The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-02

| ChaS. IL. Harold, former secretary vi
the Southern association of rolled steel
consumers and former secretary of the
Birmingham Civic association, who is
spending a few days in connection with
his duties as field representative OF
the National Exchange club, yesterday
pinted out some of the great advantages
Birmingham derives from adjustment
of Pittsburg plus. Ar. Harold was ac-
tive in the early fight to secure
adjustment of the practice and has
made a special study of the subject.
II was surprised" said Mr.. Harold,
"to return to Birmingham and find
that there is confusion and some skep-
ticism about the victory which we have
won after the seven years war oven
'Pittsburg plus
There appears to have been some
effort on the part of certain persons
and interests to minimize the signifi.
canoe of the recent order of the federal
trade commission commanding the
United States Steel corporation, includ-
ing the Tennessee Company and the
American Steel and Wire company. to
cease discriminating against the south
and west in favor of Pittsburg. VI
course there are die-hards in every
great fight, fellows who inevitably have
TO yield to justice and rapidly mount
ing tide of public opinion indignant
and militant against such trade evil
as Pittsburg plus and the modified
form of its by the name of the Birming-
ham differential. But the fight now
is won since the Steel corporation an
nounced last week that it would not APP
neal the case but would obey the order
of the commission. We will await with
interest the course of events to be sure
that the offending mills will obey the
order in good faith as we must assume
they will. .-
Value Of Opinion
"There are those who, l learn, have
said here in Birmingham that our VIC
tory was a Pyrrhic one, that it amounts
to nothing, that Birmingham and other
southern fabricator-manufac are
doing well and never suffered under the
Pittsburg plus modification called the
birmingham differential. They have
bruited it around that our steel fab
ricators such as the Ingalls, Iron Works,
the American Bolt company, the Perfec-
toin Mattress and Spring company, the
Vulcan Rivet corporation, etc, all OF
Birmingham, have been most beneficent-
ly treated by the Tennessee company.
that they have been helped instead OF
handicapped by the Tennessee company,
in their competition with the Plttsburg
fabricatOrs.
"I don't know what these fabricators
think about it and say here in Birming-
ham hut I do know what they told the
federal trade commission in Chatta-
nooga in the summer of 1922 when tes-
tifying under oath and when protected
against any possible reprisals for speak
ing out in the subject. Let the Biz
mingham public read from the. sworn
testimony of these people as to the
throttlnig effect upon them caused by
charging the S. ton higher price for
steel by the Steel corporation at blr'
mingham than to their friends Mt Pitts
burg:
"Says the Ingalls, Iron works sum
marized in the report of the Trade Com
missioner Examiner Bennett: 'lngalis
Ironworks of Birmingham, Ala, fabrl
Gated steel structural shapes and plates
purchased from respondent TENNESSEE
Coal, Iron and Railroad company, anC
other producers upon the Birmingham
differential or the Pittsburg plus basis
and sold such fabricated material IN IN
terstate commerce. Among such faDrl
Gated PRODUCTS were bridges and struc
tural steel for building. ingalls, IroT
works, in the sale of such fabricated
products lin interstate commerce, was
in competition with structural fabrl
Gators in Pittsburg, Roanoke. Nash
vile. Mt. Vernon and other points, IN
Guiding respondent American Bridge
company from its Chicago plants. The
birmingham differential charged for
| IL Nd rNIO no rn6nnAn
| field of operation of ingalls, company
curtailing its business in, Virginia and
North Carolina
Effect On Bold Business
1.-THE American Bolt company also
appeared before the examiner who afteI
examination of their representative un.
der coach repOrteds rwayedebnek 2 Y
be follows: The American Bolt com
pany is in competition upon its pro
ducts (bolts and nuts). with manu-
facturers in Chicago. Kansas City, Port
Chester, n. Y. st. Louis, Muncie, Co
lumbus, O., Pittsburg, Cleveland, Erie
Buffalo land a number OF other polni
named). Pittsburg and eastern com
petitors are most frequently met. Oh
account of the Birmingham differentia
in the price of steel bars used by Amer
lean Bolt company in its products, Pitts
burg and eastern competitors taxed from
it New Orleans. Memphis, Chattanooga
and Atlanta. some of its best selling
territory. The differential confirm:
American Bolt company largely to Ala
bama for the sale Of its goods, although
some safes are made in New Orleans
Louisiana points, Texas, Tennessee
Georgia. Florida and Arkansas. TIL
Birmingham differentiNl increases TIL
price of this cOmpany,s product AM
prevents it from meeting competitor
on an equal footing.
"The Vulcan Rivet corporation is en-
gagged in the manufacture of rivets from
steel bars purchased from the Tennessee
company and others. 1t is in cOmpeti
ton with manufacturers located a
Pittsburg, Cleveland, Chicago and Phila
delphia. It's representative under oat
testified to the examiner who reporte
the fact to be that the Birmingham
differential ($5) charged for steel bar
at Birmingham reduced the field of OF
cratiOns of the company, excluding tn
Vulcan Rivct company from market