The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-22
MARKET WEAK
MANUFAOrUnBn0 IN ALABAMA
 NOT CEILING MUCH.
Steps Are Bslag Taken Now Looking to Curtailment-Two Fur- naces 1lovsn Ont Dufang"s-
 Past Week. 1eh


 Birmingham. March 1.--(spsciaL)-- The entire industriaf region of Ala bama and the South is interested in the proposed revision of the tarin.
 Considerable gloom prevails not only over present conditions In the iron and steef situation. but as to the pros- poets following the reduction of duty on coal and pig iron. not to say any thing whatsoever about iron ore. The manufacturers of pig iron in Alabama assert that they are not sell Ing as much Iron as they are making and steps are being taken now look Ing to . curtailment Two furnaces were either banked or blown out en- tirely during tho past week. There Is considerable Iron being shipped out but on orders that were received before the turn of tho year. but the business is coming rapidly to the end. The only encouraging interest left is the cast Iron pipe maker, who appears to have enough orders in hand or in sight to warrant a steady operation of ali plants through this year and longer, too. Tho pig iron prices are showing some weakness. consumers not being willing to buy when there Is . possibility of getting iron cheaper when the Payne bill, introduced in the extra session of Congress goes through the two houses and has been signed by the President. which appears most probable. It could not be expected that the consumers would rush Into the iron market for all their needs if there was any possibility of cheap CT iron. Many letters are being sent by the industrial people of this and other Southern States to the repre- sentatives In Congress. both the Con- gressmen and Senators, setting forth the possible result If there is . reduc- ton in coal. iron ore and pig iron.
 Some of the manufacturers of pig iron In Alabama are hopeful that the market will in the near future take on some substantial improvement The pipe people are buying judiciously. though there is no doubt that the prices are about as low as they will reach. No. foundry Is being held up by some of the companies to e12 per ton, which is low as compared to the prices that have prevailed in this dis trict, while other companies are sell ing under that price, even as much as from fifty cents to ono dollar per ton and one of the largest companies in the South is said to be in the "con- cession" boat. There has been no ac- cumulation of iron. Selling agents Of the Alabama companies have advised the home offices that the consumers are not willing to buy just yet and what little selling is going on Is desig- mated as the hand to mouth kind that prevailed during the depression a few years ago.
 As stated, the cast iron pipe people will require q large tonnage of iron and their buying will help out the conditions wonderfully.
 A rumor has prevailed in this sec- tion that the big steel plant of the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad Company. a subsidiary organization of the United States Steel Corporation. To- cated at Ensley, a few miles from Bir- mingham, is to be shut down during the coming month because of the lack of orders. There is some hope that the statements being made in this re- gard will not be carried out that be- fore next month arrives there will have been received considerable busl- ness in steel and rail In particular to warrant the operation of the plant. Re- gently a few orders for rail were TO- ceived and the rolling mills of the Tennessee Company at Bessemer, twelve miles distant, Is to start up tomorrow and will use steel in its op- eration. Several thousand men are given employment at the steel plant and the kindred industries depending on the plant Something like twenty car loads of steel rail has been leaving LHe pIdnt uaIy tnlo Week kor southern railroads and announcement was re- ceived of new orders In the last two or three days.
 Cast iron pipe is being shipped out of the Birmingham district in all dl- rections. the West getting the greater portion of the product
 St Louis. Spokane. Kansas City, Omaha. Los Angeles and other large cities are using Alabama made cast iron pipe. Heavy shipments of the product are being made to Cuba and San Francisco will shortly begin re- ceiving 1t also. The pipe has been thoroughly tested and found adaptable for all purposes and while each sec- tion of pipe sent out is expected before 1t Is loaded and the test includes its strength per cubic foot, as a whole the pipe has been found equal to any man. ufactured at any place in the world.
 Foundries and machine shops in the Birmingham district are not doing very much but are hopeful that there Is to be an improvement in the near future.
 The coal mining industry reports a dullness worse than any summer quiet- ness that has ever been experienced here. Several of the mines are only operating to meet the demand. The | larger consumers are not buying much | coal right now. The railroads are be- ginning to feel the slack shipment of