold at that price. There are stffl somaAurnace companies In this district which are not anxious to sell beyond the first quarter of the coming year while several of the furnace com panies are selling at $15 per ton rate into the frst half of the coming year, Even with the production at q high water mark and still being improved there is no apprehension that the de- mand will not care for every ton that Is or will be produced
 The blowing In of another furnace during the past week improved the out put a little and there is another fur mace to receive the torch during the next week or two and before the end of the year two additional furnaces are to be put in operation.
 The make for the month of October went above all expectations. exceeding the months production since l907 The tennessee coal, Iron and Railroad Com pany, the subsidiary. organization of the United States Steel Corporation in the South, produced more pig iron dur ing october than during any one month in the history of the concern. The au- thoritative figures given out at the of- flee of the president, George c. Craw-i ford. placed the pig iron production last month at 73.l58 tons. The best previ-' ous record was in October. 1899. when 6e,350 tons of iron were produced and. then 1t included two South Pittsburg, Tenn, furnaces, two Sheffield furnaces and one Oxmoor furnace.
 The Shefield furnaces have been sold and the South Pittsburg and Oxmoor furnaces have been idle for some time. The SIoss. Sheffield Steel and Iron Com pany, the second largest iron produc- ing company in the South, also broke its production record during the month of October, turning out 36,665 tons of pig iron. Other companies in this dis trict did well last month and have ai- ready started off November for a sim- liar if not better record. The iron Is not accommodating. either. The an-, nouncement recently that there was but little resale iron to be had on the open market gives encouragement and warrants as big an iron production as possible. The good weather and the steady run of ore, is bringing results so far as the make goes.
 Reports have been received here of the arrival of several more cargoes of foreign irons at Philadelphia and still there Is no great apprehension, felt ss to the future market conditions. The reports from domestic points are to the effect that there is need for e large quantity of iron and that the machine shops and foundries. cast iron pipe in- terests and other large consumers in the Southern territory as well as else- where will require much iron before ulllH6 atA SOASA0S~S va %A~-@AN 0A AA1 sight.
 The raw material situation in Ala bama Is holding up we'll in the face of the Increased demand and the short- age of labor. There Is need. for help on all sides An idea of the production of raw material in this section of the country can be obtained from official
 figures given out by the Tennessee Company when 1t is seen that 145,641 tons of red ore were mined last month and ll6,559 tons of coke manufactured in the same month. This means that much work was done and that atten- ton was given in this direction.
 The coke production by the Tennes- see Company has been increased. number of coke ovens in the vicinity Of Blocton, Bibb County. which had been idle for several years. were, rehabiIi- tated and ignited short time since, and are producing coke nicely This Is one commodity. coke. that is re- ouiring much attention and the de- mand is so great that there is a prob- ability that imported coke will find a good market here.
 In steel circles there is no change fin the activity that has been on for several weeks. The announcement that the new steel rod, wire and nail mills of the Southern Iron and Steel Company at Gadsden will be completed