The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-30
BOOKED 800 TONS

It is reported that one furnacee com pany booked 500 tons of foundry iron dur ing the past week, delivery to be made during the winter. Inquiries for con- siderable tonnage are reported to have been received recently, but so far no or drs other than the one for 800 tons have been received.
 Automobile makers whose plants have been making shells for the government during the greater part of the year are reported to be rapidly reconverting their establishments for peace-time business and they are said to be in the market for a considerable tonnage of steel In addi- tion to that they had on hand when the armistice was signed. The bars they had rolled preparatory to making shells will be converted into automobile parts. Very few contracts for steel are being made, according to reports from steel centers, but the resumption of the automobile business and other steel consuming in dustries soon after the beginning of the new year will take care of the output Of the country.
 Steel rails are reported to be going out of Birmingham at regular intervals to railroads in the south and southwest, and the needs of the roads for this material It IS Del6NeQ, WllE keep tlit iuiiio DoSs " a long time.
 FOREIGN MARKET
 Italy. Japan and France are said to be engaging substantial tonnage of steel in this country and their purchases are ex- pected to increase as soon as certain fina nciat arrangements can be made.
 Iron production in Alabama during the present year has fallen considerably short of that of 1917 but with the development of the shipbuilding industry along the south Atlantic and gulf coasts, which is just now beginning to assume large pro portions, will create demand for the Alabama product that it is believed will tax the capacity of the Alabama furnaces and mills to supply. The plants of the Chickasaw and Mobile Shipbuilding com panies at Mobile, the former almost ready to begin building ships and the latter now at work on several vessels, will>consume several thousand tons of steel a year. the greater part, if not all, of which will go from Birmingham.
 From Cincinnati comes the report that inquiries for pig iron have, slowed down some during the last week with the op- orators showing no disposition to accept the 8 reduction recommended by the eastern makers, while St. Louis reports state that the market is marking time. Southern irons are handled in large quan- titles by brokers and dealers in thesee inn portant centers
 BLAST FURNACES
 The close of the yearsfinds several Ala bama furnaces idle, but this is attribute ble in nearly every instance to lack of raw materials or repairs. With the de- mobilization of the army and war indus tries labor will be coming back to the district and operators confidently expect to overcome this handicap before the winter is over
 The Talladega furnace. owned by Japa- nese interests, now that the ban on ex- port trade is lifted will run to capacity and ship its output to Japan. This fur mace has daily capacity of over 200 tons, and shipments, already begun, are going forward as fast as bottoms become avail able. These shipments go through the ports of Mobile and New Orleans. the same vessels that carry iron also taking cargoes of cotton to Japan and China.