July 17, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 147 AARHUS CORPORATION, DENMARK. The Lighting Committee of the Corpora- tion of Aarhus are prepared to receive TENDERS for the supply of about 20,003 tons of best Unscreened GAS COAL to be delivered c i.f. Aarhus in shipments of 1.6C0-2.400 tons from August, 1914, until the end of February. 1915, eventually 25,000 tons to be delivered from August 1914, to the end of June 1915, discharging per working day 409 tons. Tenders marked *' Tender ’or C ;al,” must be delivered to the AARHUS CORPORATION LIGHTING COMMITTEE, Aarhus, Denmark, not later than 2 o’clock p.m. on Tuesday, July 21st, 1914. TUBES ANO FITTBNEiSp iron and steel Tubes for Gas, Water, Steam, and Compressed Air. Electric Tramway Poles, Pit Props, High. Pressure Steam Mains, &c. JOHN SPENCER LTD., Globe Tube Works, Wednesbury. J. W. BAIRD AND COMPANY PITWOOD IMPORTERS, WEST HARTLEPOOL, YEARLY CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO WITH COLLIERIES. OSBECK & COMPANY LIMITED, PIT-TIMBER MERCHANTS, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. SUPPLY ALL KINDS OF COLLIERY TIMBER. Telegrams—“ Osbecks, Newcastle-on-Tyne.” For other Miscellaneous Advertisements see Last White Page. AND Journal o? tha Coal and Iron Trades. Joint Editors— J. V. ELSDEN, D.Sc. (Lond.), F.G.S. HUBERT GREENWELL, F.S.S., Assoc.M.I.M.E. LONDON, FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1914. The London coal trade has begun to show a slight improvement during the past week, especially for best coals. Second qualities of house coal, and particularly the softer kinds, are distinctly dull. Merchants report a fair number of orders for summer stocking from the general public. No change has taken place in either the Tyne or Wear prompt coal markets, and both continue fairly firm. Little progress is exhibited yet in the Lanca- shire coal trade, whilst the house coal market in Derbyshire has also become depressed, though business in other departments may be termed fair. Trade is slack in Yorkshire, there being a very small •enquiry. The Cardiff coal trade is reported to be patchy, and consequently there is a disparity in prices. Business in Scotland is on the brisk side, and the market very firm. Mr. McKenna, in the House of Commons on Monday, spoke in favour of an international con- ference taking place next year, to secure an interchange of opinions upon the question of safety in mines. The death occurred on Monday of Lord Ellesmere, who possessed a considerable in the colliery industry of Lancashire. Prince Arthur of Connaught performed the opening ceremony on Tuesday of the new lock and extension of the Alexandra South Dock. The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of Channel Collieries Trust Limited ( v. Dover, St. Margaret’s and Martin Mill Light Railway Company, which raised a question of the validity of the appointment of directors. The hearing of the charges against the officials of the Fife Coal Company for alleged contraventions of the Coal Mines Act was commenced at Dunfermline on Wednesday, the 8th inst. Judgment will be given on the 23rd inst. Several questions were put to the First Lord of the Admiralty during the week, upon the question of the use of oil fuel for the Navy. The enquiry into the deaths of the 12 victims of the explosion at the Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery, on May 30, was continued on Wednesday and Thursday, and adjourned till Wednesday next. Under the new sliding-scale for the regulation of miners’ wages in Northumberland, a reduction of 24 per cent, for underground workers and an increase of 8 per cent, for surface workers has taken place. The Scottish Miners’ Federation have decided to inaugurate their four-day working week policy on July 27. The Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation Board failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday regarding the application of the coalowners for a reduction in wages of 25 per cent. Proceedings were adjourned till the 30th inst. The South Wales Miners’ Federation have resolved upon an immediate levy of Is. per member. There is u at present a Bill before The Parliament which, if enacted, may Revenue be the cause of great trouble to Bill. those engaged in industrial under- takings. The Revenue Bill is ostensibly for the purpose of enabling the Govern- ment to raise additional revenue for certain objects, and its sting lies in the fact that, under the pretext of enabling the Commissioners of Inland Revenue to obtain information for the purposes of the Govern- ment’s undisclosed proposals, the Bill imposes on all owners and occupiers the costly and oppressive burden of submitting to a written cross-examination far more difficult than the notorious Form IV., the penalty for default being a fine not exceeding £50. From an analysis of these requirements which has been compiled by the Land Union, it is possible to appreciate the onerous nature of this new inquisition. Owners and occupiers have to furnish, besides numerous other details, particulars of all ‘ ‘ improve- ments” (which word expressly includes 11 buildings, plant and machinery”) executed within