May 8, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1013 THE COAL AMD IRON TRADES. Thursday, May 7. Scotland.—Western District. COAL. The position of ell coals continues to be the chief feature of the west of Scotland coal trade, but although there are some large steamers loading this quality, collieries are keen to secure any fresh business that is passing. It is under- stood, however, that the price for the best brands has not been broken. Best splints are in good demand, but are not exceptionally busy, and prices can be shaded for forward shipment. Collieries are well supplied with orders for navigation sorts, but steams on the other hand show a weakening tendency. Treble nuts are plentiful, but doubles and singles are strong at steady prices. Shipments have been good and amount to 121,859 tons, compared with 111,081 in the preceding week and 124,626 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Glasgow. Steam coal.............. Ell .................... Splint.................. Treble nuts ............ Double do............... Single do............... Current prices. 11/9-13/6 • 12/ 12/ -14/ 11/9-12/ 11/ -11/3 10/9-11/ L’st week’s1 Last year’s prices. prices. 12/3-14/ ; 13/6-14/ 12/ | 13/9-14/3 12/ -14/ i 14/9-15/3 11/9—12/ | 13/3-13/9 11/ -11/3 ! 13/3-13/9 'll] ‘ \ 13/3-13/6 IRON. The Glasgow pig-iron warrant market has again passed through a quiet week, the total turnover amounting to 10,500 tons. Although business has been quiet, prices have been firmer owing to further heavy withdrawals from Middlesbrough stores, which have decreased by 7,563 tons during the week and now amount to 95,397 tons, compared with 214,511 tons at this time last year. The trade position is now particularly strong, and consumers continue to buy for immediate requirements and are not inclined to contract ahead. Cleveland iron closed at 51s. 34d. per ton cash buyers, showing an advance of 7d. per ton on the week, while transactions also took place at 51s. 5|d. per ton one month and 51s. 7id. per ton three months. Producers of pig iron have made some good deliveries of ordinary quali- ties, and Scotch haematite has been in better demand. The import of pig iron into Grangemouth from Middlesbrough and district amounted during the week to 6,528 tons. Monkland is quoted f.a.s. at Glasgow, No. 1, 62s., No. 3, 60s. 6d.; Govan, No. 1, 61s., No. 3, 60s.; Carnbroe, No. 1, 66s. 6d., No. 3, 62s. 6d.; Clyde, No. 1, 68s., No. 3, 63s.; Gartsherrie, Summerlee, Calder, and Langloan, Nos. 1, 68s. 6d., Nos. 3, 63s. 6d.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, No. 1, 71s., No. 3, 66s.; Eglinton, at Ardrossan or Troon, No. 1, 62s., No. 3, 61s.; Dalmellington, at Ayr, No. 1, 63s., No. 3, 61s.; Shotts at Leith, No. 1, 68s. 6d., No. 3, 63s. 6d.; Carron at Grangemouth, No. 1, 69s., No. 3, 64s. per ton. Scotland.—Eastern District. COAL. Collieries in the Lothians district are busy and have good orders on hand for practically all classes of coal, although ordinary steams are not so good as they might be. Treble, double and single nuts are in good demand at firm prices. The clearances at the various ports amounted to 84,306 tons, compared with 113,783 in the preceding week and 109,962 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Leith. Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Best screened steam coal... 11/6-11/9 11/9 13/9-14/ Secondary qualities 10/6 10/9-11/ 12/3-12/9 Treble nuts 11/6 11/9 ' 12/9-13/ Double do 10/9-11/ 11/ 12/6-12/9 Single do 10/6-10/9 10/9-11/ 12/3-12/6 The Fifeshire coal trade is in a strong position and both Methil and Burntisland have as much tonnage as they can comfortably handle. First-class steams are active, and with the Baltic season now started it is expected that the brisk conditions will continue for some time. A good business is being done in Dysart main qualities, the bulk of which is going to Cronstadt. Treble and double nuts are fairly plentiful, but singles are firm at steady prices. The shipments from the district reached the total of 132,490 tons, compared with 124,669 in the preceding week and 117,667 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Methil or Burntisland. Best screened navigation Cuirent prices. L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. coal 16/ 16/ 17/ -17/6 Unscreened do 14/ 14/9 15/ -15/6 First-class steam coal 12/9-13/ 13/ 15/3-15/9 Third-class do 10/ -10/3 10/3 12/9 Treble nuts .... 