1136 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. May 22, 1914. THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 21. The London coal trade for the past week has been very sluggish. All household qualities have been particularly depressed, and buying has been of the smallest character. With very little actual consumption, the merchants have adopted a waiting policy, and unless very tempting offers are made, are resolutely refusing to buy. The contract sup- plies are with difficulty dealt with, and the warm weather keeps the demand on a very low level. Slacks are showing a slightly better demand, but prices are very irregular. The short time at present working at the collieries tends to lessen the quantity of slacks and small nuts available. The reports from time to time of “ spot lots ” sold at break-up prices make the market very uncertain, and as the household and manufacturing consumption shows such alarming signs of falling off, the outlook is exceedingly gloomy at present. Buyers are determined to remain on the open market, and whilst supplies are so plentiful, and the demand so weak, the trade is practically at a standstill. The seaborne market continues moderate. The market quotations, strangely enough, have been without variation all through the year at the same price, viz., 21s. 6d. best wallsend, 20s. 6d. seconds, and still remains unchanged. Twenty-eight vessels were reported in the river for Monday’s market, and six for Wednesday’s. The colliery lists are, generally speaking, much above the prices accepted, and in some cases as much as 4s. per ton is noticeable. Considerable dissatisfaction was evinced on Wednesday’s market when it became known that one of the principal firms had reduced their public prices without reference to any of the other merchants, and as the depot trade is so slow and feeble, the undercutting will be felt, and resented, rather strongly. Buyers are not anxious to increase their supplies, and this refusal to buy is becoming more and more a severe tax on the colliery com- panies, whose stocks are already colossal, and cause consider- able inconvenience. As a rule, colliery representatives are still strenuously endeavouring to keep as near to the con- tract price as possible, especially as the decision of the Derby meeting was distinctly and unanimously in favour of holding out for last year’s contract prices. The merchants on the other hand are asking Is. 6d. per ton less on all fixed price contracts, and 6d. per ton less on the sliding scale contracts. The reports from the depots are very unsatis- factory, and vans and horses are idle day after day. The great difficulty against the renewal of the contracts at last year’s prices has been the result of the year’s trading as shown by the balance-sheets of so many of the merchants. The recognised reports are all showing a loss or a very trifling margin of profit. During the week some very heavy tenders have been the subject of consideration. The London County Council are asking for prices for 165,000 tons of steam coal for the generating station at Greenwich, over 12 months, and several of the London borough councils are in the market for considerable quantities for their electricity works. Cokes are still terribly dull, and the sales very restricted. This weakness is all the more pronounced since the iron and steel markets are so unsatisfactory. The weak- ness is apparent in all qualities, both foundry, furnace and gas cokes. Since the settlement of the Yorkshire strike, the tonnage for shipment at the Humber ports has been of a very depressing character. Brices are continually weaken- ing, the whole fleets of ships have been withdrawn from the Yorkshire ports, and have not found their way back into the old grooves. Strikes abroad have also had something to do with it, especially the Spanish boats, and the Baltic trade has not been very strong so far. The British Coalite Company, which has been to a very large extent dormant lately, has been negotiating, so it is reported, with a York- shire colliery company for the erection of a coalite plant; the matter is now about complete, and particulars are in the hands of the shareholders, or will be by the close of the present month. ________________________ From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Co.’s Report. Friday, May 15.—The sea borne house coal market was quiet again to-day, with no cargoes pressing for sale. Shari- ston W.E. (Yorks), 21s. 6d. ; do., Main, do., 19s. 6d. Cargoes, 26. Monday, May 18.—The warmer weather had a dull effect upon the sea borne house coal market to-day, but as no cargoes of either Durham or Yorkshire were on offer prices could not be tested. Sharlston W.E. (York), 21s. 6d.; do., Main, 19s. 6d. Cargoes, 26. Wednesday, May 20.