January 9, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 87 Leicestershire. GOAL. Business opened last week briskly and with good prospects. It is quite satisfactory to find this week that the indications given are well borne out. There is an increased demand for almost all descriptions of coal and a good prospect of full time being worked all round, so long as the seasonable weather lasts. The collieries are generally clear of stocks and the present demand causes heavy deliveries of the output trade. Household coals are all in good enquiry. Whilst there is a very full demand for the middle qualities, and also for all small household coals, cobbles, etc., there is a much improved enquiry for the best descriptions of house- hold coals, which for a long time have been very dull. There is a good market for all kinds of steam coals, cobbles, special slacks and small nuts all being wanted. Local merchants are very much busier; the weather lately has much stimulated the retail trade. The present activity is reflected in the market quotations. Late full rates are firmly maintained. South Staffordshire, FJorth Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Hednesford. GOAL. The coal trade generally throughout the Cannock Chase district is in a satisfactory condition. There is very little coal in stock and orders on the books are fairly plentiful. Prices on the whole are well maintained and there is a somewhat firmer tendency. The collieries throughout the district are busy and the colliers are settling down to more regular work. There is a brisk demand for coal for house- hold purposes, and for manufacturing sorts the enquiry is fairly satisfactory. Railway and canal sales are brisk and a good business is being done at the landsale depots. Birmingham. COAL. A much brisker business is being done for household supplies and stocks have rapidly disappeared. Prices have stiffened in a number of cases, but quotations cannot be said to be quotably higher. The bookings for manufacturing fuel are somewhat irregular. Slacks (which have been weak for a long time) are gradually recovering. Quotations : ____________ Prices at pit. Current L*st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase):— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 18/6 18/6 18/ 18/6 Do. seconds deep 16/ 16/ Do. best shallow 14/9 14/9 14/6 13/ Do. seconds do. 14/ 14/ Best hard 15/ 15/ 14/ Forge coal 11/ H/ 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 7/6 7/6 8/ House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 16/6 16/6 17/6 cobs 14/ 14/ 13/9 Best hard spires 15/ 15/ 14/6 Forge (steam) 11/ 11/ 10/ D.S. nuts (steam) 10/ 10/ 8/6 Small (do.) 8/3 8/3 7/6 IBM. The quarterly meeting of the South Staffordshire iron trade attracted a large attendance. South Wales was well represented, and traders from Lancashire, Yorkshire and other districts were also present in considerable numbers. The reports were fairly encouraging. There is no rush of trade but orders are more plentiful than they were in December, and in a few branches prices show a tendency to harden. The reduction of marked bars by 10s. a ton, announced on Saturday, has brought this department more into harmony with other classes of finished iron. They now stand at .£8 10s., and it is hoped the move will tend to stimulate business. Customers are now not afraid of buying, as there are no abnormal prices about, and it is recognised that they will not sink further. Pig iron makers reported a healthier trade, and extensive purchases recently made have reduced stocks very materially. Large enquiries are being received from various centres, and this week consumers who desire to cover their wants have to pay about Is. a ton more. Forge iron is in demand for the Midlands and the north of England and foundry iron is selling freely in Lancashire. Northamptonshire makers ask 50s. minimum; Derbyshire averages 52s. 6d.; and South Staffordshire common 50s. to 51s., with the usual extra for part-mine. Cold-blast pig usually follows the movements of marked bars, in the manufacture of which it is mainly used, but no change has yet been made on the basis price of 125s. The reports regarding the common iron industry were more favourable. Substantial sales have been made during the week, and the moral effect of this will probably soon be apparent in the quotations. The general average now is £6 17s. 6d. delivered Birming- ham. Lancashire crown bars stand at £7 5s. and quotations for puddled bars are £4 7s. 6d. to £4s. 10s. Values of galvanised sheets continue to stiffen and the general quotation is now £11 10s. f.o.b. Liverpool, 2s. 6d. less being taken only in exceptional eases. India, for the time being, is the best market, but good quantities are being sent to South America, Australia and the Cape. The better houses are booked up till about