the last 50 years, stating the nature of the improvement, the date when carried out, the area and identity of the land (including buildings and fittings), the cost of the improvement, and the unexhausted value attributable to the improvement at the date of the return. Owners and lessees of mines will have to give particulars of minerals worked, extent of workings for three years, and particulars of way- Prices. Description of fuel. Per ton. July 1, 1913. Per ton. January 1, 1914. Per ton. July 1, 1914. Best Northumbrian steam coals f.o.b. Tyne... „ ,, steam smalls „ ... Best Durham gas coals „ Durham coking coals „ Best Durham blast-furnace coke del. Tees-side Durham bunkers f.o.b. Tyne Foundry coke f.o.b. Tyne ,. Best Lancashire house coals at pit „ „ slacks „ Best Yorkshire Silkstone „ Barnsley thick-seam house „ .. Best Haigh Moor (London) „ Yorkshire steam coals „ Best Derbyshire house coals „ Large „ nuts „ Best Staffordshire house coals „ Welsh steam coals f.o.b. Cardiff... „ Welsh small steam coals „ „ „ Semi-bituminous „ „ ... No. 3 Rhondda, large „ „ ... No. 2 „ „ „ „ ... Patent fuel „ „ ... Best Welsh malting anthracite f.o.b. Swansea Special foundry coke, Cardiff Scotch ell coals f.o.b. Glasgow „ steam „ „ „ splint „ „ Fife steam coals, f.o.b. Methil Fife treble nuts „ „ Hetton Wallsend, London ■ 14s. 9d. 10s. 14s. 6d. to 14s. 9d. 13s. 6d. to 14s. 20s. 13s. 3d. to 14s. 23s. 6d. 16s. 6d. to 17s. 10s. 6d. 14s. 6d. 14s. 14s 12s. 9d. to 13s. 3d. 14s. 6d. Ils. 18s. 20s. 6d. to 21s. 10s, 3d. to 10s. 9d. 17s. 6d. to 17s. 9d. 17s. to 17s. 6d. 13s. 3d. to 13s. 9d. 23s. 21s. to 23s. 30s. to 31s. 12s. 3d. to 12s. 9d. 12s. 3d. to 12s. 9d. 13s. 6d. to 14s. 14s. 3d. to 15s. 13s. 6d. to 14s. 21s. 6d. 14s. to 14s. 6d. 7s. to 7s. 6d. 15s. 13s. to 14s. 19s. 6d. 12s. 3d. to 13s. 6d. 21s. to 23s. 17s. 3d. to 18s. 10s. to 10s. 6d. 15s. 6d. to 16s. 15s. to 15s. 3d. 14s. 6d. to 15s. 12s. 3d. 15s. 6d. Ils. 6d. 18s. 6d. 20s. 6d. to 21s. Ils. to Ils. 3d. 18s. 3d. 17s. 6d. to 18s. i 15s. 6d. to 15s. 9d. 22s. 6d. 21s. 6d. to 24s. 28s. 13s. 9d. to 14s. 13s. to 14s. 6d. 13s. 9d. to 17s. 13s. 13s. to 13s. 3d. i 21s. 6d. 1 13s. 6d. to 13s. 9d. 8s. 6d. 13s. 12s. 19s. 6d. Ils. 4ld. to 12s. 6d. 19s. to 21s. 17s. 3d. to 18s. 9s. 6d. to 10s. 15s. 6d. to 16s. 15s. to 15s. 3d. 14s. Ils. 3d. to Ils. 6d. 13s. 6d. 9s. 6d. 17s. 6d. 21s. to 21s. 6d. Us. 17s. to 17s. 3d. i 17s. 6d. 12s. 9d. to 13s. 3d. 21s. 20s. to 22s. 27s. to 29s. Ils. 3d. to Ils. 6d. 10s. 6d. to 12s. 6d. 10s. 6d. to 14s. 12s. 6d. to 13s. Ils. to Ils. 6d. 21s. 6d. /Freights. July 1, 1913. January 1, 1914. July 1, 1914. Tyne to— Hamburg 3s. 6d. 3s. 6d. 3s. 6d. Genoa 9s. 3d. 7s. IJd. 7s. 9d. Barcelona 11s. 3d. 8s. 9s. Alexandria 10s. 7s. 9d. 8s. Cronstadt *. 5s. 6d. 5s. 6d. (Riga) 5s. London 3s. Ijd. 3s. IJd. to 3s. 3d. 3s. Cardiff to— Genoa 9s. 3d. 7s. 3d. 8s. Bordeaux 6s. 3d. 4s. 3d. 5s. 3d. Marseilles 9s. 7s. 7s. 6d. Havre 4s. 6d. 4s. 3d. 4s. l|d. Barcelona 10s. 8s. 8s. 6~d. Las Palmas 9s. 7s. 3d. 7s. Alexandria 9s. 3d. 7s. 6d. 7s. 6d. River Plate 20s. 13s. 14s. 6d. Wages. leaves earned or paid. But this is not all, for the Treasury may, by order, enlarge the scope of this schedule of enquiries. As the Land Union point out, the information, when obtained, would not only be available for the use of all Government departments, but would probably have to be made public if ever it were to be made the basis of local rating. We need scarcely say that this is a demand which business men have a just right to resist, because many enterprises would be seriously prejudiced if their private accounts were published broadcast to the world. And when will our politicians realise that the first duty of the manufacturer is to produce his wares well and cheaply ; and not to spend all his time and money in filling up forms that will never benefit his fellow- men one iota ? The experience of the first half of The the year has borne out expectations. Half-Year’s There has been the gradual decline Coal Trade, in activity all round of which the iron trade was the harbinger. This trend towards a lower order of prosperity has found expression in many directions. In the coal trade itself prices, wages and shipments have alike fallen away. The decline in freights has so far affected the shipping industry that there has been much talk of li laying-up,” and generally there are more people seeking business than was the case 12 months ago. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that there has been any sudden slump. Engineers and manufacturers generally have had a considerable waiting list of orders, and if isolated complaints are heard in the coal trade, they have been prompted mainly by the high cost of labour and materials and the accumu- lated burdens of legislation rather than by any immediate stringency in the exchequer. It will be seen that there has been some falling off District. Northumberland •....... Durham ................ Federated area ........ South Wales and Mon.... Scotland .............. Percentage of wages above standards. f A July 1, Jan. 1, July 1. 1913. 1914. 1914. 48J , ... 52£ ... 50 561 . ... 60 ... 574 65 ... 65 ... 65 60 ... 60 ... 60 871- ■ ... 87j ... 811