The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-01
By RICHARD F. JOHNSTON

Seemingly at the end of it's tether in maximum of productive capacity, the district somehow manages to add to it week by week. While there are not cars sufficient for moving everything at the same time, the pro duet Is well-nigh shipped as II iS produced. A maximum of operations industrially never went more smooth ly. The high pace came gradually and each increase In speed has been susceptible of handling.
 Among the industrial feature items of the week were these;
 Alabama coal production in March made a new sii-time high record, the production Of the week ending March 8 being 4e2,oon tons and average for four weeks In March being Sst,- 500 tons.
 Alabama Power company began operation of the first hydroelectrie unit at Mitchell dam, with 2+.000 horsepower and reports the opera ton of all steam ss well as water power plants at high speed in order to care for the demand for power in Alabama and the adjacent ststes served by Alabama.
 Above Them Al. Q Q
 Birmingham bank clearings, after leading the nation the week before and coming second the week prior to that again led the nation last week, which establishes its record for the season as far above all other cities.
 oxmoor blast furnace blew in fol- lowing rebuilding and modernizing and is making merchant Iron again for the First time in five years.
 One of the largest cargoes of cast iron pipe and steel products yet nov Ing to Pacific coast left Mobile Thursday.
 Large Export Movements.
 English steamer Hatamuri left Mo- biic Saturday with C ,000 tons of Ems ley rails and Fairfield and Bessemer steel products for Kobe and Yoko- hama.
 Cargoes of coal left Pensacola and Mobile for Cuba and South America. All Steel MiIs Busy.
 All steel mills continue their 100 per cent of production. The Tennes- see company has been forced to shift Bessemer furnace from mer- chant iron to ferro- o-manganese on account of the demand for steel pro- duction.
 Strong Iron Market.
 The pig iron market is exceedingly strong. It could not well be strong CT. The end of the week found the majority of the makers out Of the market. Spot metal is almost un- obtainabie except by regular custo- mers. It Is estimated that sales of iron last month aggregated 100000 tons, which is over 60.000 tons moro than estimated make for the month. One furnace maker sold two and half times it's March make.
 Pig iron sold uniformly at s27. IJfghar uriraa rntfld aa ativ hR Roffen for spot deliveries. Makers have so far failed to take advantage of an acute situation.
 Many steel products have advanced. Bars in Birmingham at s2.eo Pipe Market Active.
 Pipe markets remain active. One maker has 125 cars of pipe at Mobile now waiting on ship. United States Pipe company has booked 300 tons for Holland, Mich, and 900 tons for Middletown, 0. The base is close to $50 for 6-inch sizes.
 Sanitary pipe, which has been sell ing at S75 base for standard, Is under stood 10 be headed to another rise Of s5. All shops are busy
 Universal pipe. made by the Central Foundry company. is in active de- mand with shops behind in deliveries. The company Is making progress at Holt on the building or new plpe foundry where both universal and sanitary pipe will be made.
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 Record Iron Production.
 The Alabama iron production Tn March was largest in five years. Ex- act figures will probably show ap- proximately 245,000 tons. Two blast furnaces went in during March, one of the Alabama company at Gads- den March l5 and Oxmoor furnace last Thursday. Both these stacks will count for a full month produc- tlon in April and the Sloss-Sheffield will blow In xixth furnace In April. April will come near making new all-time iron production record.
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 North AIabDmn Highways.
 Jefferson county Is to build hard roads from Roebuck Springs to the gt Clalr line II Waa determined laai