11/ -11/6 11/9 12/6-12/9 Double do 10/6-10/9 11/ 13/ -13/3 Single do 10/3-10/6 10/6-10/9 12/3-12/9 The aggregate shipments from Scottish ports amounted to 338,655 tons, compared with 349,533 last week and 352,255 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. COAL. During last week, 164,092 tons of coal and 2,322 tons of coke were despatched from Tyne Dock, an increase of 30,117 tons of coal, and 1,962 tons of coke when compared with the shipments for the corresponding week of last year. The Dunston clearances amounted to 55,455 tons of coal and 3,617 tons of coke; an increase of 6,135 tons of coal and 1,769 tons of coke. The Blyth shipments aggregated 99,837 tons of coal and coke, a decrease of 2,226 tons. Forward business has been exceedingly limited this week. Best Blyth steams have been sold in large quantities for shipment up to the end of the year at from 13s. to 13s. 3d. per ton f.o.b., for large, and 7s. 3d. for smalls. One colliery is stated to have disposed of 100,000 tons in this way. Now, however, the collieries have raised their prices to 13s. 6d. for large, and 7s. 6d. for smalls. Best Blyths for end of May shipment have been sold by second-hand holders at 14s., and for early June at 13s. 9d. During last week representatives of the municipality of St. Petersburg were on ’Change at Newcastle making enquiries as to supplies of gas and steam coals for delivery over the year. Usually, the city orders its require- ments through Russian merchants, but the visit of these gentlemen may be taken to indicate a disposition to do the business direct. An enquiry for best Blyth steams for prompt shipment to Bombay is stated to have had to be turned down owing to the full loading turns. The Russian naval authorities, who, some time ago, rejected tenders of 112,000 tons of Welsh and north-country steam coals for delivery over the Baltic season, are stated to be enquiring- for several cargoes of steams for shipment this and next month. About 20,000 tons of good ordinary unscreened Durham bunkers have been sold for shipment from now to the end of the year at Ils. 9d. per ton, f.o.b. The prompt coal market has been very active during the week, but is now quietening down. Loading turns, especially for best steams, are now congested, and some of the collieries are beginning to book up trade for June. Durham coals, however, are comparatively plentiful. The operations of second hand sellers are tending to prevent prices rising. F.o.b. quotations for prompt shipment have varied as follow:—Best Blyth steams are 3d. cheaper on the week ; Tynes, ditto ; special smalls, 6d. reduced; smithies, ditto; gas bests, 3d. lower; unscreened bunkers, Durhams, 3d. dearer; coking coal, 6d. down; and smalls, ditto. Other descriptions of fuel are unaltered. Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Steam coals :— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&e.) Secondary, Blyths ... Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened ........... Small, Blyths ....... Do. Tynes........... Do. specials........ Other sorts:— Smithies............. Best gas coals (New Pelton or Holmside) Secondary gas coals (Pelaw Main or similar) Special gas coals .... Unscreened bunkers, Durhams Do. do. N orthumbr ians Coking coals......... Do. smalls....... House coals ......... Coke, foundry .......... Do. blast-furnace..... Do. gas .............. Current prices. 14/ -14/3 14/ -14/3 12/ 12/ -12/6 11/3-11/6 8/ - 8/3 ?/ - V/6 8/ - 8/6 13/ 13/6-13/9 12/6-13/ 14/ 11/9-13/3 11/3-11/9 12/6-13/ 12/ -12/6 15/ -16/ 19/ -21/ 18/ 13/ -13/9 L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. 