—There was no alteration in the sea borne coal market to-day—no cargoes reported sold. Sharlston W.E. (Yorks), 21s. 6d.; do., Main., do., 19s. 6d. Cargoes six.< THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Benzols, 90’s ............................................................ Do. 50’s ................................. Do. 90’s North .......................... .......................... Do. 50’s North ........................... Toluol ....................................... Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.) ........... Do. crystals (40 per cent.) ........ Solvent naphtha (as in quality and package)... Crude ditto (in bulk) ........................ Creosote (for ordinary qualities) ............. ...................... Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) ...................... Do. (f.a.s. west coast) ....................... Tar (ex-works, London) ______....................... /10 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MINING AND OTHER NOTES. Giving evidence before the Royal Commission on Railways ___________________________________________________________ on Friday, Mr. Edmund Stirk, on behalf of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, dealt with the classification of goods, demurrage, railway accounts, delays, etc. The chamber of commerce, he said, was in favour of the Board of Trade being given power to deal with all questions affecting rates, delivery of goods, storage, cartage, etc. They desired some- thing in the nature of a court of appeal which would arrive at a common-sense arrangement, and would be a business tribunal. The witness also approved of local conferences between railway and business people, and said they would remove a lot of difficulties which existed now. The Staffordshire iron masters have decided to abandon the Gas Tube Strip Association, which has existed for 14 years, and numbered 18 firms. Iron strip material makers will now be free to sell at any price they like, instead of the association rate of £6 10s. to .£6 12s. 6d. The cause of ______________________________ this decision is that extreme competition from Belgium and Germany and under-selling by six non-association home iron firms have rendered the continuance of combine prices impossible. A meeting of the executive council of the Shipping Federa- tion was held on Friday, for the purpose of considering the scheme for laying up ships on the lines suggested by Mr. W. J. Noble, and approved by the Baltic and White Sea conference. After a long and interesting discussion a decision was arrived at approving, in principle, the suggested scheme for laying up vessels, but referring the matter to a committee for the consideration of details. The Home Office has issued a report by Major A. Cooper Key, Chief Inspector of Explosives, on the circumstances attending an explosion which occurred on February 20 last at the factory of Nobel’s Explosives Company Limited at Ardeer. Eight lives were lost by the explosion. The inspector states that, taking one consideration with another, it seemed to him most probable that the accident was due to some action on the part of one of the men in charging the machines, but he was convinced that it was due to some circumstances of a quite exceptional character. In Peru in 1912, 278,927 tons of coal were produced, as against 324,000 tons in 1911, the decline being due to the closing of the Goyllarisquizga mines. The bulk of the output was obtained from the Cerrodi Pasco district. At the recent conversazione of the Royal Society, Mr. W. A. Douglas Rudge demonstrated experimentally the electri- fication produced during the raising of a cloud of dust. During the raising of a cloud of dust by almost any method, considerable charges of electricity are, it seems, produced. A charge of one sign is found upon the dust itself, and another charge of opposite sign, either upon the air, or else upon fine particles of dust which remain suspended in the air. Generally, dust of an acidic nature, such as silica or molybdic acid, give a negative charge to the air, while metallic oxides and organic bases give positive charges to the air. A fire is reported from Colombo in the coal cargo of the British steamer “ Caithness,” making the sixth notable fire in Calcutta coals during the present hot season. A strike of all the coal miners in Ohio has been ordered by the unionist officials. The mines have been closed since the 1st ult. by order of the owners. ______________________________ The President of the Board of Trade has appointed a com- mittee to enquire into the