The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-11-30
COL. MABEN DENIES REPORT THAT SLOSS
 IS ID CHANGE HANDS
Head of Local Company Will Leave New York Sunday to Spend While in
 Birmingham
By ALLEN GRIFFIN JOHNSON

New York, November 29.-(SpeciaL) Reports that controlling interest in the Sheffield company of Birmingham was to pass into other hands were flatly denied here today by J. C. Maben, pres | ident of the company, at his offices, "A Broadway. MT. Maben claimed. on the contrary, that unprecedented prosperity is being enjoyed, and that there had been no negotiations whatever looking toward sale of any of the company's interests.
 This unequivocal statement was per- haps qualified somewhat, however, when MT. Maben followed it up by saying: What may happen in the future can not say. At present, no negotiations are under way"
 Unquestionably, and according to the president himself, the profits of the com pany have been great recently, and here, as in Birmingham, the rumor persists that other fingers are endeavorlng to break the pie crust, Prices are well ad- vanced the output is enormous, and there appears to be no possible hindrance against swift rush to marvellous pros perity, save in the matter of car short age.
 With reference to the advanced prices Mr. Maben claims their own merits" purely declaring that they have not been 'boosted' for any other reason.
 Iron" he stated, "has been sold al- ready for the last half of 1917, and also for the years 1919 and 1920, Big profits, of course. have been realized and the companies are all showing up splendidly. We now have 90,000 tons in the yards and all of this and more has been sold.
 "The shipping situation" he continued, Twill show a marked improvement, l be- lieve after the cotton movement from the south shall have been successfully handled and disposed of At present the car shortage is a material embarrass- ment. However you may safely give the lie to that report about selling a con- trolling interest in our company"
 And so saying. he walked over to the stock ticker and interested himself in the tape.
 Mr. Maben will leave New York city Sunday on a business trip. This business he declares, will be of perfectly "regu- lar" or routine nature and will have nothing whatever to do with the report of the sale of some of the company's interests. He was not able to say at the time how long he would remain in the magic city.
 An amusing incident occurred during The Age-Herald correspondents visit to Mr. Mabens Broadway offices today. The former Birmingham man answered the first question by throwing up both hands and declaring that he did not want his name in print. He then quoted: Fools names are like their faces" Later, he consented to make a state mcnt in the interests of the company, and not for the purpose of getting his name .f,,L l1A !, ,f1N,, ff by the correspondent that his name did appear in the New York city or Tele- phone company directory
 He immediately arose with an express sion of annoyance and picked up direc- tory. After carefully looking through the Ms he seemed convinced that his name really was not there.
 Never mind MT. Maben, after all fools names are like their faces you know" he was told.
 And the reason why his name does l not appear in the city directory is because he lives at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, which as many Birmingham people may have heard, is a little hostelry in this city, which nestles between Thirty-third and Thirty-fourth streets and abuts on Fifth avenue.
 Mr. Maben is enjoying improved health, and is taking a very optimistic outlook at the financial situation, He believes that prosperity is here to remain and that an adjustment of prices will sooner or later be made so that living will be- | come easier. from a monetary stand | point for all people. He also expressed great confidence in the future of Bir- mingham as city, and declared he did | not see how it could fail to grow into | southern leadership.
 
 Purposely Blind 1 From the Boston Transcript cow ,,o,,,. wife opd dorobtay +oa