the middle of March. For the home trade <£11 10s. is the general level. A meeting of the Gas Strip Association was held during the afternoon, at which prices were reaffirmed at £7 to £7 2s. 6d., according to order. Trade is quiet. The Staffordshire Tinned Sheet Manufacturers* Association also met, and decided to make no change in prices. Steelmakers are doing fairly well on orders for structural work, and there are further enquiries from rolling-stock works. Prices, however, are closely cut. High carbon billets have been reduced from £6 to £5 10s. a ton. Lydnoy. GOALe The collieries throughout this coalfield continue to make good time, the majority of them managing five and six days* work in the week and stocks are kept well in hand. Having in view, however, the season of the year and the colder weather of the past week or two, the demand on the whole is disappointing. The shipping branch of the trade is weak; railborne orders are very fair. Slacks are in good request. The steam coal pits are working more regularly, but prices have not improved. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’j Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 17/6 17/6 16/6 Forest 16/6 16/6 15/6 Rubble 16/9 16/9 15/9 Nuts 15/ 15/ 14/ Rough slack 6/6 6/6 8/ Steam coal:— Large 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/ -12/6 Small 8/6- 9/6 8/6- 9/ 8/ - 8/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. TEflS ML TOMS. Thursday, January 8. The London coal trade during the past week has kept up its recent activity, and although the milder weather for two or three days of the week seemed somewhat to check the number of orders coming in, it gave the required opportunity for overtaking the extra pressure for coal of all kinds from the week before. On Monday the market was well attended, and the tone was distinctly firm. Seaborne quotations continue the same, viz :—21s. 6d. for best Wallsend, and 20s. 6d. for seconds. Sharlston Wallsend was also quoted at 19s. 6d., but no quotation was given for' Sharlston best. Merchants report a good demand at all the depots from the general public, and the dealers and trolley trade are also brisk. Collieries have very little coal standing in stock now, and reports from the depots show that a good amount of the stock coal has been broken into whilst the pitmen were not at work directly after Christmas. The slow return of the miners to work has greatly restricted the output during the current week, and this limitation bids fair to last for some time yet. Steam coals have not received much attention lately, but factories are beginning to show an expansion of trade, and it will doubtless have an effect upon the demand for hard steam coal in the near future. Small nuts have greatly revived, and enquiries are coming in for fairly good quantities. Slacks, however, are moving very slowly, and prices in every direction are weaker. House nuts and bakers* nuts are still in good demand, but kitchener cobbles have fallen somewhat; 22 cargoes were entered on Monday as arrived in the Thames, and three for Wednesday’s market. The shipping trade, which has been slow during December, has begun to show signs of increasing activity, and a good amount of business is recorded. The mild weather at the early part of the week has been followed by a spell of very cold weather, and the demand for all qualities of house coal has been very marked. Trolleys are very busy and the depots are full of orders. Coke however, continues over-plentiful, and prices are weak. The rough weather along the coast has seriously retarded the arrival of seaborne qualities. Bright house coals have been in special request, but stove coals and the cheaper qualities have been neglected. The disposition to buy at the present momentjshows that many of the merchants are fearing a shortage at the wharves and depots if the present cold weather lasts. Market quotations (pit mouth) : Note.—Although every care is exercised to secure accuracy, we cannot hold ourselves responsible for these prices, which are, further, subject to fluctuations. Current Last Last prices. week’s year’s Yorkshire. prices. prices. Wath Main best coal 14/ — *13/ Do. nuts 18/ — 12/ Birley cube Silkstone 13/6 — 11/6 Do. branch coal 16/6 — 15/ Do. seconds 12/6 — 11/ Barnsley Bed Silkstone 14/ — 12/6 West Riding Silkstone 13/6 — 12/ Kiveton Park Hazel 13/6 — 13/ Do. cobbles 13/6 — 13/ Do. nuts 12/6 — 12/ Do. hard steam 12/6 — 11 New Sharlston Wallsend 15/... — 14/ Wharncliffe Silkstone branch — 14/ Do. Flockton Main ... — — 13/6 Do. Athersley house coal — — 11/6 Newton Chambers best Silks. —t 15/6 — 15/ Do. Grange best Silks. — 14/ Do. Hesley Silkstone... 14/ — 13/ Do. Rockingham selec. 14/ — 13/6 Do. Rockingham Silks. 