The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-19
Gulf States Steel Company Changed and Is Making
 Commercial c Commodities
COAL PRODUCTION
 SHORT OF DEMAND
Need of Coal Supply for War Pur' poses Is Great as Ever and Maximum Production
 Is Urged

Before leaving yesterday afternoon for New York to attend meeting of the directors of his company President James Bowron of the Gulf States Steel companies, stated that his company is not now engaged on war work. He stated that only two or three days were re- quired to make such changes in machin- cry and equipment in their plant as were necessary to transfer from war work to the production of the commodities made by them before the war.
 The Gulf States Steel company made vast quantities of barbed wire for the government, which was used by the army in France. This wire is somewhat different from that which is used on farms. The barbs were longer and the spaces between them shorten Tt re- quired longer barbs to stop Germans than hogs and cattle,' said MT. Bowron.
 During the year and a half the nation was at war with Germany the selling staffs of many of the big producing com panies were disorganized, in most in- stances the statesmen going into other departments of the same companies or finding employment elsewhere, or enter ing the army or other government Serv- ice. These staffs will have to be re- organized, a new selling programme mapped out and the trade worked before an accurate estimate of the afterwal business conditions can be made.
 s COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
 Practically every plant in Birmingham on war work two weeks ago either has already made necessary changes for ordinary peace-time commercial activi- ties, or is gradually making them. In view of the fact that the articles made by them duringsthe war differed very little from that which they were making when the war began it is not believed that there will be any interruption to operations in this district due to the ne- cessity of changing or altering equip ment.
 Among the strictly war articles made here were shells, turned at local machine shops and foundries, and but little change in equipment was necessary for that work. One Birmingham shop has been making engines for submarines, the first ever made in the south. it is under stood but the equipment for making these does not differ essentially from that required in making engines Tor ether sea craft. The governments ship ping programme calling for an increas- ing number of ships during the next three or four yearS there will be a con- stant and growing demand for marine engines which this shop can continue to make.
 COAL PRODUCTION
 Coal production in the Birmingham district is still far short of the demand, and unless material increase is made in production immediately and normal production maintained during the winter the situation is liable to become serious Through government agencies the miners have been impressed during the last SIX months with the importance of keeping production up to the maximum, and they are expected to realize that the need for coal in the distribution zone allotted py the fuel administration for Birmingham district to supply is as great now as dur ing the war, and will continue to be as