March 27, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 685 moment. Orders are rather scarce, but specifications are being given out rather freely. Quotations all round are stationary. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The inland house coal trade keeps in a satisfactory condition, and there is no talk in trade circles of the likelihood of any pending change in price. Forges are only taking moderate quantities of round screened fuel, as they are not working full turns. Bunkering on contract account is well maintained, but supplies are quite equal to require- ments. There is rather more enquiry on outside account, and possibly some of this is in anticipation of the approaching Easter holidays. There is no change to report in prices last named, these remaining at 13s. to 13s. 3d. f.o.b., for ordinary qualities of Lancashire screened coal to 13s. 6d. for best descriptions. The coastwise and cross-Channel house fuel trade remains much as previously reported, a good average quantity being shipped. In slacks the supply is rather in excess of the demand, but not to any serious extent. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 17/ 17/ 16/3 Do. (f.o.b. Garston,net) 16/9-17/3 16/9-17/3 16/6-16/9 Medium 15/3 15/3 14/6 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 15/ -15/6 15/ -15/6 15/ -15/3 Kitchen 13/ 13/ 12/3 Common (f.o.b. Grstn., net) 13/9-14/3 13/9-14/3 13/6-14/3 Screened forge coal 12/ -12/6 12/3-12/6 12/6-13/ Bestscrnd. steam coalf.o.b. 13/ -18/6 13/ -13/6 13/9-14/9 Best slack 9/9-10/ 9/9-10/ 10/6 Secondary slack 9/ - 9/3 9/ -9/3 9/9 Common do 8/6- 8/9 8/6-8/9 9/3 South Lancashire and Cheshire. GOAL. There was a full attendance on the Coal Exchange at Manchester on Tuesday. House coal is in quiet demand owing to the milder weather. There is only a moderate enquiry for furnace coal, but rather more business in shipping coal, which is steadying prices up somewhat. Slack continues to move away in good quantities with ample supplies offering. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best Current prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 9/9-10/3 8/9- 9/3 L’st week’s prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 Last year’s prices. 16/6-17/ 15/3-16/ 12/6-13/ 12/6 14/ 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 Medium Common Furnace coal Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack Common slack IBM. The apology for a market keeps very quiet. There is no life in it, and very few enquiries to report. Good No. 3 pig iron can be bought at 57s. to 57s. 6cL, but nobody is keen to purchase even at that. Foundries are not busy. Forges are working very short time. Even supposing they can buy their forge iron at 52s. per ton, with the associated price of bars at .£7 5s., there is not much profit in it, the wages are so high. Steelworks are only half-heartedly employed, and there will be nothing done now until after Easter. In the meantime the Birmingham quarterly meeting comes on, but nothing of note is expected to take place. Heavy engineers are fairly busy, also textilists. Wagon builders are slack. Boiler makers also are slack. ------_ Leeds. COAL. There was a big muster of representatives of all sections of the coal trade at the market on Tuesday and consider- able animation as regards the demand. It was reported that the pits had made practically full time, though only with difficulty on account of the scarcity of wagons, about which there were numerous and serious complaints; also that trouble had arisen in several cases with regard to surface wages. Lofthouse and Sharlston West were reported to be on strike, and this had the effect of firming up values all round, in view of the fact that notices throughout York- shire expire on the 1st prox. It was reported that the best qualities of Haigh Moor house coal are almost unprocurable, many of the collieries absolutely refusing to take further orders. House Coal.—London merchants and factors seem to view the position here with indifference, as they do not rely, of course, to any great extent, upon supplies from this district. Orders, however, have come to hand more freely, and price lists have been withdrawn. The retail trade in London continues quiet, but supplies of West Yorkshire qualities at the wait-order junctions are very low. In the coastwise trade there is a distinctly improved demand, and medium qualities of Silkstone house coal seem to be chiefly in request. In Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, and other large centres of population, the public seem to have got the idea that there is going to be a strike, and merchants are being inundated with orders. Supplies from the collieries are meagre, and merchants are taking up ground stocks. Official pit prices remain at about the following level: Haigh Moor selected 18s. to 19s., Wallsend and London best 17s. to 18s., Silkestone beat 17s. to 18s., Silkstone house 15s. 6d. to 16s. 6cL, secondary sorts 14a. to 15s. 6d. Gras Coal.—Special efforts are being made by the larger gas authorities to secure extra supplies in view of a possible stoppage, and speaking generally reserves at the works are considered ample for at least a month. Spot parcels of gas coal have sold during the past few days at high prices both for shipment and inland consumption. New business, of course, is not being considered at the moment, but the report that the London companies had bought at very low prices had a depressing effect on the forward market locally. There is a strong enquiry for prompt parcels for shipment to the nearer Continental ports. Manufacturing Fuel.