The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-06

Production of biIlets is the measure of the product of the finishing mills. The ingOt pro- duction is 50 per cent of capac- ity. This means that production of finished steel products is also at 50 per cent of capacity. Not all the finishing mills are at 50 per cent of capacity, but some are over that and others at nor maj, which makes the 90 per cent average.
 The Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company is producing 65,00O tons of pig iron per month on total capacity of 10000.
 It is producing 5000 tons of rails week, or 24,OOO tons a month, compared with average yearly production of 26,OO0 tons per month.
 The pressed steel car plant of the Chiclxsssw shipbuiIdinx and Car company at Fairfield Is op- eratins as full as is possible with new machinery and new men ac- custOming themselves to the ma- chinery. The plant Is speeding up continuously.
 The tie-plste plant, of an esti- mated capacity of $500 tons per month, h another plant that is going at normal. 1t has recently doubled production.
 The bolt. nut and rivet works keep going as these parts are needed.
 The four blast furnaces at Ems ley turned out 1.787 toms of iron in one day this week. the pro- ductfon per furnace being $40. 385, 5IO and 673 tons respec- lively.
 of the south while those in othe centers are just beginning to recove from 20 to 30 per cent of produc tion and heading to reach the poln at which the Tennessee company now is.
 Big Orders Booked
 The Tennessee company has al along maintained a higher percent age of production than has been tn case in other mill centers of tn country. Big orders from Manchu rial railways and from Japan wer accorded the Birmingham mills on ac count of their advantageous position with respect to exports and 10,00 ton order Of rails for Alaskan rail roads was also allocated to the Bir mills on account of thei situation with respect to transporta ton through gulf ports and tn, Panama canal.
 It Is conceded in industrial cir cIes that mills, which have given so good account of themselves as those of the Tennessee company nt the height of depression and through the long weary months will fully share the Improvement that has already set in.
 Speaking of the recent substan ia urn toward the rise, news item Il he Wall Street Journal says:
 Substantially the heaviest irol and stee' production since Jan lary marks Valley operations. No ,nly are manufacturing consume IT After material but large jobbing In -erests are in the market for tonnag, liter buying for immediate require nents for the past four months" Similar items have appeared m tn, Journal of Commerce and other, lead ng authorities of the iron and stse .rade, indicating the substan.ia -rend toward better conditions tha las begun.
 Ship after ship hn. been Dut- ung out of Mobile with products of the Tennessee company for the Orient and European countries all this year. There fs never n time when one Is not loading there or putting fin to load. As fast ns these ships have been fashioned out of Birmingham hmm steel fnr afield. The Mem phis City. latest of the ChIckn- saw make, fs now loading for Alaska and Pacific ports.
 The Tennessee company. through it's subsidiary, the Chick asnw company. enjoys the dis tinctfon of having started n new niIi at the height of the dull xca- son with n good batch of orders, and to hnve doubled the produc- ton of another new mfu while n vnst majority of the country's old mills were barely going nt all,
 The new ear plant began oper- ations June f3. and turned out It's first car for the Louisville and Nashville, and thnt car was ac- cepted Just ono month later.
 The tie-pInte plant waited only on complement of machtnerv. just installed to double It. pro- ductiOn.
 The raiI mill at EnsI~y has been 50 steadily at normal for so long that it is the oldest story of them all.
 It Is conceded Ina industrial circles at large that a steel fn- dustry that has been able to mnin- tain a pace of 50 per cent during the average of 20 to 3O per cent of the rest of the country pos- sessed inherent advantages that will count well in taking on the new speed of general betterment as they counted in keeping 1t at 30 per cent.
 GREETINGS FROM POPE