April 17, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 845 granted, since the result of the meeting of the Yorkshire miners’ executive on Saturday was mace known, that the strike would be settled this week, and that work at the local collieries would bo resumed on Monday next. Conse- quently a large number of orders placed last week for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and other outside district coals, have been cancelled. In spite of this, however, supplies at the depots are fairly large, and it is more than probable that some of the merchants who have bought heavily at fancy prices will incur considerable loss. It is quite likely that as a result of the strike the usual summer reduction of Is. per ton in house coal for the local markets will be deferred, and also that prices of steam coal for export over the Baltic season will be affected to some extent. The railway companies have had very great diffi- culties in dealing with the press of traffic in the outside districts, as many of the junctions are completely glutted with Yorkshire-owned empty colliery wagons. Generally speaking, delays have not been serious, although in numerous cases supplies coming through from, say, Chesterfield have taken five or six days to arrive at their destination. To give a list of pit prices is quite impossible, as none of the Yorkshire pits are as yet in a position to quote, but w© hope next week to publish our usual summary of quotations. Barnsleya COAL. Apart from the fact that the usual weekly market fell in the midst of the holidays, the prospective settlement of the strike prevented a large attendance. The expectation that the ballot would prove to be in favour of accepting the proposals and resumption of work, prevented any serious attempt to do business. Manufacturers having taken a longer holiday than usual, have used very little fuel during the week and, in the belief that work will be restarted on Monday, have not augmented the stocks which they held a week ago. In regard to prices, buyers were inclined to accept much-reduced figures for any coal they had on hand. Generally speaking, a reduction is being made of about 5s. per ton, compared with the position immediately after the strike, but. as already stated, transactions were merely nominal. In regard to coke, the large stocks which were held have been considerably reduced, but after taking in a fair amount of stock, buyers held off and prices have not exceeded 15s. per ton, whilst the position now is considerably weaker. It is impossible to give any reliable indication of the range of quotations. Hull. GOAL. The intimation received at the close of ’Change to-day that the Yorkshire miners would return to work at the earliest possible day next week was received with satisfac- tion all round, and there will be nothing now to prevent the business for the export season, nearly due to open, going straight ahead. For a few days supplies will be rather difficult, but there is a good deal of business yet to be placed, which should make exporters busy for some time to come. News of the opening of the navigation at Pernau has reached Hull, and it is expected that Cronstadt will have a free passage before many days are past. Loading for the Baltic ports may therefore commence as soon as ever coal again comes over the rails in sufficient quantity. The past week has been very much a repetition of the preceding one—on every hand idleness, and in many cases local offices closed. What little business there has been done has been by second holders who have been more ready to realise, in view of the favourable outlook of the past few days, and though prices can only be regarded as nominal, about 17s. to 18s. is now the value of best South Yorkshire hards, where buyers can be found. Derbyshire steams have, under the circumstances, been dearer and have commanded 4s. and 5s. more than they stood at a fortnight or three weeks ago. One cargo has been despatched foreign since Easter, but the coal was already at Hull under contract. At the same time there have been fairly large quantities of Scottish coal brought to Hull by sea for the use of shipping and the fishing fleet and a consignment of 120 tons from Belgium. Chesterfield. COAL. Owing to the intervention of the Easter holidays, all the pits of the district have been idle from Thursday of last week until Wednesday of the present one. Immediately preceding the suspension of work, the demand for all classes of fuel was exceptionally heavy, owing, in a great measure, to the Yorkshire strike, and prices rose substantially. Stocks of coal in Derbyshire are completely exhausted and consumers will be compelled, for some time to come, to depend upon the daily output of the collieries for their supply of fuel. With the resumption of .work in the Yorkshire coalfield, there will, of course, be a reduced demand for coal from Derbyshire, and prices will naturally decline to some extent, but it is generally believed that they will not fall to the level at which they stood previously to the strike. This is not, by any means, an unreasonable inference, seeing that, between now and the end of the present month, the shipping season will open, when it is not improbable that, after the recent substantial reduction of the output of coal, the market will for some time find that the supply is not equal to the requirements of foreign buyers, and that sellers are disposed to maintain prices on a firm basis. In the meantime, the demand for Derby- shire Top Hards is brisk and the outlook for the approaching season is encouraging. The demand for fuel for