—Practically all surplus tonnage has disappeared, and stocks in colliery sidings are less now than at any time during the past six months. Manufac- turers in the Bradford and Huddersfield districts are laying in stocks where possible, and values have appreciated considerably for prompt business. Washed nuts are almost unprocurable. Washed Furnace Coke.—This branch of the trade seems to be the only one affected seriously by the outlook. Sales of patent oven coke have been reported this week at 10s. 6d. per ton at the ovens, while stocks both on the benches and in the hands of consumers are heavy. A big contract for washed furnace coke for the Frodingham district is reported to have been taken during the last few days at very little over 10s. per ton at the ovens. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/6-15/ 14/ -15/ 14/ -14/6 Wallsend & London best 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 Silkstone best 14/ -14/6 13/6-14/6 13/ -13/6 Do. house 13/6-14/ 13/ -13/6 11/6-12/6 House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull : 12/ -12/6 11/6-12/6 11/ -11/6 Haigh Moor best 17/ -18/ 16/9-17/9 16/6-17/6 Silkstone best 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -16/6 Do. house 15/6-16/ 15/ -15/6 15/ -15/6 Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 14/6-15/ 14/ -14/6 13/6-14/3 Screened gas coal 11/6-12/ 11/3-11/9 12/3-12/9 Gas nuts 10/6-11/3 10/6-11/ 11/6-12/ Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: 9/6-10/ 9/3-10/ 11/ -11/6 Washed nuts Large double-screened 11/ -12/ 10/6-11/9 11/6-12/3 engine nuts 10/ -10/6 10/ -10/6 11/ -11/6 Small nuts Rough unscreened 9/ - 9/6 9/ - 9/6 10/9-11/3 engine coal 9/6-10/ 9/3- 9/9 10/9-11/3 Best rough slacks 7/6- 8/ 7/3- 7/9 9/ - 9/6 Small do 6/6- 7/ 6/6- 6/9 8/3- 8/9 Coking smalls Coke:— Price at ovens : 5/6- 6/ 5/6- 6/ 8/ - 8/6 Furnace coke 10/6-11/ 10/ -11/ 18/ -19/ Barnsleys COAL, There was a more general feeling at the local market that the possibility of a strike in the county has passed over, or at all events had been postponed. This position served to allay what little alarm had bean caused by the prospect of a stoppage, with the result that business generally was of a normal description. It should be said, however, that the position, which excited a good deal of interest during the last few weeks, has had little effect on the demand or in regard to prices. Buyers, however, have held off, so far as forward business is concerned, from attempting to make any arrangements in the present state of feeling. There had been some little rush to make sure of supplies of large steam coal which were needed to complete shipping arrangements, but manufacturers generally were never inclined to pay increased prices to cover supplies for a month or so ahead. As stated, generally the enquiry for shipment has shown little improvement, although enquiries were more freely made owing to the fact that the Baltic season was likely to be opened at an early date. Values were much the same as a week ago, although some small lots of best hards have been sold at 12s. per ton, but generally prices were considerably lower than this figure. The stocks at collieries of secondary descriptions of coal are fairly large, and producers, in view of forward trade, have not contributed to any panic feeling. The demand for all kinds of manufacturing coal continues strong, and prices, of course, have been firm, and there has still been a difficulty in obtaining a ready supply of best washed fuel. The supply of rough slacks has been equal to the demand, and gas coal collieries have felt little pressure for extra deliveries. The house coal collieries have had to meet a rather keener demand for all classes of fuel, and in many cases a shortage has been reported of the best class of house coal, but otherwise the position is of a fairly normal character, and^buyers are holding off until the 1st prox., when contract deliveries commence at summer rates. The position in regard to coke remains the same, with the output very large, and the demand, even though a little inflated owing to forward stocking, has not been equal to the output. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 14/6-15/ Best Barnsley softs 15/ -15/3 15/ -15/3 14/ -14/3 Secondary do. 12/6—14/ 12/6-14/ 11/6-13/ Best house nuts 13/ —14/ 13/ -14/ 11/6-12/6 Secondary do 11/ -12/ 11/ -12/ 10/6-11/6 Steam coals:— Best hard coals 11/6-12/ 11/6 12/6 Secondary do 11/ 11/ 11/3-11/9 Best washed nuts 11/ -11/3 11/3 12/ -12/6 Secondary do 10/6 10/6 11/6 Best slack 7/3- 7/6 7/3- 7/6 9/ - 9/6 Rough do 6/ 6/ 8/ - 8/6 Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 12/ -12/3 12 /-12/3 12/6-13/6 Unscreened do 10/ -10/6 10/ -10/6 — Gas nuts < 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/ 12/ -12/6 Furnace cok® ,.v 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 18/ -19/ Hull. GOAL. Business in the Humber coal market has been on very quiet lines—practically no business, except for a few spot lots, being done in Yorkshire coal. Prices quoted are again very largely nominal. Derbyshire and Nottingham steams have been in fair request, and prices have stiffened somewhat on the week, a favourable factor being the news that Derbyshire has secured 70,000 