February 6, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 305 GOAL. BlE’mingfham, Although the same briskness does not prevail as was apparent a fortnight ago, the coal trade is still busy. The pits are going full time, there are practically no stocks, and no concessions are yielded. For manufacturing sorts the demand is rather quiet. Prices: — 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-picked cobs ............... Best hard spires ..... Forge (steam) ........ D.S. nuts (steam) .... Small (do.) .... Current prices. L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. 18/6 18/6 18/ 16/ 16/ 16/6 14/9 14/9 14/6 14/ 14/ 13/ 15/ 15/ 14/ 11/ 11 11/ 7/6 7/6 8/ 16/6 16/6 17/6 14/ 14/ 13/9 15/ 15/ 14/6 11/ 11/ 10/ 10/ 10/ 8/9 8/3 8/3 7/9 IRON. The market, which was well attended, disclosed no change in the condition of the Staffordshire iron and steel industries. The Wages Board returns for November and December afford a slight relief to manufacturers in the shape of a 2| per cent, reduction in the rate of puddling, which now amounts to 9s. 9d. per ton in addition to the bonus of 6d. given 18 months ago. The selling price has dropped from £7 16s. Id. to £7 10s. 5d., and the output, compared with the preceding two months, shows a decline of over 6,000 tons, Generally speaking, the industries of the district are in a state of quietude. Output is restricted in many cases, and prices are rather flat. Makers of best bars take a fair number of orders at £8 10s., but for merchant bars there is not a great deal doing, and prices do not reach beyond £6 15s. to £6 17s. 6d. delivered Birmingham. The mills are going about four days a week. Despite keen competition from abroad, good sales are made of the common sorts for the nut and bolt and general heavy trades of the district. The buying of pig iron has slackened off, but orders against contracts are being received with fair regularity. Recent rates are firmly upheld. There is also less activity in the galvanised sheet branch, and prices have dropped to .£11 minimum, ranging to .£11 7s. 6d. at Liverpool. The East and West Indies, Australia, and New Zealand are steady markets. Black sheets are also weaker; hard doubles for galvanising are obtainable at £7 12s. 6d. to <£7 15s., and merchant sheets at £715s. to «£8 for singles, with 2s. 6d. extra for doubles delivered in the district. Recently, sheet makers have been able to get their bars on favourable terms, Continental being not more than £4 12s. 6d. to £4 15s., and English £4 15s. to £5. Welsh bars coming into this district are maintained at the latter figure. Steelmakers find foreign competition keen, and although orders come in week by week, they cannot look far ahead. Prices, too, are weak, and as one result ferro has fallen by as much as £1 a ton, and now stands at £9. Lydney. SO/AL. All the steam coal pits are making good time this week, and outputs are disposed of without adding to stock. Good despatch, however, is given to customers* requirements, as the demand ruling is not a pressing one. The house coal collieries, too, have had a good week, many of them managing full time, and stocks are kept well in hand. The railborne demand is a fairly strong one, whilst shipments show some improvement. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’? 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 Steam coal:— 6/6 6/6 9/ Large 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 13/ Small 8/6- 9/ 8/6- 9/ 9/ -10/ Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. TOE Boat WME Thursday, February 5. Dublin. The strike in this port is now practically at an end, and negotiations between the coal merchants and their own men who were out have this week resulted in a settlement and a return to work, although the services of many of the free labourers will be retained. The business of most of the large coal firms will now be fully restored, and deliveries throughout the city and suburbs effected without police protection. The trade upon the whole continues to be fairly active, and prices are unchanged, viz.:—Orrell coal, 30s. per ton ; household, 28s.; Orrell slack, 24s.; steam coals from about 25s. per ton; house coal, retail, 2s. per sack; best coke, 23s. per ton delivered. The collier vessels arriving during the past week amounted to 42, as compared with 75 the week previously, chiefly from Garston, Ellesmere Port, Newport, Glasgow, Preston, Maryport, Ayr, West Bank, Liverpool, Cardiff and Llanelly. The total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays was 21,000 tons. Belfast There is a fair amount of activity in the coal trade, both in the local and inland markets, and the demand for English house qualities is in excess of the supply, as merchants still find it difficult to obtain a sufficiency of these classes. Prices generally are firm, but unchanged. Quotations in the city are as follow :—Best Arley house coal, 27s. 6d. per ton ; Hartley, 26s. 6d.; Wigan, 25s. 6d.; Orrell nuts, 26s. 6d.; Scotch house, 23s. 6d.; Orrell slack, 23s. 6d. Current prices of steam coals ex-quay:—Scotch, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. per ton; Navigation steam, 17s. to 18s. per ton; Welsh steam coal, 18s. 6d. to 20s. per ton delivered. Freights are somewhat firmer, and stocks below the average. Cargoes arriving during the week were chiefly from Garston, Troon, Maryport, Ayr, Girvan, Ardrossan, Preston, Swansea, Whitehaven, Glasgow, Port of Aire, Workington, Partington, Ellesmere Port, Birkenhead and West Bank. comraiAL mre botes. Belgium. Production in 1913.—The production of coal in 1913 amounted to 22,858,450 metric tons, as compared with 22,983,460 metric tons in 1912. Stocks have increased during the year from 411,950 tons to 951,260 tons. The number of workmen was 147,003, as against 142,913 in 1912. In the second half of the year there was a decline in the output of 211,270 tons, as compared with an increase of 86,260 tons in the first half. Exports and Imports.