13/6 — 13/ Derbyshire. Wingfield Manor best 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. large nuts... 12/9 12/9 11/9 Do. small nuts... 10/ 10/ 9/6 * Do. kitchen coal 10/6 10/6 10/ West Hallam Kilburn brights Do. do. nuts ... 13/ 13/ 12/ 12/9 12/9 11/9 Do. ’ London brights 11/6 11/6 11/ Do. bright nuts 11/6 11/6 10/9 Do. small nuts 10/ 10/ 9/6 Manners Kilburn brights 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 12/9 12/9 11/9 Shipley do. brights 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 12/9 12/9 11/9 Mapperley brights 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. hard steam 12/9 12/9 11/9 Cossall Kilburn brights 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. do. nuts 12/9 12/9 11/9 Trowell Moor brights 12/6 12/6 11/6 Do. do. nuts 12/ 12/ 1’/ Grassmoor Main coal 14/6 14/6 12/6 Do. Tupton 13/ 13/ 11/ Do. do. nuts 13/6 13/6 12/ * Where no quotation is given, information as to changes in price was not to hand at the time of going to press. t Price withdrawn. Current Last week’s Derbyshire—(cont). prices. prices. Clay Cross Main coal 14/6 14/6 Do. do. cubes 14/6 14/6 Do. special Derbys 13/6 13/6 Do. house coal 13/ 13/ Pilsley best blackshale 14/6 14/6 Do. deep house coal 13/ 13/ Do. hard screened cobbles 12/ 12/ Hardwick best Silkstone 14/6 14/6 Do. Cavendish brights... 13/6 13/6 Do. cubes 14/6 14/6 Nottinghamshire. Clifton picked hards 12/6 7^* Do. small hards 12/6 Do. deep large steam 10/6 Annesley best hards 12/6 Do. bright cobbles 12/6 Linby best hards 12/6 Do. bright cobbles 12/6 Digby London brights 13/6 13/6 Do. cobbles 13/6 13/6 Do. top hards 13/ 13/ Do. High Hazel coal 15/ 15/ Bestwood hard steam coal 12/6 Do. bright cobbles 12/6 — Hucknall Torkard main hards 12/9 — Do. do. cobbles 11/6 Do. do. nuts 11/ Do. do. High Hazel H.P. 15/3 Do. do. London brights.. 12/9 — Do. do. large nuts 12/9 — Do. do. bright nuts 11/9 — Sherwood H.P. hards 12/6 Do. hard steam 11/6 Do. brights ..., 11/9 Do. cobbles 11/6 Do. large nuts 11/9 — Warwickshire. Griff large steam coal 11/6 11/6 Do. screened cobbles 12/6 12/6 Do. bakers’ nuts 12/ 12/ Do. loco Two Yard hards ... 14/ 14/ Do. Ryder nuts 12/6 12/6 Do. do. cobbles 13/6 13/6 Nuneaton steam coal 11/6 11/6 Do. screened cobbles ... 12/6 12/6 Do. nuts 12/ 12/ Haunchwood steam 11/6 11/6 Do. screened cobbles 12/6 12/6 Do. nuts 12/ 12/ Wyken steam coal L 11/6 11/6 Do. screened cobbles 12/6 12/6 Do. nuts 12/ 12/ Exhall Ell coal spires 14/ 14/ Do. brights — O •*•«••• Do. large steam coal 11/6 11/6 Do. best screened cobbles Do. large nuts Leicestershire. Snibston steam 10/ Do. cobbles 10/6 Do. nuts 10/6 South Leicester steam 10/ Do. cobs, or small hards 10/6 — Do. nuts 10/6 ___ Whitwick steam 10/ Do. roasters 10/6 Do. cobbles 10/6 Do. nuts 10/6 Netherseal hards 18/ Do. Eureka 13/ Do. kitchen •*/ 10/6 Ibstock kibbles 11/ Do. large nuts 11/ — Do. bakers’ nuts 10/6 ... ■ Do. Main nuts 10/6 Do. hards 10/ Granville New Pit cobbles a-v/ 11/ — Do. Old Pit cobbles 11/ — North Staffordshire. Talk-o’-th’-Hill best 13/6 — Sneyd best, selected 15/ — Do. deeps 14/6 Silverdale best a. j-y 14/ — Do. cobbles a. a:/ 13/ — Apedale best 14/ Do. seconds 13/ Podmore Hall best 14/ Do. seconds J. JLf 13/ South Staffs. (Cannock District). Walsall Wood steam coal, London brights 11/6 — Do. shallow one way 11/6 — Do. deep nuts 12/6 — Cannock steam 11/6 Coppice deep coal — Do. cobbles - Do. oneway....... Do. shallow coal Cannock Chase deep main 16/ — Do. Deep kitchen cobs 12/ ‘— Do. best shallow main 14/ — Do. shallow kibbles ... 13/9 — Do. best brights 13/6 — Do. yard cobbles 13/6 — Do. yard nuts 12/6 — Do. bakers’ nuts 10/9 — Do. screened hards ... 11/9 ■— Last year’s prices. 12/6 12/ 11/9 11/ 12/6 10/6 W/ 12/6 11/6 11/6 12/ 11/ 12/ 12 11/3- 12/ 11/3 12! 12/ 13/ 14/ 12/ 11/3 12/3 11/3 11/ 14/9 12/3 12/3 11/3 10/6 11/3 11/3 11/9 10/9 11/ 13/6 11/6 12/6 LO/9 11/ U/ 10/9 11/ 10/9' 11/ 11/ 12/6 10/9- 10/6 10/3- 10/6 10/ 10/6- 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 10/6 17/ 12/6- 10/6 10/ 10 9/6 10/ 9/6- 11/6 10/6 13/6- 14/6 14/ 15/ 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6- 13/ 13/ 12/ 11/6- 11/ 13/ 12/ 12/ 12/ 17/ 12/ 14/ 13/6 13/ 13/6 12/6 10/3 11/ item fflesami. fiJnSiam,Sfawuua Oc. b Friday, January 2.—The seaborne bouse coal market was not so jzood to-day, but no Durham or Yorkshire cargoes on- offer. Best, (Durham) 21s. 6d., seconds (Durham) 20s. 6d., Sharlston (Yorks) 19s. 6d. Cargoes 20. Monday, January 5.—Although the weather whs somewhat milder, there was a slight improvement in the demand for seaborne house coal to-day, but no Durham or Yorkshire cargoes available. Best (Durham) 21s. 6d., seconds (Durham) 20s. 6d., Sharlston Main York 19s. 6d. Cargoes 22. Wednesday, January J.—The colder weather gave a slight turn for the better in the demand for saaborne house coil to- day, but no cargoes on offer. Best (Durham) 21s. 6d., seconds.. (Durham) 20s. 6d., Sharlston York 19s. 6d. Cargoes 3.