The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-09
RESUME OF IRON AND STEEL MARKET
 IS ENCOURAGING.
Gulf States Steel Company to Blow In Furnace--Iron Pro- duction Reaches Lowest
 Point Since 1908

Font since lSUS
 The Gulf States Steel company will resume operations at it's blast fur mace in Gadsden today, after more than two months idleness, during which the stack has been banked.
 The open hearth department will resume in four furnaces before the end of the week, and bar mills will continue as at present, which is about 30 per cent of capacity.
 Resumption at blast furnace and open hearth departments is declared by of fcials to be more with view to giving employment than on account of new business. At the same time 1t is known that April orders ran far ahead of those of March
 Iron production in Alabama remains at the lowest point since 1908. Production of iron in Alabama in April was 9l.9lo tons, which is the lowest since April, 1908 when the production was about the same
 ACTIVE STOCKS
 Blowing out of the stack on foundry and the stack of ferro manganse of the Tennessee company at Bessemer on the first of the month, and resumption by the Gulf States Steel today, establishes the following status of active stacks; Five of the Tennessee company at Ensley on basic for company use, one stack each of the Sloss-Sheffield. Woodward Iron and Alabama companies on merchant foundry and the stack of the Gull states Steel company on basic for company use.
 Stocks on Alabama yards are in excess Of 100000 tons, of which there is about o.000 tons of merchant foundry iron. The foundry stocks are not large in case of a purchasing movement of any size. They would be wiped out in hurry II a real buying movement set in.
 One iron producer booked 2,50o tons last week. One lot was for l,0oo tons others for POO and 400 tons and others for smaller lots. Other makers report much smaller business. The base price is $S'
 GAS AND PIPE TRADE
 The water and gas pipe trade has not taken on the life that was promised short time ago. The Anniston shop or the United States Cast Iron Pipe com panv is down again, and Bessemer shop is understod to be on short turn. The North Birmingham works Is the only plant this company has on real produc- tion basis. Other water pipe concerns arc operating at from 30 to 50 per cent
 The base is nominally $55, but less IS bid for desirable business In the east as low as S47 and SIS have been bid in close competition.
 The soil pipe bas has dropped to S4e, owing to sharp competition for the gong business incident to the building moNe- ment and the number of shops lhal re sumed recently About l6 to r or these shops in Alabama are on partial turn
 Steamer Cape Romane of the Page Jones agency will leave Mobile for Pa- cific coast points this week with IVVo tons of cast iron pipe and 5o0 tons pl pig iron from the Sloss-Sheffield, the Ala bama and the Tennessee companies. Inc nine is furnished by Birmingham pipe and Fittings, Southern Pipe and rll- tines. Anniston Foundry and Hammond Byrd Iron company, representing seVerai Gadsden plants.
 STEAMSHIP LINE
 Selma City of the lsthmian Stea ati'siiip ; anp line leaves Mobile this week wlth ',v'v tens of Birmingham rails and plates TOT the orient, IollOWlHE hhR ''N''
 which left last week with slmiiar carso for the same destination.
 The Anniston City, which was launched Saturday. will make her maiden trip TO the Pacific coast with Birmingham iron and steel products, making all points anu going as far north as Vancouver.
 One large structural steel works IS building steel bridges for Virginia, Nortn Carolina, Mississippi and Loulsiana points. and is figuring on bridges lon Rio and Peru This plant Is on oo per cent turn.
 Business in sugar house machinery witb Cuba is at a standstill for the tune bsing. owing to Cuba's financial stress One large machine shop turning out this class of worak has received orders lo- ,,,a cb;nerv for domestic refineries ana eN- nacts to increase operations from pres ent capacity of 15 to 20 per cent 10 apoue 75 per cent within 90 days.
 BARGE LINES EARN PROFIT
 TIA diatrict was firatified over the m sorn,ation that the Mississippi Warrior haree lines earned net pront or soVvoV for April. This is the first pront or op- eration and is incident to the mercnanuiso freight business done by the seii-pro- peliers. ., a.st ,,,. inc Mallory line and the Warrior river at the 20 per cent freight differen- tiaI is on the way up-river and other cargo is to follow on subseauent steam CTS leaving New 1ork. - ..,
 Contract has ben let for the luei oi. tanks at Mobile and bids received ior tha coal terminals to be built there.
 Tho Alabama Powder company VIII meet this week and authorize issue or coz m oO0 of bonds Proceeds are to be used in further hydroelectric development in Alabama. q.
 The new pressed steel car plant or the Ch,ckasaw Shipbuilding and Car com many at Fairfield is due to begin regular operations May 15. It will turn out 10 to 25 standard steel freight cars per dlem.