home consumption is strong, the requirements of the heavy steel trades of Sheffield and district being particularly brisk. There is a scarcity of cobbles and nuts for gas producers. A good business is passing in slack for boiler-firing and, with the total disappearance of stocks at the collieries, prices are showing a greater degree of firmness than they have done for several months. Prices at pit. Currant L’st week’s1 Last years prices. ' prices. prices. Best house coals 15/6 15/6 14/6 Secondary do 14/6 14/6 12/6 Cobbles 13/6 13/6 12/ Nuts 12/6 12/6 I1/ Slack 10/ 10/ 9/ The market continues depressed in respect of pig and finished iron, without any signs of improvement. CJOAL. With the holidays intervening, trade in Nottinghamshire has not assumed its ordinary aspect at the time of writing. It is therefore impossible to state definitely how business is proceeding. Prior to the holidays, the strike in South Yorkshire stimulated the demand all round, and stocks were consequently run down, whilst prices in most cases advanced, though not to any exceptional extent. Still, values are keeping up, and as they vary at individual collieries, it would be difficult to give exact figures. In the household section orders are coming to hand less freely, with the advent of warmer weather, but most collieries have a fair number on hand. To meet the demand from outside districts some owners have been able to secure advances ranging from 3s. to 5s. per ton, while others have obtained slight increases on list prices. For nearly every description of steam coal there was a strong demand just prior to Easter, and best hards were quoted at from 5s. to 6s. per ton above list for immediate delivery, but with the outlook in South Yorkshire brightening, merchants are not inclined to be so speculative. The labour trouble in Yorkshire has also materially assisted the slack market, owners in this county having considerably reduced some of their stock. Prices in gas coal are firm. Values in coke are maintained, although the demand is declining. Seuth Staffordshire lorth Worcestershire and WarwicicsMr®. ' Hednesford. OAL An attempt was made to resume coal-drawing operations on Wednesday morning, but moat of the collieries suffered from a shortage of men, and it will probably take a few days to get into full swing. There is very little coal in stock, so the collieries will be kept busy for a week or two, but a decline in the demand may soon be expected, and house coal qualities will probably be the first to suffer. There is a fairly good enquiry for fuel for manufacturing purposes, and slack is in fair request. Business is somewhat irregular this week at the landsale depots. Birmingham. The extra demand brought about by the Yorkshire strike has served to keep up prices at a time when there was a prospect of their falling. The household demand is slackening, but there are plenty of empty trucks at the pits and prices are not likely to be revised for at least a fortnight. Manufacturing fuel is bought in limited quantities. 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/ Do. seconds deep 16/ 16/ 16/6 14/6 Do. best shallow 14/9 14/9 Do. seconds do. 14/ 14/ 13/ Best hard 15/ 15/ 14/ Forge coal 11/ 11/ 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 7/6 7/6 8/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 16/6 16/6 16/ cobs 14/ 14/ 13/9 Best hard spires 15/ 15/ 14/6 Forge (steam) 11/ 11/ 10/ D.S. nuts (steam) 10/ 10/ 10/ Small (do.) 8/3 8/3 9/ IRON There is still a holiday feeling prevalent in the South Staffordshire iron and steel trade, and business is of scant dimensions. A few of the galvanised sheet mills resumed work on Thursday, but bar mills and sheet works will be closed for the week, advantage being taken meanwhile to carry out repairs. Not only are sales small, but a fair pro- portion of those recently made are for Continental materia], and more ©specially for finished steel for constructive work. In the semi-raw branches there is also a lot of foreign competition, the disparity in price being roughly 5s. a ton in favour of Continental material. The outlook for pig iron has been improved by the prospect of an early settlement of the Yorkshire coal strike. Deliveries of coke have been curtailed, and a number of furnaces in Northamptonshire and Derbyshire districts have been damped down. Preparations, however, are now being made for a speedy resumption of operations, and prices, while they have been firmer, have not been materially altered. Anyone in need of Northampton iron could have supplies at 47s. 6d. to 48s. 6d., Derbyshire 50s. to 51s., and Staffordshire part-mine about 51s. In the bar iron trade a fair demand is maintained for standard brands. The common branches, however, are in an unsatisfactory condition, and manufacturers complain that they do not realise any profit. Merchant qualities are obtainable at £6 10s. to <£6 12?. 6d. delivered Birmingham. Small rounds, squares, and flats are quoted at £6 12s. 6d. to .£6 15s. delivered Birmingham; business is on the slow side. In other branches no change was forthcoming, sales being so meagre as scarcely to test the market. Galvanised sheets range between £11 to £11 5s. for export; black sheets, £7 7s. 6d. to £7 12s. 6d. delivered; gas strip, £6 10s. to .£6 15s.; steel hoops, £6 15s. to £6 17s. 6d.; and finer gauges, £7. Fwt Itom. Lytaay* GOAL. The collieries are on broken time this week owing to the holidays, but the majority of them will put in three or four days’ work. House coal stocks have been slightly added to since last writing, cargo orders having been very scarce. The steam coal pits have very little stock on hand, and all produced just now is well placed. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 17/6 17/6 16/6 Forest 16/6 16/6 15/6 Bubble 16/9 16/9 15/9 Nuts 15/ 15/ 14/ Bough slack Steam coal:— 6/6 6/6 10/ Large 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 13/6-14/ Small 8/- 9/ 8/6- 9/ 10/ -10/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. 'rao; mm tmm Thursday, April 16. The London coal trade for ’ the past week has been very much of a holiday character, so many of the householders being away from London, and the dealings in railway-borne coal have been of a very limited character. The Coal Exchange closed on Wednesday, the Sth inst., and did not re-open until the 15th. Eight contract cargoes were returned as having entered the Thames for Wednesday’s market in last week, and 46 for Wednesday of this week, but all are sold. Seaborne prices are unaltered. The business on the Coal Exchange has been very small, and the waiting attitude adopted by the merchants has still further limited the buying. A favourable result was generally anticipated in regard to the Yorkshire miners’ trouble, and now that it is an accomplished fact, an early resumption of work is fully expected, so that only actual requirements of a hand-to- mouth character have been the feature of the present week’s trading. Most of the merchants are well provided with coal, and strongly decline to buy at any fancy prices. Factory coals are also at a standstill, but as the work at the various manufactories resume after the holidays, the prospect of a better trade seems to be improving. The higher prices which collieries are asking tend to check business, and the advertised public delivery prices remain as before. One effect that the strike has had is that at this season of the year lower prices are looked for, but at present there seems no disposition to quote any lower prices, and on the other hand, to obtain the little required for actual consumption a somewhat higher price has to be paid, and this higher price is bitterly resented by the London traders. Some considerable anxiety has been felt on the London market on account of so much coal going from Derbyshire into Yorkshire, and the matter, it appears, formed the subject of debate at the Joint Committee of the Conciliation Board last week, but several colliery companies own pits on both counties, and it is not easy at all times to ascertain the final destination of the coal sent out. At the Humber ports the reaction is said to have already begun, and prices for hard steam coal have fallen, although the quantity available is still very small. This may be accounted for from the fact of so many vessels being diverted to other ports during the strike, but some of the merchants who have endeavoured to corner coal for speculative purposes are afraid now of losing somewhat heavily by the deal. The Welsh coal market is reported as fairly active, and although the recent gales have delayed the arrival of certain expected steamers, the demand is still strong. Generally speaking, the prices quoted are regulated from day to day, as circumstances warrant. Gas coal has had a very good demand, for the suspended deliveries from Yorkshire have given a good impetus to all other qualities of gas coal, and in some cases a much higher price has been given to secure immediate delivery. The official returns for the Hull coal trade show a distinct falling off for the month of March. The total shipments were 511,452 tons registered this year as against 577,136 in March of last year, and the exports 280,731 tons as against 377,760 tons in March 1913. The question of cheaper electricity for London has again come to the front, and the London County Council has under serious con- sideration the prospect of cheapening the supply of electricity in the metropolis. Experts have given their opinion that generating stations on the lower reaches of the Thames will produce a considerable economy in production, and so yield a substantial profit, notwithstanding the abandonment of the existing supply stations. Mcbot. DMm, Wwns! and Wednesday, April 15.—The seaborne house coal market was quiet to-day in consequence of th© continued strike. No cargoes were offering. Cargoes 42. Japan and the Panama Canal.—There has just been introduced into the Japanese Diet a Bill providing a sub- sidy for a new service by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha between Japan and New York through the Panama Canal. The Bill provides for a subsidy of .£10,000 per voyage for 17 voyages [per annum. The Tinies states that so far the enquiries made by coaling contractors have led to the belief that there will be very little scope for private firms. It is known to be the intention of the Canal authorities themselves to undertake coaling business, and though contractors may apply for leases of coaling grounds, they would have to carry on the business in the face of Government competition. At present apparently the Isthmian Canal Commission has only power to grant leases that might be revokable at any time. One of the largest British coal-contracting firms has now decided, after a careful investigation into the conditions, that there is nothing, for it to do. There is no lack of excellent American coal that can be put down at the two entrances to the canal. Another development is a service of large iron-ore carriers. They are designed on the model of the Lake ore carriers for the carriage of iron ore in bulk, and are intended to return to loading port on each occasion in ballast, henca the large water-ballast.