The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-23
By RICHARD F. JOHNSTON

The "betwixt and between" status of general run of industrial sales ac- tivities continues, but, so far as the Birmingham district is concerne l. ucts is close to the high mark of March.
 Tennessee company steel opera ticns are on the same basis as in the early spring, with 100 per cent Of production aimed at. The schedule at the various mills runs this way:
 Double turn at the plate, guide and bar mills at Bessemer; double turn at the ingot, blooming mill and rail mills at Ensley; double turn at the structural, tie plate and merchant bar mills at Fairfield. The Fairfield showing out about 25 new steel cars per diem. The merchant bar mill is gradually coming up to it's capacity of 10000 tons a month.
 The Tennessee company is operat- ing six furnaces at Ensley, one at Alice and one at Bessemer on basic, two al Bessemer on foundry and one at Bessemer on ferro- manganese.
 Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron goes majestically ahead with seven fur naces on foundry. Woodward Iron has three on foundry and one On basic. The Alabama company and Republic Iron and Steel have each
  ard Iron one on foundry, while the Gulf States Steel has one on basic. Dull In Pig Iron.
 Merchant iron furnaces have sold capacity make well through Septem- Der. Iron prices in the east have fallen several dollars a ton and $27 Birmingham iron cannot be market ed in competitive territory. BlrmlnS- ham makers must soon reVlSe thelr price card unless the eastern prices strengthen Meanwhile nothing do ing" expresses the southern iron markets status So far as new busi- ness Is concerned. A lot of 100 tons sold for s25 Saturday.
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 Cotton Ties Active.
 Corners Steel company has been able to resume in one mill following repairs made since the recent fire. Cotton ties are in good demand, with orders in excess of those of last year. Barrel hoops are also in good de- mand
 New Rail Orders.
 Japan has placed an additional rail order for 10000 tons and these will doubtless be rolled at Ensley. Co lombia has ordered 5000 tons of rails. Steel rails have been going in heavy tonnage recently to the West Indies. The Illinois Central has awarded large slice of it's 0,00O-ton rail order to the Tennessee company mill.
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 Plates To Texas.
 A recent shipment of interest was that of 1,500 tons of plates from the Tennessee company to Port Arthur. Texas, where they were taken by ocean-going barges after being car ried to Mobile in Warrior river barges. The Texas Refining company is using this steel to build tanks.
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 Structural Shops Busy.
 The structural steel shops of Bir- mingham have all they can do. One large shop has not been able to take gals Iron company has completed the job of $500 tons for the Texas City sugar refinery and the Virginia Bridge and Iron company is busy on 1000 steel underframes for the Southern railway as well as numer- ous bridges and the like. The Nash vile Bridge company has been busy since it started a few weeks ago Crop News Good. O
 The crop news for four weeks has been good Experts report satisfac- tory progress of all crops including corn and cotton. Cotton Is bringing 5 cents a pound more than it did this time last year. Early reflex of good cotton prospect Is expected to be felt in wire mill circles as well as in wholesale business.
 Prosperity On Farms.
 The International Harvester com pany reflects the greater prosperity