—The figures for the last two years are as follow :— Exports. Imports. 1913. 1912. 1913. 1912. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Coal.......... 4,943,550 ... 5,058,005 ... 8,874,345 ...8,132,014 Coke.......... 1,119,464 ... 1,015,534 ... 1,728,079 ... 955,393 Briquettes... 643,244 ... 623,351 ... 465,454 ... 436,908 France. What satisfaction there is in the French colliery situation lies in the steady maintenance of prices. As foreshadowed, far from preparing for any reduction, the collieries are ready for a rise as soon as they dare, and have already made a beginning in that direction with household varieties and washed smalls, which are very scarce. The recent cold spell brought a rush of business, and there was considerable shortage of wagons, but with the reopening of the canals the strain has been diminished. On the other hand, the falling off in the demand from the iron trade goes on increasing, and the number of furnaces shut down has been added to this week. At the same time the reduced con- sumption in this respect has not yet had a normal effect, because of the practical stoppage of imports from Belgium owing to the extraordinary congestion of the railways there. This is so bad that such big collieries as Courcelles-Nord and Bascoup, both of which do a big trade with France, are at a complete standstill through lack of wagons to trans- port the coal, the former having paid off some 3,000 men. There is a dearth of engineers and firemen, great numbers of whom are on the sick list. There is a distinct coinci- dence in this, that such an epidemic should immediately follow upon the privilege which has just been accorded by the State that wa ies are paid in full to railway servants while incapacitated by illness. Figures showing the production of coke and patent fuel by the North of France coalfield are now known, and show considerable reductions. The total quantity of coke made in 1913 was 2,445,050 tons, 1,608 tons more than in 1912, but the increase was confined to one colliery—Bethune, which, with 392,691 tons, made 46,915 tons more than in the previous year, so that all the others show a big falling-off. A similar state of things exists in the patent fuel statistics, for while the total of 1,802,285 tons is 8,826 tons ahead of last year, the only collieries to increase their output were Aniche and Anzin, who make briquettes for the Navy. They together increased their quantity by 68,734 tons. The others have preferred to take advantage of the great demand for smalls created by the spread of automatic stokers, and tend still further to reduce their output of fuel. Last week brief reference was made to the falling off in the production of the North of France coalfield, which is showing every tendency to become more accentuated, and a closer examination of the figures reveals a very serious state of affairs. The total decrease for 1913 was 289,054 tons, but there was an increase during the first six months of over 400,000 tons, so that there was a net drop of 700,000 tons in the last six months. In the natural course of events there should have been an increase in the latter period of about 500,000 tons, so that there was 1,200,000 tons less coal wrought than should have been, having regard to the opening up of new workings and the introduction of all modern improvements to stimulate the output. Nor can the little temporary strike of a few days in November be adduced as a reason. The real causes are unfortunately permanent. The reduction of the working day, the suppression of overtime, the calling out of two classes of conscripts, and the retention with the colours, under the new three years service law, of the class due for discharge, are the causes which arise from Government action, and all of them will exist through this year, but added to this is the insufficiency of available labour to work the mines properly. They do their best to import it, and Poles, Italians, Spaniards and even Kabyles are welcomed, but with the exception of the Poles the experiments have not been satisfactory. A fresh draft of Kabyles recently arrived, but these men, though physically a fine race, do not take kindly to such labour in a northern climate. It is not surprising to find at the same time that labour, being so much in demand, is becoming restive and decidedly expectant of a substantial increase in wages. The situation is aggravated by the fact that there are two rival trade unions. One—the newer—won a victory by obtain- ing the suppression of overtime through the November strike, and now the other is burning to justify its existence.* A mass meeting was held at Lille recently, attended by deputations from all over the country. The tone of the gathering was distinctly bellicose, and the officials were empowered, as soon as the eight hours day comes into force, to press for higher wages and a retiring pension at 50 years of age, with the distinct understanding that if these points be not granted a general strike will be declared. A strong proportion was, indeed, in favour of immediate action, so that developments may be looked for in a week or two. Germany. Serious Explosion. — On Friday, a serious explosion occurred in the Achenbach pit, which was the scene of a similar disaster in December 1912. In the latest accident 25 workmen are stated to have lost their lives. Ruhr Coal Market.—The volume of traffic has again been unfavourably influenced by several factors. On the one hand, industrial consumers are buying less, the iron industry being in an unsatisfactory condition, and the reduction of prices coming into force in April checking any tendency to buy ahead. On the other hand, the closing of the Rhine to traffic has naturally affected the water-borne coal trade, but as the up-river stockyards are well filled there is plenty to draw on in the meantime. The cold weather has increased the deliveries of house coal, and gas coals are maintaining their previous level, but coking coals are quiet, in accord with the situation in the coal market, which is very unsatisfactory.’ The reduction in the price of blastfurnace coke does not seem to have had much effect, delivery specifications being unimportant, whereas coke for heating purposes is in better request. Coal Market in Upper Silesia.—For the first half of January the traffic returns show an increase of about 1,100 trucks over the corresponding period of last year. For the moment there is no change in the favourable situation of the market, and so far from there being any falling off in the demand, that for industrial coals is stil{ growing, though the sugar making season being over, fuel for this purpose is no longer required. House coal is also in better request owing to the colder weather. In these circumstances there is no necessity for the pits to stock any of their output, a ready outlet being available for the whole production. This is more particularly the case in view of the increased requirements of the export trade, both for Russian Poland and Austria-Hungary. Orders have also been coming in latterly from other parts of Russia. The situation of the coke market is also favourable, the blastfurnaces being still busy, although the pig iron trade is slacker. Consequently, blastfurnace coke can all be disposed of without difficulty, and the same applies to coke for heating purposes. SVMIOT AM OTHER OTTES. After six years* litigation in the American courts, the infringement suit instituted by the American Blower Company of Detroit, against the B. F. Sturtevant Company of Boston, was ultimately decided, and judgment given in favour of the American Blower Company by Judge Ray, of the United States District Court, on December 22, 1913. The suit was in reference to an infringement of the patent rights of the centrifugal fan which is known by the trade mark “ Sirocco **, and which was invented and patented all the world over by S. C. Davidson, of the firm of Davidson and Co. Limited, Belfast, Ireland. The American Blower Company control the patent rights of the Davidson fan in America, and the infringement complained of was in reference to a fan having blades similar to those of the Davidson fan, but with corrugations along the axial length, and described by the B. F. Sturtevant Company, who were making and selling it, as their Multivane fan. The judge decided that the patents in suit disclosed invention and were valid, and that the infringement was clear, and gave the decree in favour of the American Blower Company with costs. The case was not only a very protracted one, but included a formidable array of witnesses, amongst whom were the most brilliant scientists of America. The evidence forms a library of 10 volumes, aggregating about 3,000 pages. Under the auspices of the Institute of Chemistry, Mr. William MaoNab, F.I.C., will deliver the first of two lectures on “Explosives** on Thursday, February 26, 1914, at 8 p.m., at King*s College, Strand, W.C. The Board of the Baltic and White Sea Conference, at its meeting in Bremen, has adopted a resolution affirming that the sudden fall of freight rates is out of all proportion to the trifling shrinkage in trade, which is due to transient causes. The Board is satisfied that an important general improvement in trade may be anticipated with the opening of trades now closed, and that such an improvement could be hastened and stimulated by owners refusing to make forward engagements except on terms yielding a reasonable return. An ordinary meeting of the members of the Manchester Geological and Mining Society will be held at 5, John Dalton-street, Manchester, on Tuesday, February 10, 1914, at 4 p.m., when the following paper by Mr. William Clifford will be read:—“ Some Experiences in Reversing the Main Air- currents in Coalmines, and Mechanical Structures Involved.** The council will meet on the same day at 3T5 p.m. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has applied to be heard before the Royal Commission on Railways, and the secretary (Mr. G. H. Wright) has prepared a memorandum of the evidence which he desires to submit on behalf of the Chamber. In this he enters into an exhaustive examination of the question of railway rates and charges. The Chamber recommend that further powers should be conferred upon the Board of Trade with regard to questions relating to railway rates, charges, classifications, and conditions, and that these powers should be vested in a special department of the Board of Trade; that if a trader is aggrieved at the action of a railway company, or of a number of railway companies, he should have the right, to apply to the Board of Trade to convene a conference with the railway companies concerned. TOE WPLm T1W Liverpool. The fact that the makers have now definitely decided to form a conference, with the object of regulating output, has had a big effect on the market, anxious buyers rushing in to cover at figures which have advanced almost daily since our last. The situation at the moment is that, pending develop- ments, makers of tinplate are notidesirous of selling ahead at all. They are by no means easy to deal with for any delivery, and the figures below can only be taken as approximate:— Coke tins: I C 14 x 20 (112 sh. 108 lb.), 13s. 3d. to 13s. 9d. per box; IC 28 x 20 (112 sh. 216 lb.), 26s. 3d. to 26s. 9d. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 108 lb.), 13s. 10|d. to 14s. 3d. per box; I C14 x18| (124 sh. 110 lb.), 13s. 6d. to 14s. per box; I C 14 x 19| (120 sh. 110 lb.), 13s. 6d. to 14s. per box ; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 156 lb.), 19s. 6d. to 20s. per box; I C squares and odd sizes, 13s. 6d. to 14s. basis. Charcoals, I C 14 x 20, 16s. per box and upwards. Ternes, IC 28 x 20, 23s. per box and upwards. Coke wasters:—C W 14 x 20, 12s. 4-^-d. to 12s. 6d. per box; C W 28 x 20, 25s. to 25s. 3d. per box; C W 14 x 18if, Ils. 3d. to Ils. 6d. per box ; C W 20 x 10, 15s. 6d. to 15s. 9d. per box—all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 percent.