The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-10-18
SOUTH PRODUCES
MORE THAN half
Of CAST IRON PIPE
Birmingham Largest Center
in This Activity in World,
McWane Says in Ra-
dio Lecture


sest cast iron pipe producing center in
the world" said ]. R. McWane, pres
ident of the Mcwane Cast Iron Pipe
company, in a short talk on the sub
ject broadcast last night by the ra-
dio service of the Matthews Electric
company.
Mr.. Mowane also said More than
80 per cent of both pressure and soil
pipe Is made in the south. Birming-
ham itself has the largest individual
pipe foundry in the world. producing
about IS per cent of all the pressure
pipe made in the United States"
Mr.. McWane Is leading pipe
manufacturer and an expert in all
the bearings of the pipe business.
His address was one of the series of
talks on Birmingham industries
being broadcasted by successful Bir-
mingham captains of industry.
Mr.. McWane said:
Has Long Life
Cast iron pipe Will las. indefi-
nftely in underground service. The
Oldest installation of which there is
any record, is at Versailles, France,
where the peace treaty was signed.
Tho pipe which conveys water to the
beautiful fountains there has been
in service for more than $50 years.
Tho reason why cast iron resists cor
rosion Is that in this form 1t is near
est to its original state. iron ore,
which has lain in the ground for
ages
Cast iron In the first step in the
refining process As rule, the more
you refine and roll 1t the more sus-
ceptibie it is to rust. The closer 1T
is in nature to Mother Earth the
Ia will a OF IF nina O
rapidly discovering the lasting quail
tiles of cast iron as compared with
other kinds of pipe and this accounts
for the rapid growth of the bust
ness.
THE productive capacity of the
cast iron pressure pipe plants in the
United States Is about 100000 tons
annually. and the soil pipe capacity
is about 100000 tons.
"More than 80 per cent of both
pressure and soil pipe is mnde in
the south. The Birmingham dis
trtct IL the largest pipe produce
ing center In the world. Bir-
minghnm itself has the largest
individual pipe foundry in the
world, producing about II per
cent of all the pressure pipe
made in the United States.
Pig Iron Base
why this development Of the cast
iron pipe industry heref 1t is be-
cause pig iron is the controlling item
In tho cost. and Birmingham is the
basing point on pig iron, just as
Pittsburg is the basing point on steel
prices The price of steel at given
point Is Pittsburg plus, and the price
of pig iron Is Birmingham plus. This
Birmingham base on pig iron is not
an arbitrary matter. but is the natu-
raj result of economic conditions.
All the investments in the cast iron
pipe business in this district. amount
ing to many millions of dollars. are
based on receiving the benefit of the
location in the price of pig iron.
THE cast iron pressure pipe in
dustry at the present time is under
going certain changes which are
likely to reduce the cost, facilitate
pr oduction, and increase the demand.
Reducing Weight
| ssThe first change, in keeping with
the modern tendency toward conser-
walton of materials, Is the tendency
to reduce the weight of cast iron
pipe to the lowest point consistent
with satisfactory and permanent
service.
"The second change grows out of
the first In order to successfully
reduce the weight, the methods of
manufacture are being altered and in
some cases revolutionized. There
has been a great deal of research on
the subject In recent years. Many
patents on improved methods have
been allowed and more are pending"
Good-by to Pits
1T looks as II tho pipe pits which
have been an important feature of
pressure pipe plants will be filled up.
No one can say with certainty just
what the ultimate plan will be as
several are being tried out, but the
best will survive.
"The third tendency Is to increase
the range of sizes of cast iron pipe
and to diversity the product by the
development of new types of pipe
and joints, thus adapting cast iron
to fields heretofore occupied by other
kinds of pipe.
Birmingham Supreme
TN all these advance steps Bir-
mingham is leading the way. What
ever happens in the world of cast
iron pipe, Birmingham will still be
supreme"