August 7, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 315 and they did not see any urgent necessity for altering them, they would not work over the holiday. On the other hand, the tippers and trimmers agreed to work vessels on Admiralty account only, and, as a matter of fact, they had worked night and day since noon on Saturday. Fortu- nately, stocks on the sidings have been ample to meet requirements, and the Admiralty agents were successful in purchasing cargoes which had been already loaded, but were detained in port owing to the strike of marine engineers. Chartering on Government account, in the meantime, has proceeded briskly, and it is reported that upwards of 100 vessels have been engaged inAdmiralty service, chiefly on time charter. For obvious reasons, all transactions have been regarded as of a confidential character, and no details have been allowed to transpire either as to the names of the vessels engaged or their destinations. Loading proceeded all day on Sunday, an event which has not occurred in Cardiff before for very many years. Many offices were open on Bank Holiday for the transaction of Admiralty business, and the Exchange, which otherwise would have remained closed until Wednesday, was open on Tuesday all day. There, however, is an entire absence of foreign dealing, owing to the difficulty of obtaining tonnage, and, moreover, all the best class of Admiralty steam coal had been exclusively reserved by our own Navy. In fact, of such vital importance has it become that there should be no risk of shortage, that it was reported on ’Change on Wednesday that a proclamation had been issued prohibiting the export of steam coal to any foreign Power, and allowing only shipments to the colonies and Egypt. The miners remained idle lintil Thursday morning’, notwithstanding that owners had announced that the pits would be ready for work on the Tuesday. With regard to prices, colliery' salesmen have entirely withdrawn quotations for all descriptions of fuel, and, until more settled conditions prevail, ordinary industrial trading is at a standstill. Ship- ments last week were above the average and from Cardiff amounted to 399,365 tons, compared with 388,205 tons in the corresponding week of last year, or an increase of 11,160 tons. From Newport there was an increase of 18,611 tons, but from Swaiisea and Port Talbot decreases were recorded of 13,992 tons and 35,859 tons respectively. The following table shows the shipments of coal during the first half of the current year to the principal foreign countries of the world and British Possessions, together with the increase or decrease respectively, compared with the same period of 1913 :— Six months, ending June 1914. Tons. ‘ Increase. Tons. Decrease. Tons. Russia 207,337 ... 13,959 ... — Sweden 90,192 ... . 36,371 Norway 77,094 ... 28,173 Denmark 20,517 ... 4,266 ... — Germany 135,982 ... — , 3,669 Netherlands 43,790 ... — . 17,272 Java 6,251 ... — . 8,809 Other Dutch posses- sions in Indian Seas 16,320 ... . 3,872 .. — Belgium 188,907 ... — . 85,116 France 3,725,136 ... . 117,464 .. — Algeria 322,609 ... — . 70,412 French Somaliland... 33,235 ... — 50 Madagascar 9,863 ... 4,135 — Reunion (Bourbon) 5,498 ... 688 .. . — Portugal 398,009 ... — . 26,988 Azores 12,530 ... 138 .. — Madeira 42,717 ... — . 31,252 Spain 659,653 ... 4,189 .. . — Canary Islands 288,301 ... — . 92,848 Italy 2,622,697 ... . — 1,532 Austria-Hungary ... 108,157 ... . — . 85,787 Greece 197,929 ... 43,856 .. • — Bulgaria 51,168 ... — — Roumania 128,445 ... 71,290 .. — Turkey — European 96,269 ... 70,151 .. — „ Asiatic ... 94,219 ... , 66,467 .. . — Egypt 1,015,302 ... 74,262 .. — Tripoli 5,120 ... 3,288 .. — Tunis 84,431 ... 732 .. . — China 4,935 ... — . 7,566 Mexico 952 ... — . 13,646 Peru 12,667 ... , 3,970 .. — Chile 179,653 ... — . 130,681 Brazil 608,371 ... — . 275,602 Uruguay 341,872 ... ’ 33,932 .. . — Argentine Republic 1,628,666 .. . 59,117 .. . — Channel Islands 34,005 ... . 7,556 . — Gibraltar 119,365 ... — 569 Malta and Gozo 191,831 ... — . 122,242 Sierra Leone 22,985 ... — 2,204 Protectorate of Nigeria 35,685 .. . 7,286 .. . — Cape of Good Hope 22,846 ... . 9,259 .. . — Anglo - Egyptian Sudan 26,283 ... — . — Mauritius and De- pendencies 12,454 .. . — . 9,174 Aden and Dependen- cies 85,569 .. . 12,734 .. . — British India 84,115 .. . 17,366 .. . — Straits Settlements and Dependencies including Labuan 16,407 .. . 7,873 .. , — Ceylon and Depen- dencies 162,682 .. . 