The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-04
ALABAMA IRON GCES
 ID HULL, ENGLAND.
Heavy Buying Movement In
 Southern Iron Develops
INQUIRY FOR PIG IRON
Net Loss of IA In Number of Active Furnaces Following Loss of 20 In April-Iron Ore Shipments
 Show a Decrease

Cleveland. O.. June 3.-(speciaD The Iron Trade Review tomorrow will say:
 "A heavy buying movement in south ern iron has developed during the past two or three days and sales from that district will reach a hundred thousand tons for the third and fourth quarter delivery. ''The United States Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry company alone took ap lproxmately 75.OO0 tons from three or four southern producers and a number of western consumers have been buy Il ing. One furnace interest booked about 900 tons.
 "The prices paid on this large move ment have been from s10,25 to $1050 for third and fourth quarter delivery.
 Sales. of southern iron for export foot up about 50,000 tons, of which about half will go to Australia and half to Austria and Italy. A leading southern maker has sold 10000 tons of Alabama iron for delivery in England. The iron, 1t is understood will go to a large consumer at Hull and the price realized is reported to have been ap- proximately the present market, on basis of about $10,25 Birmingham. A similar sale of Alabama iron was made to this consumer several years ago.
 "Increased inquiry has appeared for pig iron in Chicago where about 30,000 tons are pending in New York where inquiries for about 25.000 tons have been sent out and in Pittsburg where the demand for foundry grades show improvement. The change for the bet ter is not general, however, and ex- treme dullness prevails in some cen ters.
 "rhe effect of low prices and linn ited demand for pig iron Is shown wben the output of anthracite and coke pig iron was 2,096,593 tons com pared with 2,261 ,501 tons in April.
 There was a net loss of IA in the number of active furnaces following a los sof 20 in April, the decrease in production was due largely to the les sened activity of the steel works A pected this month.
 "The gloom which hangs oyer the lake this summer is reflected in iron ore shipments. For May the total being only 3,952.O63 tons compared with r., 2S4,212 tons in May of last year.
 "The shipments to June l, this year, were 4,121,749 compared with S,15O,599
  There Is possibly little more interest manifested on the part of furnace men in their ore departments but very few contracts are being made"
 New York, June 3.-(Special.) )--The Iron Age will say tomorrow:
 Large buying on pig iron by lead ing iron pipe interest has been the sig nificant development for the week. It Is estimated that 100000 tons was involved, three southern interests getting the bulk of it though several round lots went to northern furnaces. It is understood that much of this business went at a $10.25 Birmingham basis for No. ? foundry.
 ''The recent drift in both iron and steel is well indicated by our statistics of pig iron production in May. At ,6S6 tons or 67.506 tons day the months output was over 5000 tons day less than that of April, which was 2,269955 tons. Steel works furnaces leading the curtalment.
 "The net loss of active stacks is IA for May or total of 32 in the past two months. The 1S7 furnaces active on June l. represented 64,514 tons a day or slightly more than the rate of pig iron production in December. showing that practically all that the industry gained since early Jan uary has been lost.
 What encouragement is found in the steel trade is largely drawn from ex- pecteu ueVelOpnentS, put III lew iiHes there is signs of better buying. Tn May most steel works were on 55 per cent basis in ingot output and buy ing was at low point for the year.
 Thus far in June the view of some leaders in the trade will bring the be- ginning of another January movement, and the Steel corporation's orders at the end of May showed another heavy falling off, which has been estimated at 300.00e to 100000 tons or practically equal to that of April.
 "Action on the Pennsylvania railroad rail orders for 1914 is looked for daily, the company having already placed 200O tons. been expected