148 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. July 17, 1914. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Exports of Coal, Coke and Manufactured Fuel, According to Description. First six months. _________________________________________ 1914. 1913. ____________________ ____________________ Average Average Quantity. value Quantity, value per ton. per ton. Coal;— Tons. s. d. Tons. s. d. Anthracite.... 1,360,242... 15 7’3... 1,407,097... 15 10*8 Steam........ 25,094,812... 13 11-4...26,034,245... 14 1*7 Gas .......... 5.739,845... 12 6*7... 5,510,408... 12 0’6 Household .... 742,440...13 1*8... 855,375...12 11’5 Other sorts.... 1,649,599... 12 0'5... 1,719,110... 12 4’7 Total and average ... 34,586,938... 13 8’1...35,526,235...13 9’4 Large ......... 19,068,223... 15 5*7... 19,962,606... 15 4*4 Thro’-and-thro’ 7,359,534... 12 4*9... 7,189,763... 12 1*07 Small ......... 8,159,181... 10 7*3... 8,373,866... 11 5’5 Coke............ 517,609...17 2’3... 499,670...19 5’6 Manufactured fuel 1,044,360... 17 4-9... 1,022,232... 16 11*6 Total fuel ex- ported and average .... 36,148,907... 13 10’05...37,048,137...13 11’3 Coal shipped in bunkers ...... 10,182,157... — ...10,087,037... — Exports of Coal according to District. First six months. _________________________________ 1914. 1913. 1912."^ Tons. Tons. Tons. British Channel ports ... 14,469,769... 14,823,019... 10,654,268 North-western ports.... 273,168... 387,571... 289,300 North-eastern ports.... 11,617,420... 11,080,710... 8,781,526 Humber ports ........ 3,314,142... 3,936,053... 2,320,738 Other east coast ports... 182,815... 182,543... 118,554 Other English ports.... 60... 899... 47 ............. East Scotland ports.... 3,701,447... 4,057,680... 3,256,087 West Scotland ports.... 1,028,117... 1,057,760... 752,803 Irish ports .................. — ... — ... — Exports of Coal, Coke and Patent Fuel by Months. 1914. 1913. ____________________ ____________________ Month. Average Average Quantity, value Quantity, value per ton. per ton. Tons. s. d. Tons. s. d. January ......... 6,088,971... 14 1*3... 6,374,152... 13 7’5 February ...... 5,974,608... 14 0’4... 5,822,925... 13 8T March........... 6,170,720... 13 9*2... 5,831,324... 13 9’8 First quarter ....17,430,369... 13 11*7... 18.028,401... 13 8’4 April ............ 5,445,728... 13 9'03.. 6,605,214... 14 1’6 May.............. 6,469,463... 13 8’7... 6,147,614... 14 1’6 June.............. 5,999,417... 13 7’4... 6,266,908... 14 3*05 Second quarter ...18,718,538...13 8*6...19,019.736...14 2-1 First six months...36,148,907...13 10 05..37,048,137...13 11’3 in exports, notwithstanding that the north-east coast ports are half-a-million tons up on last year’s total. All the other districts, however, show a decreased volume of trade. Turning to the markets themselves, it may be noted that we have sent less coal to Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, the Canaries, Austria-Hungary, Brazil and Malta, whilst the most notable increases are in the ship- ments to France and the countries of the Middle East. In several of the countries in the first category, the competition of German coal has been added to the decline in industrial activity, whilst American coal may be reckoned as a factor in Italy and Brazil. The improved returns to France may be traced mainly to the internal troubles of the native collieries, and the larger shipments to Turkey and the Balkans to the re-establishment of pacific conditions in those turbulent countries. The future calls for a few words only. It is improbable that any new striking incidents will mark the concluding half of the year, although it is likely that the slow ebb of trade will continue. The thing of most menace ahead is the attitude of labour ; next year witnesses the conclusion of most of the important wages agreements in the coal trade, and great trouble may be looked for, we fear, from this quarter. ________________________ THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Lixerpool. There is more enquiry, and quite a fair amount of business has been placed for delivery over rest of the year. Makers are not eager to sell beyond this unless at an advance. Spot lots are still being sold at very low prices, but for plates to make, prices are up about 3d. a box all round. Current quotations may be called :—Coke tins : I C 14 x 20 (112 sh. 1081b.), 12s. 3d. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (112 sh. 216 lb.), 24s. 3d. to 24s. 6d. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 1081b.), 12s. 9d. per box; IC 14 x 18| (124 sh. 1101b.), 12s. 6d. per box ; I C 14 x 19| (120 sh. 110 lb.), 12s. 6d. per box ; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 156*lb.), 17s. 7|d. to 17s. 9d. per box ; I C squares and odd sizes, 12s. 6d. basis for approved specifications. Charcoals are in moderate demand at 14s. 3d. basis and upwards, according to tinning. Black- plate is quietly steady at <£8 15s. to <£8 17s. 6d. per ton for P. and C.A. rectangles. Coke wasters meet with a fair enquiry, and are quoted :—C W 14 x 20, Ils. 6d. per box; C W 28 x 20, 23s. 3d. per box; C W 14 x 18|, Ils. 6d. per box (scarce) ; C W 20 x 10, 14s. 9d. per box. All f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. RENEWAL OF THE GERMAN COAL SYNDICATE. According to the Kolnische Zeitung, the draft agree- ment prepared by the Committee appointed for that pur- pose contains the following principal clauses :— Participation (§13, 1-4).—The present members of the syndicate are to retain their existing participation with regard to the sale of coal, coke, and briquettes. The figures are established on a coal basis, the coke being calculated on a yield of 78 per cent, of the coal used, and the briquettes being assumed to contain 8 per cent, of binding material. The participation figures for new members will be fixed when the agreement is executed. Allowance for Consumption at Pits' own Iron Works. (§13, 5-6).