41,347 .. . — Wei-hai-Wei — — . — Hong?Kong 10,366 .. — . 17,544 Canada — — — Bermuda 10,530 .. . 8,083 .. . — British West India Islands 10,686 .. . 9,066 .. . — Falkland Islands ... 4,712 .. — . 1,402 West Africa (French) 50,202 .. . — . 38,752 „ (Portuguese) 61,041 .. . — . 75,964 East Africa (Italian) 9,360 .. . 4,059 .. . — Chartering, except on Admiralty account, is on a limited scale, the amount of tonnage taken up only amounting to 167,700 tons, or a decrease of 124,550 tons compared with the preceding six days. Shipments of patent fuel were also heavy, and amounted to 43,429 tons, of which the Crown Company despatched 20,959 tons, other local makers 2,050 tons, and Swansea 20,420 tons. The only contract reported during the week has been a small order for 20,000 tons of steam coal on Swedish Navy account at about 22s. f.o.b. There is a shortage of mining timber owing to the sus- pension of shipping, and French pitwood, which a week ago could be obtained at 20s. 6d., is now quoted at 25s. per ton, and at a meeting of importers held on Wednesday after- noon a resolution was passed asking consumers not to take more than normal quantities, in order that the effects of the shortage should not be accentuated. It was also decided to make representations to the French Government with the view of granting facilities for supplies. IRON. The outbreak of hostilities in so many European countries has entirely destroyed the prospects of the tin-plate trade. Better times were being anticipated, and the week’s holiday which had been agreed upon may now be prolonged indefinitely. Even were the Continental markets open, there is no tonnage available. It was believed that the holidays would have reduced stocks to below normal proportions, and that when a resumption was made prices would be on a satisfactory basis. Now that the market is in a state of despondency, and even should some of the works resume operations in a fortnight’s time, the output will practically all go into stock until the political atmosphere has been cleared. There was no Metal Exchange this week, or at least there was no business transacted, although a few members presented themselves. As in the case of the coal market, quotations are purely nominal and no fresh business is anticipated for some time to come. All departments are neglected. Swansea. COAL. The returns of the trade of the port last week were very good. The coal and patent fuel trades showed considerable activity. Heavy shipments of coal and patent fuel for Italy were a feature of the transactions of the week. The total shipments together were 115,246 tons. There is now an entire absence of business on ’Change. IRON. During the past week all departments were working full time at the blast furnaces,* and a heavy production of pig iron was shown. Quietness, however, prevailed at all the steel works, as several of the furnaces were out. The tin- plate trade was fairly good, but work was suspended on Friday for the annual stop-week. The sheet mills worked well until Friday. The Mannesmann Tube Works at Landore was quite brisk again, and all the usual hands were employed. The shipments of tin-plates last week were 82,579 boxes, receipts from works 126,501 boxes, and stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 226,243 boxes. Llanelly. COAL. Never has the coal market of the district been in a similar position to what it now is. Colliers were supposed to resume work on Thursday, but very few turned up, owing to the great unrest, and the uncertainty of the position. Shipping is practically stationary, and as the manufacturing works of the district have not re-started work, owing to holidays, the demand for all coals is practically nil. Orders from inland may possibly be fairly numerous shortly, but as stocks are fairly heavy for all kinds, there will be no difficulty in having requirements attended to. How long pits will be kept going, it is difficult to say; everything depends on the future. Prices this week approximately are:— Prices f.o.b. Anthracite:— Best malting large .. Secondary do. ....... Big Vein large....... Red Vein do. .*...... Machine-made cobbles... German nuts.......... French do............ Paris do.............:. Machine-made beans ... Do. peas........ Culm ................ Duff ................ Other sorts:— Large steam coal..... Through-and-through... Small ............... Bituminous small coal... Current prices. 