The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-19
By RICHARD r. JOHNSTON

With coal, pig iron and steel far ing well and demand for each in- creasing and calling for greater pro- duction. the underlying interests of the Birmingham district are in good form and headed to better.
 Blowing in of the Bessemer No. 2 stack tomorrow is in direct response to need for more iron to be turned into steel for use of the finishing mills of the Tennessee company and it's finished product customers.
 Full turn at Enslcy ingot mill now enters it's fourth week. In response to that demand blast furnace produc- ton has been increased from four 10 seven, which is U per cent
 Rail mill continues on 10000- ion weekly turn and Bessemer mills and other finishing mills are at high point of productivity.
 Steel corporation's export sub sidiary has booked 6,000 tons for Japan. These are customarily rolled tat Ensley.
 Wire drawing mills are doing very good business. Agricultural de- nIand has been much better than last year and purchases have included products not marketed last year, such as wire fencing. American Steel and Wire and Gulf States Steel -d4lhe are on q satisfactory DdSlS.
 Iron k BuOyant
 Pig iron market reached a state of positive buoyaney during the week. lone marker has booked entire March fcapacitY and 5000 to 10000 tons ad- ditiona1 for March. has booked ca- pacity for April and 60 per cent of that of May. Another maker reports N"better than that" A third has no lstocks, is oversold for March and is Docking large tonnage through second lquarter. Some customers have in sssted on third quarter iron in con tJunction with second quarter takings,
 Bar. pig iron base remains at S15 | to S15.50. This is regarded as too How for paying business. Strength of market justfies probability of har- ldening to a minimum of $15.50
 Good Coal Prospect
 Coal production continues at rate tof 2S0 000 to 2S5.000 tons a week fol- flowing one of 220000 tons first week DO. Januaray. Strike in the competitive field threatened on April 1 will af- Fleet this district advantageously if at all. If operations are seriously hampered in the competitive field, Alabama mines, which are non-union, will get business diverted from that field Negotiations looking to that end arc under way.
 Pressure Pipe Strong
 High pressure pipe market is vert strong and base price Is firm at $S3, Leading Birmingham booking of re- cent date was 5000 tons for Seattle by the American company. McWano pipe works have made addi tjossay bookings in Honolulu of it's spcclal handilengths of pressure pipe. Mill waukee's l 400 tons and Toledo, O.. 000 tons will probably come to Bir- mingham.
 De Lavaud process of high pres sure pipe manufacture being installed at North Birmingham plant of the L. $. company Is also being offered other makers on sublease and royalty basis.
 Pacific coast pipe business. pres sure and sanitary. continues. Vessel will load at Mobile next week and another last of month with pipe for coast. Some pig iron will also be shipped
 Significant River Movement
 Significant Warrior river freight movement has begun. Du Pont Powder company is shipping ex- plosives from factory at Repauno, x. J., in it's own vessels to Mobile. There cargo is transferred to Warrior river barges and brought to Port of Birmingham where it is loaded on cars for southern distribution from Birmingham Atlanta and Memphis. The movement will approximate l00,- 000 tons q week
 N. & O.'s Action
 Mobile and Ohio railroad has agreed to issue joint through rates in conjunction with Warrior barge line for shipping grain and other freights from St. Louis to Mobile via Tuscaloosa. This places Mobile on the same rate footing from St. Louis with New Orleans. The action of the Mobile and Ohio is especially sig nficant as being the first recogni- ten by rail carrier of mutually advantageous connection between rail and river carriers.
 Here and There
 Federal court referee O'Neal has set aside the recent sale of the Birming- ham Steel corporation to the ship ping board as bringing an inadequate price and resale ordered for April r.