14/ -14/6 16/9 14/ -14/6 16/ -16/6 12/ 14/ 12/ -12/6 14/3 11/3-11/6 13/6 8/ - 8/3 11/6-12/ 7/ - 7/6 8/6- 9/ 11/ 12/ 13/ -13/6 15/6 13/9-14/ 16/ 12/6-13/ 15/3 14/ 16/ 11/6-13/ 15/ -15/9 11/3-11/9 13/6-14/ 13/ -13/6 15/6—16/ 12/6-13/ 15/ 15/ -16/ 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ 27/6 18/ 24/6 13/ -13/9 | 18/ Sunderland. COAL. The exports from Sunderland last week amounted to 94,980 tons of coal and 3,115 tons of coke, as compared with 96,440 tons of coal and 1,055 tons of coke for the corre- sponding period of 1913, being a decrease of 1,460 tons of coal and an increase of 2,060 tons of coke. The buoyancy of the steam coal section is still the feature of the coal market. Collieries are well booked up for this month’s shipment, and there is less coal on offer for this position. Smalls are also scarce, and the market. has the appearance of retaining its strength throughout the month. Gas qualities are steady, and bunkers are more readily obtainable. Coking unscreened is in ample supply, and could be secured on slightly easier terms. It is said that merchants have numerous enquiries, and the prospects for forward shipments are encouraging, but the present high figures indicated by sellers is somewhat restricting contract business. Coke is on the scarce side, with prices inclined to stiffen. Quotations are approximately as follow:— Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Gas coals:— prices. prices. prices. Special Wear gas coals 15/ 15/ 16/6 Secondary do. House coals:— 12/9-13/ 13/ 15/3 Best house coals 16/9 16/9 17/6-18/ Ordinary do Other sorts :— 15/6 15/6 16/ -16/6 Lambton screened 13/9-14/ 14/ 17/ South Hetton do 13/9-14/ 14/ 16/9 Lambton unscreened ... 1 13/ 13/ 15/6 South Hetton do 13/ 13/ 15/6 Do. treble nuts 15/6 15/6 17/ Coking coals unscreened 13/ 13/ 15/9 Do. smalls 12/ 12/3 15/6 Smithies 14/ 14/ 15/3 Peas and nuts 16/ 16/ 18/ Best bunkers 13/6 14/ 16/3 Ordinary bunkers Coke:— 12/ -12/6 12/6 15/6 Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. 20/ -21/ 20/ 27/ Teesside furnaces) ... 19/ 19/ 25/ Gas coke 13/9 13/6 IT/ -18/ The outward freight market is steady. This is particularly the case for the Bay, owing, no doubt, to so many Spanish vessels being laid up through the strike of officers. Fixtures reported are Bayonne 5s. 9d., Boucan 5s., Rochefort 5s., St. Nazaire 5s. Coasting: London 3s., Antwerp 3s. 6d., Calais 3s. 6d., Havre 3s. 9d., Rotterdam 3s. l|d., Hamburg 3s. 3d. Baltic: Pillau 4s., Riga 4s. l|d., Memel 4s. 3d., Sundswall 4s., Cronstadt 4s. l|d., Petersburg 4s. 3d. Mediterranean: Genoa 7s., Civita Vecchia 7s.9d.,Marseilles 7s., Oran 6s. 6d., Algiers 6s. 3d., Venice 8s. l|d., Sulina 7s. 9d., Varna 8s., Constantinople 7s. 10|d., Port Said 6s. 9d., and Las Palmas 7s. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. There is little new to report concerning the various branches of the fuel trade. A fair amount of business is being put through, but some kinds of Durham coal show a tendency to ease. As is usual at this season of the year, a marked falling off of deliveries in gas coal is noticeable. Best Durham gas coal is quoted 13s. 9d. to 14s., but it is understood that purchases could be made from second hands at lower rates. Second qualities were 12s. 9d. and Wear specials up to 15s. There is a rather plentiful supply of bunker coals, which are more on offer than they have been. For ordinary Durham bunkers the price runs from Ils. 9d. to 12s. f.o.b., whilst best kinds are 12s. and specials 14s. to 14s. 6d. Demand for household coal shows a falling off. Quotations range from 15s. 6d. upto 17s. Coking coal is steady and firm at 13s. 3d. to 13s. 9d. Coke continues in good request and is none too plentiful. Producers are making no more than is absolutely necessary to supply their customers, pointing out that it pays them better to sell their coal than to convert it into coke. The supply is being further shortened by ovens being put out. More beehive ovens are being abolished, to be replaced by patents. Local consumers of coke are experiencing some difficulty in obtaining adequate Fsupplies, and they arel pressing for deliveries. Average blastfurnace kinds are fully 17s. 3d., delivered at Teesside works, and several sellers are inclined to hold out for 17s. 6d. Gas coke is round about 13s. to 13s. 6d., and foundry kinds for shipment range from 20s. to 21s. f.o.b. IRON. In the various branches of the iron and steel industries, little disposition to operate is shown by either buyers or sellers. Pig iron manufacturers continue to complain that cost of production leaves them no profit at current quota- tions, and some of them hint that unless relief is forthcoming —either by