340 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 14, 1913. delivery are numerous. Washed fuel occupies the same strong position that it has held for many months past. There is a full demand for washed nuts and slack, and collieries are full of orders. In many cases it is found impossible to enter into further engagements for washed fuel for several months to come. Prices are unchanged but firm. The coke market is in a good position. The demand for all qualities remains active at the recently advanced prices. All the ovens of the district are working at full pressure, but the output of coke is insufficient to meet the requirements of the market. Coking fuel continues scarce and dear. Prices at pit. Best house coals......... Secondary do............. Cobbles . ............... Nuts .................... Slack.................... Current Last week’s prices. prices. 14/6 14/6 12/6 12/6 12/ 12/ n 11/ 9/ 9/ IRON. There is no change in the condition of the iron trade. There is a good demand for all classes of iron—pig iron as well as finished iron—and all the works of the district are actively employed. Engineers and wagon builders are exceptionally busy. Nottingham. COAL. The state of the coal trade in Nottinghamshire remains fairly active. There has, however, been a falling off in the demand for household fuel compared with two or three weeks ago, the comparatively mild weather undoubtedly having had a detrimental effect. In consequence of the weaker tone in this section, there is a tendency to ease prices somewhat, but generally there has been no material alteration. The stocks at collieries are on a moderate scale, and if the weather continues of a spring-like character a shorter working week will in all probability be soon resorted to. In the section for steam coal a slightly less active tone has prevailed, the tonnage on exports having shown a reduction, though the home demand is keeping good. Industrials are a strong feature in this branch. Despite the easier tendency values are keeping firm. Slacks are selling about as briskly as ever, and prices are showing an inclination to advance. Business in gas coal and coke is maintaining its recent activity. Prices at pitbead. Current Last week’s prices. prices. Hand-picked brights 11/6 to 13/6 12/6 to 14/ Good house coals 12/ to 13/ 12/ to 13/ Secondary do 10/6 toll/ 10/6 to 12/ Best hard coals 11/9 to 12/3 12/ to 12/6 Secondary do 10/6 to 11/3 10/6 to 11/6 Slacks (best hards) 8/6 to 9/ 8/6 to 9/ Do. (seconds) - .. Do. (soft) 7/6 to 8/6 7/6 to 8/6 Leicestershire. COAL. On the whole a satisfactory business has been done in this district in the past week. The demand has been well maintained and in some descriptions improved. There has been a livelier enquiry for household coals of all qualities and stocks of these have been materially lessened. As a rule, stocks all round are considerably lighter than last week. Rather more time has been worked at the collieries and the output has been mostly delivered. In steam coals of all descriptions there is a full demand. Both cobbles and slacks are wanted. Nut slacks are much in request and the usual run of slacks are moving off freely. Steam coal of better qualities is decidedly in brisk enquiry. Local merchants are doing a very fair amount of business. Taking business as a whole, there is more movement generally and business prospects are quite cheerful. There is no particular movement in quotations, prices are quite firm, and late full rates are fully held. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Hednesford. COAL On the whole a fairly satisfactory business is being done in connection with the coal trade of the Cannock Chase district, but there is a slight falling off noticeable in the demand for house coal, due to the continued mildness of the weather, and at some of the collieries there is a quantity of the best qualities in stock. The collieries are not quite so busy ; some are still working full time, and others from four to five days a week. The demand for coal for manufacturing purposes continues in much the same satis- factory condition as when last reported, and slack is in good request. Quotations are about the same, but are not so easily maintained. Business is not quite so brisk at the landsale depots. Birmingham. COAL. The feature of the market is the growing strength of smalls and slacks. Apart from the abnormal demand, the comparative of the household department has brought about a short supply, the result being that prices are firmer than recently to the extent of about 6d. Household values are not appreciably easier, but for good orders merchants would have little difficulty in getting concessions. Prices at pit. Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase):— House coal, best deep..... Do. seconds deep Do. best shallow Do. seconds do. Best hard............... Forge coal.............. Slack .................. Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder ... Do. hand - pickeo cobs ................ Best hard spires ....... Forge (steam)........... D.S. nuts (steam) ...... Small (do.) ...... Current prices. Last week’s prices. 18/ 18/ 16/6 16/6 14/6 14/6 13/ 13/ 14/ 14/ 11/ 11/ 8/6 8/ 17/6 17/6 13/9 13/9 14/6 14/6 10/ 10/ 9/3 8/9 8/3 7/9 IRON. The attendance at the weekly market was not large, due to some extent to the delay in the train service by the fogs, neither was there any great activity as regards business. Buyers have been restricting their enquiries, in the hope probably that manufacturers will meet them with easier terms. So far no disposition is discernible to comply, prices in all departments, with the exception of galvanised sheets, being about the same as last week. Representatives of the pig iron industries of Derbyshire and Northamptonshire reported that the demand was still in excess of the output, and that deliveries are being pressed for. Future business, however, is a trifle flat, and for Northamptonshire brands sales could be made at 6d. below recent rates ; prices still remain at 72s. to 73s. Staffordshire part-mine is 71s. to 72s., all-mine 92s. 6d. to 97s. 6d., and foundry 97s. 6d. Finished iron makers are well engaged. The bar mills are sold to the end of the quarter, but specifications are not coming to hand so freely as recently, and it is obvious arrears have now been cleared off. For merchant qualities <£8 12s. 6d. remains the average price delivered Birmingham, and marked bars are unaltered at £10. Puddled bars fetch from .£6 to 2s. 6d. In the Darlaston district the price for common iron is .£8 2s. 6d. to £8 5s., which with discount makes the difference between the local price and that for Continental material 12s. 6d. to 15s. a ton, but this price advantage is more than counterbalanced by the irregularity of deliveries. Gas strip is unaltered, and underselling by houses outside the association still prevails. Galvanised sheets are, if anything, weaker. Sales are recorded as low as .£11 17s. 6d., and £12 is about the top figure. Some makers complain that they are scarcely getting their own back at these figures. Black sheets for galvanising are £8 15s. for doubles, and the demi-products are as high as ever, viz., £6 2s. 6d. to £6 5s. Steelmakers have a great deal of business on the books, and enquiry is brisk. The fall in standard copper is reflected in the price of sheets, which during the week have dropped £2 to £83 —the second fall in a fortnight. They are still relatively high. Business is only moderate. Forost of Daa&, Lydncy. GOAL. Since last writing, house coals have been in rather better demand, and the pits have averaged up to five days’ work. Orders from the railborne districts are coming in well, whilst shipments have shown some increase, and stocks at the dock sidings have been reduced. Steams of every description, but through and small especially, are still meeting with a brisk demand, and there is some delay in despatching orders. Prices at pithead. Current Last week’s House coals;— prices. prices. Block 16/6 16/6 Forest 15/6 15/6 Rubble 15/9 15/9 Nuts 14/ 14/ Rough slack ‘ 9/ 9/ Steam coal:— 1 Large : 13/ to 13/6 13/ Small 10/ 9/ to 10/ Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. American Institute of Mining Engineers. — Certain changes are proposed in the constitution and by-laws of this institute. Of these the most important are the establishment of a new class of junior members; the sub- stitution of 24 directors for the present board of nine directors and council of 17; the institution of monthly meetings. The title of (i Fellow ” is also to be instituted. Iron and Steel Institute.—The annual meeting will be held, by kind permission, at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Storey’s Gate, Westminster, on Thursday and Friday, May 1 and 2, 1913. The Bessemer gold medal will be awarded to Mr. Adolphe Greiner, General Director of the Societe Cockerill, Seraing. vice-president of the institute. The annual dinner will be held at the Hotel Cecil on Thursday, May 1, 1913. The autumn meeting will be held at Brussels, at a date to be announced later. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, February 13. North Wales. Wrexham. GOAL. The coal trade in this locality generally is gcod/and all' the collieries appear to be able to keep working full time, and to be able to dispose of their output. The mild weather has affected the household coal trade somewhat, but prices have not fallen much as yet. The usual quantities of steam coal are being taken by the various railway companies who have contracts, and the gas companies are taking their supplies. In regard to the latter, there are some contracts now falling due for renewal, and it is said that prices will be considerably higher than last year, ranging according to- quantities, from 13s. to 14s. and upwards. The manu- facturing concerns of the locality continue to be working at full stretch, and large quantities of steam coal are being taken by these works, and there is also a good demand at the Mersey ports for bunkers. The present prices are as follow :— Current Last week’s Prices at pit f.o.r. :— prices. prices. Best house coal 15/ to 17/ 15/6 to 17/6 Secondary do 14/ to 16/ 14/6 to 16/ Steam coal 12/6 to 13/6 1 12/6 to 13/6 Gas coal 12/6 to 13/6 12/ to 13/6 Bunkers 12/ to 13/ 12/ to 13/6- Nuts 11/ to 12/ 11/ to 12/ Slack 6/6 to 9/ 6/6 to 9/6 Gas coke (at works) Prices landsale:— 16/8 to 18/ 16/8 to 18/4 Best house coal 18/4 to 20/ 18/4 to 20/ Seconds 16/8 to 18/4 17/6 to 18/4 Slack 10/ to 12/6 10/ to 11/8 Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. GOAL A quiet week has passed, in which the item most chiefly- interesting has been the statement that the Italian State Railways have placed a contract with the Tredegar Iron Company for the delivery of 400 000 tons of Monmouthshire semi-bituminous coal between now and the end of the year. The price mentioned (not officially) has been about 16s. 3d. to 16s. 6d. net. Apart from this, the coal market has been dull* business slow, a slack enquiry, and prices weaker in every department. Even smalls have been eased a trifle on the week, but too much dependence must not be placed upon the present position, as sellers, while very wishful to secure immediate shipments, are very firm for all forward business, and any considerable accession of tonnage (of which much has been delayed by the heavy fogs) will materially aid them. The house coal market remains unchanged, maintaining all values. Pitwood rules quiet and a shade easier. In the freight market a fairly good demand has prevailed for prompt and handy steamers, with rates steady in the main, but rather weaker for the Mediterranean in places. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days, less 2| per cent. Steam coals:— Best Black Vein large ... Western-valleys, ordinary Best Eastern-valleys Secondary do. Best small coals Secondary do Inferior do Screenings Through coals Best washed nuts Other sorts:— Best house coal Secondary do Patent fuel Furnace coke Foundry coke Current prices. 17/ to 17/6 16/3 to 16/9 1 16/ to 16/3 ! 15/6 to 16/ ! 14/ to 14/3 12/9 to 13/ 12/ to 12/6 14/3 14/6 to 14/9 14/ to 14/3 18/6 to 19/ 17/ to 18/ 22/ to 23/ 25/ to 27/ 29/ to 30/ Last week’s prices. 17/6 to 17/9- 17/ to 17/3 16/6 to 16/9 16/ to 16/3 14/ to 14/6 12/9 to 13/3 12/3 to 12/6 13/ to 13/3 14/9 to 15/ 14/3 to 14/6 18/6 to 19/ 17/6 to 18/6 22 to 23/ 24/ to 25/ 27/6 to 30/ IRON. The local conditions of the iron and steel trades are now perhaps a little weaker than last week, what alterations there are to note being of a downward nature. New business is scarce, and the fresh enquiry coming along is not what manufacturers wish. Most departments are, however, comfortably placed with orders for the immediate future, and remaining well engaged do not appear to be offering concessions in price for future business. Outputs at the sheet and tinplate bar mills are well up to the average, and with deliveries still in arrears it is difficult to obtain quotations for prompt delivery. Officially quotations remain unaltered, likewise for Continental supplies, of which over 7,000 tons arrived here last week. Rail quota- tions show little change. Local blast furnaces are still being pressed for deliveries, Welsh haematite being firm at last quoted figures around 90s. The tinplate department is again the most unsatisfactory feature of the trade. New business here is only of a meagre nature, and enquiry quiet. Values have been eased in all grades, varying from l^d. to in some cases 4|d. per box; and the future is looked at with' considerable anxiety. I.C s 20 x 14 x 112 are quoted 14s. 9d. Bessemer, and 14s. 91. to 14s. 10|d. Siemens primes. Finished blackplate £10 12s. 6d. to £10 17s. 6d. per ton. Cardiff. COAL. While there were general complaints of a lack of tonnage, due to the return of boisterous weather, it is significant, that the shipments last week reached a total of 408,000