—Mine owners who, under the agreement of August 5, 1909, were allowed a certain quantity of output for the purpose of satisfying the fuel require- ments of their own metallurgical works, will be allowed the same quantity under the new agreement. As at present, these quantities will not be subject to any of the periodical restrictions that may be placed on the participation output (§20). However, in the case of the iron works pits whose present consumption contin- gent includes supplies from coal pits outside the Rhenish-Westphalian basin, fresh arrangements will have to be made with regard to the amount of such con- tingents. The consumption contingent may be trans- lated into terms of coke and briquettes, on the basis of a yield of 78 per cent, in the case of coke, and an addi- tion of 8 per cent, (for binding materials) for briquettes. According to §14 : 1-4, iron works pits enjoying an allowance for home consumption are not authorised to coke coal bought from the syndicate until they have bought a quantity of coke equivalent to the amount they had the right to place to the debit of their coke participation account.* An exception is made in the case of iron works pits which have been regular purchasers of coking coal, for their own use, from the Syndicate during the five years preceding the execution of the new agreement. These exceptions and the allowances in the various cases will be settled when the agreement is executed. In any case, the syndicate is to be under no obligation to supply the iron works pits with coke and coking coal beyond the quantities it may have at disposal for the time. If requested, it shall satisfy the requirements of the iron works pits from their own participation figures in the first place. In the event of strikes or working troubles, the syndicate board shall not be bound by the foregoing stipulations of §14; but an appeal against such a decision may be lodged with the competent committee. Syndicate Dues (§31).—The amount of coal, coke, and briquettes delivered for account of the syndicate (including local sales), and also the quantities delivered direct, on old contracts,! shall be subjected to a levy of 3 per cent., the accounts being made up monthly. For briquettes, a deduction will be made for the value of the binding materials, the rate for which will be fixed, retroactively, by the first meeting of the coal owners in each year. If this 3 per cent, levy fails to cover the expenses of the syndicate, the deficit shall be met by a further levy per ton, bearing uniformly on the total output of all the syndicated pits, less the fuel consumed in working the pits. Fixing New or Increased Participations in Coke and Briquettes+ (§15 : 1-6). — Should a mine owner be desirous of commencing the manufacture of coke or briquettes at a self-contained colliery where such indus- try has not previously been carried on, he must give the syndicate board six months’ notice of the desired participation figures, which must, however, be within the limits of the coal participation. The granting of such participation will depend on the satisfactory con- dition of the colliery in general and on the technical possibility of turning out the quantities specified in the application. Mine owners who already enjoy participation rights in coke and briquettes, for certain pits, will not be granted any new participation (for another pit which has not previously produced coal or briquettes), unless during three consecutive months in the six months pre- ceding the application they have been debited with at least 85 per cent, of the whole of their participation in coke or briquettes. Unless deliveries are commenced within 18 months of the granting of the application for participation, the latter shall become void. The participation grant is at first merely provisional, the exact figure not being settled by the competent com- mittee until it has inspected the result of a period of six months’ continuous operation in the first year after * Opinions differ as to the effect of this clause. On the one hand it is regarded as forming a concession to the iron works pits (although slightly restricting their freedom of consumption), because the other mine owners insisted at first that iron works pits had no right to make any more coke when the limits of their own consumption allowance had been exceeded. On the other hand, the Gelsenkirchen Com- pany is opposed to the clause, and is understood to have expressed the intention of backing out of the syndicate unless it is granted a considerably increased consumption allowance. This attitude will probably be supported by other iron works pits, so that many difficulties will have to be surmounted before the agreement is definitely settled. f This clause evidently refers to the State collieries in the Recklinghausen district, which have recently entered into extensive long-term contracts. §10 of the agreement states that mine owners who have entered into such contracts must see to the fulfilment of same themselves, but must keep the syndicate accurately informed of the deliveries made, and that the same are on account of their participation. | The object of this clause is to place some restriction on the production of coke at collieries having no iron works. The present arrangement is to grant, automatically, an increased participation for each pit at which a cokery is installed for the first time. the works have been started, and commencing from a date fixed by the mine owner. During this experi- mental period, the coke or briquettes must be