21/ -21/6 18/ -19/ 16/ -17/ 12/9-13/6 21/ -22/ 21/6-23/ 21/ -23/6 21/ -23/ 16/ -18/ 12/6-13/6 5/9- 6/3 3/6— 5/3 16/ -17/ 10/9-11/3 8/6- 9/6 10/6-11/ L’st week’s prices. 21/ -23/ 17/ -19/6 16/ -17/6 12/3-13/3 19/ -21/ 21/ -23/ 21/ -23/ 21/ -23/ 17/ -20/ 12/6-13/6 6/ - 6/3 3/9- 5/6 Last year’s prices. 22/ -22/6 19/ -20/ 17/ -18/ 12/6-13/6 19/6-20/ 20/ -22/ 22/ -24/ 22/ -24/ 19/ -22/ 12/ -13/ 6/6- 7/ 5/ - 6/ 16/ -17/ 10/6-11/3 8/6 - 9/6 11/ -11/6 16/ -17/ 11/6-12/ 9/ -10/ 10/ -11/ INDIAN AND COLONIAL NOTES. India. Two new companies have recently been formed in Calcutta to carry on coal mining operations in India—the Albion Coal Company, capital 25,000 rupees; and the New Sinidehi Coal Company, capital 225,000 rupees. A very interesting statement, which shows the difficulty of diverting the Bengali from his fondness for clerical work, has just been made by Mr. Heaton, the principal of the Civil Engineering College at Sibpur. Experience proved, he said, that Bengali students avoided the courses in mining. They preferred the prospect of a Government post on small pay, though employment was easily obtained for all who passed through the mining classes. In fact the coal indus- try would absorb 10 times the number of students that the college could turn out yearly. Africa. During May 928,953 tons of coal were produced in the Union of South Africa, and 773,457 tons sold, the value thereof being £204,265. The output of the various pro- vinces was as follows :—Transvaal, 457,091 tons (4s. 5 3d. per ton); Cape, 4,581 tons (11s. 5*94d.); Orange Free State, 61,139 tons (5s. 6’37d.); Natal, 250,646 tons (6s. 7'67d.). It is reported that an important discovery of coal has been made in the Prince Albert district of the Cape Province. The area of the field over which it is presumed the. coal bed spreads is approximately 120,000 acres. Samples of the coal have been shown, and are reported to be equal to the finest bunkering coal-in South Africa. Transvaal Coal Trade.—Onr Johannesburg correspondent writes : Although the volume of business transacted at the collieries ’in the Transvaal continues to expand, it cannot be said that the expansion is keeping pace with the growing output of coal. It is, of course, possible that the more general use of electrical energy at the gold mines in place of steam may be to some extent responsible for the want of demand for coal, for although the Victoria Falls Power Company Limited use coal for the generation of electricity, it is duff and pea-nuts principally they consume at the power stations, which formerly went to the waste heaps. Lately the production of duff and pea-nuts has not been adequate to meet this demand, and the Victoria Falls Power Company have been looking round for supplies from new sources. It may be, of course, an advantage to the Transvaal collieries to be able to dispose of their dust and pea-nuts, instead of being put to the waste heap, but naturally it reduces the demand for round coal, which before the introduction of electrical power was used for steam coal at the gold mines. To-day, several of the largest collieries are only working four and five days per week, owing to the inadequacy in the demand for round coal, which in the Transvaal is something of an innovation. The anticipation that the lessened consumption of coal at the gold mines would be to some extent relieved by an increased demand from Lourengo Marques, the natural coal shipping port of the Transvaal coalfields, has to some extent been justified. The tonnage despatched to Lourengo Marques during 1913 was 612,261 tons, as against 366,058 tons in 1912, but this increased tonnage is not sufficient to compensate for the loss of the gold mine market and to keep up with the constantly increasing output of coal in the Transvaal. It was anticipated at one time that in order to cope with the probable export of coal to India from Delagoa Bay, the Middelburg collieries would have to materially increase their outputs. As a matter of fact several of the collieries near Witbank have on this account increased their output, only to find that the demand from India does not materialise. New collieries have also been opened in the neighbourhood of Middelburg, east of Witbank coal field, hoping to do a good business with Delagoa Bay, but not only has the demand been much less than anticipated, but the quality of the coal has not come up to expectation. The new colliery at Breyten, in the Ermelo district, has also sent increasing quantities to