tons of the Norwegian State Railways contract. The Danish railways are reported to have gone to Westphalia for their supplies with the exception of 18,000 tons from Scotland. It is understood, however, that Yorkshire has got a fairly large share of the Egyptian Railway contract and a good order from the Bremen Gasworks. Nevertheless, in the export department Yorkshire collieries are not so well booked as this time last year, but this is attributable to the firm attitude which has been adopted by them and which only now shows some real signs of relaxing. Exporters, as a rule, have bought very little forward, the prices being too high, and have preferred to wait and take their chances in the open market. Notwithstanding the severe competition of Germany in Northern Europe there is a big latent demand for English coal, and prices and freight rates now shaping favourably there is every reason for believing that it will develop and that there will be busy times in the next few months. The tone is decidedly optimistic. At the moment shipments from the Humber ports are only about normal. There are faint signs of more activity in the freight market, and Baltic rates are still in favour of shippers on the basis of Riga 5s., Reval 4s. 9d., Libau 5s., and Danish ports 4s. to 4s. 3d. Rates are stiffer in the Mediterranean direction, Genoa-Savona being quoted at 7s. 6d., Alexandria and Port Said 7s. 3d. Fixtures include a 2,700 ton steamer Hull to Riga at 5s., while small bottoms have been booked for Christiania at 5s. 3d., and Drammen at 7s. 3d. In the coastwise limits, Hull to Rotterdam has been done at 3s. l|d. for 1,700 tons, and Immingham to Hamburg at 3s. 4|d. for 2,000 tons. The following are the approximate prices for prompt shipment f.o.b. Hull, Grimsby, &c. South Yorkshire:— Current prices. L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. Best steam hards Washed double-scr’ned 15/ 15/ 16/ -16/3 nuts Unwashed double- 13/9-14/ 13/9-14/ 14/9-15/ screened nuts Washed single-screened 13/6 13/6 14/ -14/3 nuts U n washed single-scr’ned 13/3-13/6 13/3-13/6 14/6-14/9 nuts 12/6 12/6 13/6-13/9 Washed smalls 9/6 9/6 12/ Unwashed smalls West Yorkshire:— 9/ 9/ 10/9 Hartleys 13/ -13/3 13/ -13/3 13/6 Bough slack 9/3—9/6 9/3- 9/6 11/ -11/3 Pea slack Best Silkstone screened 8/3- 8/6 8/3- 8/6 10/6 gas coal Best Silkstona unscr’ned 14/ 14/ 14/9 gas coal Derbyshire and Notts:— 12/3 12/6 12/9 Best steam hards (Hull) 14/3 14/ -14/3 15/9 Do. (Grimsby) 14/ 13/6-13/9 15/6 Derbyshire nuts (d’bles) Derbyshire nuts (d’bles) 12/6 12/6 13/6 (Grimsby) 12/3 12/3 13/ Derbyshire large nuts... 14/6 14/3 14/6 Do. do. (Grimsby) 14/ 14/ 14/ Nottinghamshire hards 14/3 14/ -14/3 15/9 Do. do. (Grimsby) Leicestershire hards 14/ 13/6-13/9 15/6 (Hull and Grimsby)... 14/ 14/ — Cheatefield. SOIL. There is a well sustained demand for coal for domestic use, and the recent spell of cold weather has put collieries in possession of substantially filled order books. Stocks have completely disappeared from colliery sidings, and all the pits of the district are working full time. There is not the slightest falling off in the demand for fuel for manu- facturing purposes; on the contrary pressure is now being put upon many collieries to increase their supplies, especially of cobbles and nuts for gas producers. This is not sur- prising when the active condition of the heavy steel trades of Sheffield and district is taken into account. There is a satisfactory demand for good slack for boiler firing, but the secondary kinds continue in poor request. Prices of these are weak, and in some cases stocks are accumulating in colliery sidings. Gas coal and locomotive coal are in steady demand, and satisfactory deliveries are made daily. The fear of a strike in the South Yorkshire coalfield has had little or no effect upon the demand for coal for export from this district, as buyers do not believe there will be any stoppage of work. In the meantime there is considerable dislocation of business, as shipowners do not care to send their vessels to Hull, Grimsby or Immingham, while foreign, buyers prefer to place their orders on the Tyne or elsewhere. Prices of Derbyshire Top Hards stand now at about 14s. 3d. per ton delivered free alongside steamer at Grimsby. Cobbles and nuts for near Continental ports are wanted for prompt shipment, and substantial lots are going forward. Prices of these qualities remain firm. Washed nuts and washed slack are in steady request. The coke market con- tinues dull. The demand is slow and prices are weak. The output has been seriously reduced of late, but this does not appear to have improved matters very much. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last years prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 15/6 15/6 14/6 Secondary do 13/6 13/6 12/6 Cobbles 12/6 12/6 12/ Nuts 11/6 11/6 11/ Slack 7/9 7/9 9/ IMIL There are no signs of improvement, and unless there is a speedy change for the better it is feared that more furnaces will have to be blown out. The finished iron branch of the trade is in a poor way, as it is not possible to secure orders in sufficient number to enable the mills to work more than half time. Prospects are far from being hopeful. OAL, Compared with the preceding week, a little more activity has characterised the coal trade in Nottinghamshire during the past week, and in some departments prices have been steadier. The improvement has, perhaps, been most