higher prices for pig or lower rates for raw material—more blastfurnaces may be put out of operation. Unsatisfactory reports from other iron centres at home, as well as from the Continent and from America, tend to check forward business here, for they create want of confidence in the future, notwithstanding the very healthy state of trade in this district. The already very excellent statistical state of the Cleveland pig iron trade continues to steadily improve. No. 3 g.m.b. Cleveland pig is 51s. 6d. f.o.b.; No. 1, is 54s.; No. 4foundry, 51s. 3d.; No. 4forge, 50s. 9d.; mottled and white iron, each 50s. 6d.; and Nos. 1,2, and 3 East Coast haematite pig, 61s. 6d.; all for either early or forward delivery. So far as can be ascertained, no business at all in foreign ore is being put through. Consumers here are all well bought, and are carrying rather heavy stocks, so that they are not disposed to make new contracts. Sellers are inclined to take a rather firm stand, and in the absence of transactions, adhere to quotations on the basis of 17s. 6d. ex-ship Tees for rubio of 50 per cent, quality. Freights for foreign ore boats are a little stiffer. There are no changes of moment in manufactured iron and steel. Orders are scarce but up to the present producers uphold quotations. Iron and steel shipments from the Tees during the fourth month of the year were quite up to expectations. The clearances of pig iron were officially given at 127,943 tons, 117,828 tons of which went from the port of Middlesbrough, and 10,115 from Skinningrove. In March the loadings amounted to 115,557 tons, and for April a year ago the clearances reached 104,213 tons. All the iron ‘cleared from Skinningrove last month went to Scotland. Of the iron shipped at Middles- brough, 82,745 tons went foreign, and 35,083 tons to home customers. Scotland was again the largest buyer of pig iron, taking 18,818 tons, whilst Germany was second with 15,883 tons. Italy imported 11,537 tons, Wales 10,256 tons, Sweden 9,232 tons, France 7,710 tons, Japan 6,638 tons, Belgium 6,501 tons, Russia 5,516 tons, Canada 4,075 tons, Denmark 3,991 tons, United States of America 3,400 tons, Norway 3,148 tons, and Holland 3,068 tons. The loadings of manufactured iron on the Tees during April totalled 21,041, and those of steel 43,720 tons. The Argentine was the largest recipient of manufactured iron, taking 6,159 tons, and India headed the list for steel with 18,040 tons. Other principal buyers of steel were:—The Argentine, 6,278 tons ; New South Wales, 2,809 tons ; West Australia, 2,043 tons ; and Natal, 2,809 tons. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The inland household trade at the moment appears to be on the quiet side, and although there is still some little pressure for special grades, ordinary supplies are fully equal to all demands. There is no change in prices. Bunker coal on contract account is below the average, mainly owing to Mexican trouble which is affecting freights to U.S.A.; also in the Mediterranean trade business is on the quiet side. Consequently on both these routes sailings are being cancelled. There are very few enquiries on out- side account, and coal being plentiful, these are eagerly sought after. For. ordinary steam Lancashire coal 13s. to» 13s. 3d. f.o.b. up to 13s. 6d., or 13s. 9d. for the best qualities are nominal prices, although in some instances these figures are being shaded. The shipments of household coal for the coastwise and cross-Channel trade keep on a satisfactory tonnage. There is nothing new to report with regard to slack. Full time is still being worked at the collieries, and this is producing slack which is a little in excess of immediate consumption. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium..........s..... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen............... Common (f.o.b. Grstn.,net) Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do............... Current prices. 17/ 16/9-17/3 15/3 15/ -15/6 13/ 13/9-14/6 12/3-12/6 13/ -13/9 9/9-10/ 9/ - 9/3 8/6- 8/9 L’st week’s prices. 17/ 16/9-17/3 '15/3 15/ —15/6 13/ 13/9-14/6 12/3-12/6 13/ -13/9 9/9-10/ 9/ - 9/3 8/6- 8/9 Last year’s prices. 16/3 16/9-17/ 14/6 15/3-15/6 12/3 13/9-14/6 12/6-13/ 14/ -14/6 10/6 9/9 9/3