working of the Railway Employ- ment (Prevention of Accidents) Act, 1900, and to report what amendments, if any, are necessary. Mr. D. A. Thomas has sailed for England by the “ Lusi- tania.” Mr. Thomas has been on the other side of the Atlantic for three months, engaged in negotiating important coal “ deals ” in the United States, and with business con- nected with railway and other projects in the Canadian North-West. It is understood that he has made important headway with these projects, which promise to lead to an enormous agricultural and mineral development in the northern regions of British Columbia and Alberta. Mr. Thomas is reported to have said that he confidently expects to close certain important purchases of United States coal properties when he returns to America in the autumn. Having concluded the preliminary negotiations, he will then engage in the exportation of American coal. Mr. Weigall, in the House of Commons on Tuesday, asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he was aware that during the last financial year approximately 46,000 tons of benzol and 40,000 tons of kerosene used for propulsion of motor vehicles was so used without any payment of duty, thus resulting in a loss of approximately £250,000 to the revenue of the Road Board; and what steps he proposed to take to prevent a repetition of this loss. Mr. Lloyd George said he was aware that benzol and kerosene were to some extent used for the propulsion of motor vehicles, though he had not previously seen anything like so high an estimate of the amount so used as was suggested in the question. The question of the taxation of these articles, if and when they ____________________________________________________________ came to be ordinarily and generally used for supplying motive power to vehicles, would not be lost sight of. Irvine, Point of Aire, Preston, Whitehaven, Burryport, and Liverpool. The total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays was 21,150 tons. Belfast. There is little or no change at this port, and although lirices generally are somew’hat easier, there is no alteration in quotations so far. Business is about normal, and although best English house coal is limited in supply, stocks of most other qualities are plentiful, particularly of Scotch coal. Quotations stand 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 for steam coals are :—Scotch, 15s. 6d. to 16s. 6d. per ton; Scotch slack, Ils. 6d. to 12s. 6d. ; naviga- tion steam, 17s. to 18s. per ton delivered; Welsh steam coal, 17s. to 18s. per ton delivered. Cargoes arriving dur- ing the week were chiefly from Ayr, Ardrossan, Glasgow, Garston, Point of Aire, Ellesmere Port, Silloth, Troon, Preston, Girvan, Irvine, Workington, Maryport, Saunders- foot, Manchester, Campbeltowm, and Neath Abbey. Tar Products.—Things are distinctly quiet, but in most cases prices remain fairly steady. Benzols and creosote are perhaps the two firmest products, as pitch is on the easy side, though 90’s benzol is easier in the south. There is not much change in naphthas or carbolics. Nearest values are:— to /10J /W /10J 1/04 to 1/1 /3J p /3?o to 36/6 to 35/3 36/ 35/ 25/6 to 29/6 [Benzols, toluol, creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acids, usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at maker's works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch f.o.b. net.'] Sulphate or Ammonia.—The market is quiet almost to dulness, but prices, such as they are worth, keep fairly steady, because the easier quotations prevailing in some localities are not substantiated by anything like reasonable sales. The forward market is neglected. Closing prompt prices are:— London (ordinary makes) .......... £12/1/3 Beckton (certain terms)...........__ <£11 Liverpool ......................... £11/15 /to £11/17/6 Hull................................ £11/12/6 Middlesbrough..................... £11/12/6 ....................... Scotch ports ................................ £12 Nitrate of soda (ordinary) per cwt. ... 10/ [Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2J per cent, dis- count; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality; allowance for refraction, nothing for excess.] ____________________________ THE TIN-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. There is no improvement to report at all. Enquiries are not numerous, and such business as is going through, makers assure us does not show them any profit. The 15 per cent, agreed reduction in output is not sufficient, and unless an improved demand quickly springs up many mills will have to cease working for want of orders. Following are about the figures makers are quoting for shipment over the next two and three months :—Coke tins, I C 14 x 20 (112 sh. 108 lb.), 12s. 6d. to 12s. 74d. per box; I C 28 x 20 (112 sh. 216 lb.), 25s. 3d. to 25s. 6d. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 108 lb.), 12s. 10|d. to 13s. per box; I C 14 x 18| (124 sh. 110 lb.), 13s. per box (nominal) ; I C 14 x 191 (120 sh. 110 lb.), 13s. per box (nominal) ; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 156 lb.), 18s. 3d. per box (nominal) ; I C squares and odd sizes, 12s. 10|d. to 13s. basis for approved specifications. Ternes are very quiet at 22s. for IC 28 x 20. Charcoal tins are easy at 14s. 6d. per box and upwards according to tinning. Coke wasters are in moderate •demand. Quotations :—C W 14 x 20 12s. per box; C W 28 x 20, 23s. 9d. per box; C W 14 x 18| 11s. per box; CW20 x 10 14s. 3d. per box, all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. BOOK NOTICES. The Oil and Petroleum Manual, 1914. Edited by W. R. Skinner. 300 pp.; demy 8vo. London : W. R. Skinner. Price 4s. net. This is the only complete annual published dealing with the oil industry, and contains particulars of over 780 companies, followed by lists of 1,550 direc- tors, 341 secretaries, and 163 consulting engineers, managers, agents, etc. It is interesting to note that the companies in regard to which particulars are given have a total capital of £195,000,000. This emphasises the need of a directory of this description at the present day, when so many interests are affected by oil. Manual Pratique de Fonderie. By J. Duponchelle. viii. + 258 pp. 5| in. x 8 in. 201-figs. Paris: Dunod and Pinat. Price 6 fr. M. Duponchelle’s work is designed for use in technological institutions, as well as for master founders and workmen, and deals with the production of castings in copper, bronze, aluminium, and various alloys. Amongst the questions considered are the employment and treatment of various materials and fue^s, the design of furnaces and machinery. Practical Iron Founding. By J. G. Horner, A.M.I.Meeh.E. 4th edition, viii. + 409 pp.; 283 illustrations. 5 in. x 7| in. London : Whittaker and Company. Price 5s. net. This edition is just about double the size of its pre- decessors, certain portions, notably that on machine moulding, having been wholly re-written. The book has now been elaborated beyond its original scope of an elementary text-book. After a’ short chapter on “ principles,” the author deals in a thoroughly practical fashion with the mani- fold operations of foundry work, from the selection of moulding sands to the use of machine moulded gears. The book is well illustrated, and the student or practical foundry man, for whom it is written, will find it replete with useful suggestions. THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 21. ___________________________________________________ Dublin. Local coal merchants are not so busy this week, owing to the change in the weather, and as prices have now been reduced it is expected that business with the country dis- tricts will improve. Best qualities of English house coal are Is. per ton lower, and Wigan, kitchen, and Whitehaven are down 2s. per ton. There is no change in steam coals or coke. Quotations in the city are as follow :—Best Orrell, 27s. per ton; Hulton Arley, 26s.; best Wigan, 24s.; best Whitehaven, 24s.; Pemberton Wigan, 22s.; kitchen nuts, 21s.; Orrell slack, 20s. ; steam coals from about 22s^.; best coke, 20s. per ton delivered. Irish coals at Wolf hill, Queen’s County:—Large coal, 20s. per ton; small coal, 18s. 4d.; nuts, 16s. 8d.; beans, 15s.; peas, 12s. 6d.; culm (coarse), 10s.; culm (in pond), 3s. 4d.; culm (fine), 5s.— all at the pit mouth. The price of best Irish coal delivered at Wexford for contracts is 27s. 6d. per ton, this being con- siderably dearer than the best Welsh coal. The collier vessels arriving during the past week amounted to 51, being the same number as the week previously, chiefly from Gars- ton, Partington, Ayr, Saundersfoot, Glasgow, Newport, Troon, Workington, West Bank, Maryport, Port Talbot, ___________________________ Grimsby Coal Exports.—According to the official returns there were exported from Grimsby during the week ended Thursday, May 14, 15,333 tons of coal to foreign destina- tions, and 105 tons coastal, compared with 21,897 and 363 tons respectively during the corresponding week last year. The shipments were as follow :—Foreign : To Antwerp, 42o tons; Apenrade, 869; Copenhagen, 859; Dieppe, 926; Esbjerg, 349; Gothenburg, 2,523; Hamburg, 489; Herno- sand, 1,481; Holmestad, 658; Karrebaksmindi, 876; Malmo, 1,329* Randers, 575: Ronne, 1,624; Rotterdam, 162; Skien, 778; Ystad, 1,410. Coastal : To London, 105 tons.