The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-06
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MANY HIGH RECORDS
PUT ON BULLETIN BOARD
OF INDUSTRY RECENTLY
Striking Gains in Pig Iron Production Bank Cearings
and Capital Investment-Co Strong De-
mand for Pressure Pipe-Pitch Going to Europe
by RICHARD f. JOHNSTON

by RICHARD +. JOHNSTON
Production and movement of manu-
featured products from mill and fac
tory remain a the high pace set some
time ago. Excellent railroad service
prevents, accumulations. Consump
tion is equal to production. Pur-
2haSerS are. taking it a tritle easier
due to prompt deliveries on tremend-
Gus orders heretofore placed. The
even keel of production. and consump
ton eliminates nervousness at both
ends of the game.
Several big things occurred during
the week, towit:
Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron COM
pany bought the entire properties of
the Sheffield Iron corporation and
Will shortly blpw in furnace at
Sheffield. With that and the city
furnace about to come in it wall
have seven active blast furnaces.
Phoenix Portland Cement plant at
Iarrant City began operations. 1t is
now burning clInkers and in lew
days VIII be turning out cement Tor
the trade at the rate of l,500,000 bar
rels year. The cement trade is ac-
tive and the new mill starts with
plenty of orders
Southern railway announced plans
20 build a 10-story office building.
Traders National purchased 100
Ieei lTOll Oll Hliu avenue lOT ii9
permanent home site,
o o o
Gains All Around.
Bank clearings for the first four
months of the year showed a 60 per
cent increase.
Investment record of the first four
months of the year showed a 60 per
cent increase.
Iron manufacture for the first four
months of the year showed 73 per
cent increase.
All steel mills remain on full time.
T. c. /. has divided a 42.000-ton rail
order OF the Illinois Central with
Gary mills.
Pressure Pipes orders.
Pressure pipe is continuously ac-
tive. The L. S. Pipe has booked 1900
IONS for Mariemont. near Cincinnati
and $50 tons for Jackson. Mich. The
National Pipe has taken 3S5 tons for
Altamont, III Memphis is to let
contract this week. 1t has already
placed LOO tons with the u. S. Pipe.
The base is S49 for inches and up
wards, but more than that is paid in
instances for prompt delivery, etc.
Sanitary pipe is not active in the
sales lines, but makers are booked
20 capacity for 60 days ahead. They
look for big business in the north
west in the next two to three weeks
as weather permits building opera
tons there. The base remains at SIS
for standard and $50 for extra heavy.
Dull Iron Month.
April was a dull iron month SO far
as new business is concerned. The
tremendous business Of the first
three months filled order books OF
makers well into the third quarter
and consumers booked requirements
of iron for like period. The lull is
accepted philosophically. The base
temains at S27. The only real buy
ing in two weeks was the placement
of orders for 10000 to $4,000 tons by
a large pipe interest for fill-in pur-
poses. Usual sale was of carload to
20 tons
Larger Production.
The iron production for the first
four months of the year foots up
955SS1 tons. which is 10 per cent
increase over 1922 Apriis increase
was Al per cent. Relative increase
will be smaller hereafter because iron
production had begun perceptible re-
covery by this time in 1922 and grad
ually improved month by month
the year. There are 81 ac-
tive furnaces now, compared with 10
at this time last year and the Sioss
is to put in two more within month
The iron production should then
make new high records.
Coal Property Deals.
There is continuity OF effort by
capitalists to secure leading
coal properties in Alabama, but so
far not enough money has come INTO
81 ght justifying serious consideration.
The Musgrove deal for virgin coal
lands in Walker and Winston is con-
sidered apart from any deals having
To do with large operating properties.
Chattanooga business men recently
here declare that the project TOT
building a 81 100000 sheet steel mill
in Chattanooga are very good indeed.
They say very little of the required
,apital is still to be raised. The mill
is to have $4,000 tons year capacl.y
and would serve Birmingham, Wnlch
has no sheet mill.
O O o
Pitch to Europe.
The large accumulations OF BY
product pitch at Bessemer and FAIR
field have been greatly reduced anu
all surplus will soon be out OF the
way, a ship now loading at Pensa-
cola, for Italy, with 5000 tons from
the Semet-Solvay yards. The expor
tation of pitch stopped during the
World war. but has been resumed in
the mast several months and has be-
come regular again. The pitch is
used in Italy, France and other coun-