The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-14
I. c. |. PRODUCTION
OVER 80 PER CENT;
WIRE MILLS BUSY
Coal Production Almost Nor
maI-FeWer Idle Cars and
More Loaded Cars Re-
fleet Improvement

The Tennessee company is con-
tinuing its pace of more than so per
cent production, the present rate
being about 55 per cent.
Authoritative reiteration of the
statement that this concern has not
been under 30 per cent of production
this year confirms the statement to
that effect made unofficially in The
Age-Herald several times.
Operations of the Tennessee sbm-
pany this week include four blast
furnaces, five of the nine open
hearths, plate, guide and bar mills
at Bessemer, car works and tie-plate
plant at Fairfield and rail and bloom
ing mills at Ensley, besides the raw
material operations necessary to sup
ply mills and furnaces. Plate mill
takes the place of structural mill in,
this weeks activities.
Buying Movement.
wire drawing mills are operating
on the October scale OF 20 per. cent,
with production shipped as made.
Since cotton prices receded there has
been an easing UP in the buying
movement, but this has not been suf-
tlcient to cause smaller production.
Coal recently approximated the
average of 1920 production, with
reported weeks output of $4,000
tons. Conservative estimate of unre-
ported tonnage is 10000 to $4,000
tons. Real total, therefore, was close
to the 1920 average of something over
100000.
Threat of railroad strike caused
rush demand for coal. which has
since, 1t is understood. eased off
somewhat
Pitch Coke Makes Good.
Pitch coke, made by the Barrett
company, is understood to be work
ing finely, especially in certain kinds
OF foundry practice. This new dis
trict production seems to have es-
tablished itself. 1t is a pure carbon
and sells higher than other cokes.
which bring 1918 to Sc.
Pipe trade is still good, although
there has been an easing up in de-
mand for sanitary pipe. October was
one of the best months in history of
the business. August also was an
excellent one. Large tonnage of ex-
ira heavy pipe was sold in the east.
The base is $40, with most makers.
One or two are asking s45 and MAX
ing differential of only So for ex-
ira heavy.
Pipe Holds It's own.
High pressure pipe is holding it's
own, with municipal business con-
stantly developing, owing to the
greater demand for municipal seeuri-
ties. National Cast booked $50 tons
for Stanton, Iowa, and small ton.
mage for Loup City, Neb. The Ameri-
can divided an order of $50 tons for
Ferndale, Mich. Birmingham cast
iron pipe still travels far afield in
spite of high freight rates.
General Improvement.
General conditions are reflected by
idle and loaded car reports. Loaded
cars reported for week of October %
were $4,000, an increase of S.
over the preceding week. Idle cars
In week of October % were 294, 1000,
a decrease of $4,000 compared with
the previous week.
Railroad Buying.
Railroads have ordered more cars,
locomotives and rails than in long
time. The Steel corporation has
booked 10000 tons of rails since
reduction in price from SAT to $40,
the Tennessee company getting $4,000
for the Southern Pacific railroad.
Other railroad orders coming to-the
fore are these:
Illinois Central has ordered 1000
refrigerator cars and invited bids for
1000 coal cars. Burlington has au-
thorized purchase of 1900 freight
cars, 127 passenger cars, 55 locomo-
tives, in addition to 5000 cars pend
ing New York Central is inquiring
for 100000 tons of rails. Southern
Pacific has bought SO locomotives.
Western Pacific has ordered 1000
steel cars. ST. Paul railroad has or
dered $500 cars.
Irons Strong Position.
Birmingham iron market Is in n
splendid strategic position. There are
less than 10000 tons of merchant
iron on yards, compared with over
100000 tons July l, and there is less
than 1900 tons of all iron COM
pared with $4,000 on July /. Any
thing like normal demand would
eat up available foundry stocks In
one gulp.
October iron production was 10000
tons, following one of $4,000 tons in
September. The new active stacks
were one each of the Republic, Ala
Dama ana central iron ana GOAL.
Lease of Power Plant.
Feature of the week was temporary
lease of the Sheffield steam power
plant secured by the Alabama Power
company, which will render 100000
more OF electric horse power avail
able for utilities, mills and mines in
Alabama. Georgia and the Carolinas
The lease does not interfere in any
way with permanent disposal of the
Muscle Shoals properties to Henry
Ford or anyone else.
Birmingham Paper company an
nounces Immediate construction of a
100000 corrugated paper box factory
for manufacture of cartons, the first
in Birmingham.
Trade mt Home Pledges.
Last Mondays Chamber of Com
MERGE luncheon ELECTED pledges of
leading manufacturers of the district
to purchase Birmingham and Ala
bama made products. TRADE in Bir-
mingham" received the biggest boost
in it's history, because the pledges
- ma from thu 10 rUact hf1vara in the