made exclusively from coal raised from the pit in respect of which the application was lodged. The maximum amount for a first participation in respect of a self-con- tained pit shall not exceed 100,000 tons per annum in the case of coke, and 72,000 tons for briquettes. The new agreement is to remain in force until March 31, 1921, with an automatic extension for another five years, unless written notice to terminate shall have been lodged with the board by a member of the syndicate at least 12 months prior to the date of expiration. The decision of the dissentient mine owners has been post- poned to October 1 next. ___________________________________________ THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, July 16. ___________________________________________ North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. The coal trade of this locality during the past week has been of a 'moderate character, and most of the collieries have been compelled to play some part of the week, through lack of empty wagons. Orders for house coal are still scarce, but in regard to forward business, buyers are now showing an inclination to fix their contracts for house coal, as prices are now in their favour, and several contracts have been made for six and 12 months. In regard to the gas making fuel, there is nothing fresh to write, the chief business being settling the terms for supplies for the ensuing 12 months. Several large contracts are about to be closed, and there is no doubt but the orders will have to be accepted at a reduction. The fact that this reduction has now become general in regard to the gas coal contracts will be a serious item to many of the collieries in their income during the next year, especially those who sell the major part of their output for gas making and steam coal contracts. In the case of steam coal, there is no lack of orders for locomotive coal, and local industrial concerns are taking a fair tonnage, but the coal for shipment has been seriously affected by labour disputes at the Liverpool and Birkenhead Docks. Slack is rather weak just now, and low prices are being accepted in some instances. Gas coke remains unaltered. The week’s current prices are as follow:— Prices at pit f.o.r.:— Best house coal ...... Secondary do.......... Steam coal............ Gas coal.............. Bunkers............... Nuts ................ Slack ................ Gas coke (at works).... Prices landsale:— Best house coal ...... Seconds .............. Slack ................ Current L’st week’sLast year’s prices. | prices. 15/ -16/ ! 14/ -14/6 13/9-14/9 i 13/ -13/9 12/9-13/3 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ ' 13/ -14/ 12/ -12/3 i 12/ -12/9 11/6-12/ ! 11/3-11/9 6/ - 7/6 ; 6/ - 7/6 — 15/ -16/8 18/4-20/ 18/4-19/2 16/8-17/6 | 16/8-17/6 10/ —12/6 10/ -12/6 prices. 14/ -15/6 13/ -14/ 12/3-12/9 12/3-12/6 12/ -12/3 ' 11/9-12/3 ! 6/ -7/9 | 13/4-15/ I 18/4-20/ ■ 16/8-17/6 10/ -12/6 _______ _______ Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. COAL. There are no new features of importance in the steam coal market, the condition of which remains much the same as for the past fortnight. Quotations in the main are unaltered, but it looks as if the bottom of the market had been touched, as although all the better grades of coal are listed at the same as last recorded, the lower qualities show a firmer touch, the alteration in tone being quite evident. This is due mainly to the excellent arrivals of tonnage on recent tides, and heavy shipments are anticipated for the next week. The most important advantage of the new lock, opened by Prince Arthur, on Tuesday, will be the much wider latitude in the time which will be available for docking and undocking vessels. Nearly 20 hours out of every 24 will now be of use, which is a very great improve- ment on former conditions. Meanwhile, the tipping facilities are being steadily improved, new hoists rising up month after month, these of a size and capacity not exceeded anywhere. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days, less 2£ per cent. i. ; prices. I 76 17/ -17/6 73 16/ -16/3 I 15/6-15/9 I 15/ -15/3 8/ - 8/6 7/6- 7/9 prices. 17/6-17/9 16/9-17/ 16/3-16/6 15/6-16/ 8/3- 8/6 7/6- 7/9 7/ -7/3 8/6 13/ -13/9 14/ -14/6 15/6-15/9 : 15/ -15/6 8/3- 8/6 7/6- 7'/9 ■ ■ 7/ - 7/6 ’ 7/ - 7/6 Q,c 8/3- 8/6 11/9-12/ 11/9-12/3 Current L’st week’sLast year’s Steam coals:— ! prices. —1 —- — Best Black Vein large...' 17/3-17/ Western-valleys, ordin’y' 16/ —16/3 Best Eastern-valleys Secondary do. Best small coals . Secondary do. ...... Inferior do. ...... Screenings............... Through coals ... Best washed nuts ...... Other sorts:— 8/6 11/9-12/ 11 '9-12/3 ' Best house coal. ........ Secondary do. . Patent fuel .... Furnace coke.... Foundry coke ........ 18/ -19/ 18/ -19' 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 20/ -25/6 19/ -24/ 18/ -19/ 17/ —18/ 20/ -20,6 22/ —24/ 26/ -28/ IRON. Generally speaking, there is no improvement to report in the local conditions of the iron and steel trades. Business continues dull in tinplate bars, and the demand is poor owing to the huge deliveries of foreign made bars. There is little doing in the rail department, where the competition of American mills is being keenly felt. There are just now two very large enquiries on the market, but it is disappointing to know that reliable anticipations expect to see these orders placed in the States. Pig iron is quiet and unaltered, whilst a slight inclination to raise the price of tinplates is due solely to the jump in the price of block tin, and not to any betterment of demand. Latest approximate ruling values are as follow:—Steel rails : heavy sections, <£6 10s. to £6 15s.; light sections. .£6 15s. to <£7. Tinplate bars