Lourengo Marques, but the demand has been spasmodic and prices low. For the last twelve months attempts have been made to established a colliery on the Ermelo Town Lands, with the object of shipping coal at Lourengo Marques, but for want of adequate capital and proper handling, the scheme has proved a failure. Much has been heard lately about the preference shown to the Transvaal collieries over those in Natal by the recent reduc- tion of railway rates, but Mr. Hoy, the general manager of the South African Railways, maintains that it is not undue preference, and despite the low rate charged per ton per mile for haulage from Germiston to the Cape, the rate is a payable one for the railway, as the trucks are hauled towards the Cape laden with coal, when otherwise they would be empty and not bringing in any revenue. Since the general reduction of railway rates for the conveying of coal throughout the Union of South Africa, the Transvaal collieries have benefited, but the increased demand has not been sufficient to meet the lessened consumption at the gold mines and the growing output of the collieries. Australia. The Coal Strike at Newcastle.—Our Sydney correspon- dent says :—On June 2 the ultimatum of the colliery pro- prietors was put into force, and nine afternoon shift collieries were closed down, because no assurance could be obtained from the men who had gone on strike that they would return and work the second shift. The struggle is likely to be a bitter one. Even the State Labour Govern- ment is indignant, or professes to be so, with the men for ceasing work and ignoring the recent award of the wages board on the afternoon shift question, not even waiting for the Royal Commission specially appointed, which was ready to commence a full enquiry into the matter now in dispute. Mr. A. C. Willis, miners’ general secretary, when asked if there wras any likelihood of the Southern miners stopping in support of the Northern miners, stated that they were not likely to take such insane action. The Northern men were only asking for the same conditions regarding the afternoon shift as the Southern miners were supposed to enjoy under the afternoon shift clause of the new agreement. In regard to the result of the deputation to the Minister, Mr. Willis said that in connection with the eight hour bank to bank question, the Minister for Mines had informed the deputation that the Bill would be introduced as early as possible. However, Mr. Willis said that the ballot of the whole of the miners of New South Wales will be taken at an early date to ascertain whether miners are prepared to wait for legislation to give them eight hours, or whether they will take steps to refuse to work more than that. An illustration of the damaging effect that the last coal strike in Newcastle (1909-10) had on the coal trade is shown in the following figures, which represent the number of tons of coal shipped in the various years :—1908, 4.281,324 tons; 1909, 4,503,239; 1910, 3,924,730; 1911, 4,061,780; 1912, 5,030,308; 1913, 5,236,621. By this it will be seen that the trade which was lost through the strike was not recovered until more than two years had passed. Canada. Our Toronto correspondent says :—Coal mines at Hosmer, B.C., owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway, have been permanently shut down, and the machinery is being dismantled. The enterprise has proved unremunera- tive from the outset, and the large sums expended in development have failed to reveal coal in paying quantities. Twelve hundred miners have been thrown out of employ- ment. and the town of Hosmer, which is entirely dependent upon the mining industry, will be abandoned. The town of Moviesey in the same district was deserted some time since, owing to the same cause, the mines proving unprofitable after several million dollars had been spent on them. Giving evidence before the Smoke Abatement Committee last week. Prof. Cobb, of Leeds, said as the result of experiments he had made while with the Farnley Iron Com- pany. they had been able to adapt the kilns used in making glazed bricks and sanitary ware to the use of Mond producer gas, and had thus eliminated smoke altogether. He believed the example of the company had not been followed to any extent. It has been both technically and commercially a success. Prof. Cobb added that he saw no reason why gas firing should not be used for china and pottery, but it would not be applicable to small works.