August 14, 1914. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 368 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. quite possible the situation may get worse, but it is quite likely that if it does, short time will be worked all round at the pits and the supply will be lessened proportionately to the demand. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium................ 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 L’st week’s ‘prices. prices. 17/ 17/ 16/6-16/9 16/6-16/9 15/3 15/3 14/6-15/ 14/6-15/ 13/ 13/ 13/3-13/9 13/3-13/9 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/ 12/6-13/6 12/3-13/3 9/9 9/9 9/ 9/ 8/ - 8/6 8/ - 8/6 Last year’s prices. 16/3 16/6-17/ 14/6 15/ -15/6 12/3 13/9-14/6 12/6-13/ 13/6-14/3 10/3 9/6 . 9/ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was only a moderate attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on 'Tuesday. Little business was stirring, except perhaps in house coal, in which there is a little scare amongst householders which has improved the demand. Furnace coal is in moderate demand, and although fear has been expressed of works having to stop, this fortunately has not happened yet. Slack, owing to stoppages of mills and short time generally, is not in very good call at present, but the supply is not so heavy, in consequence of the pits not working full time. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/ -15/ 14/ 14/ -14/6 Wallsend & London best 13/6-14/6 13/ -13/9 13/6-14/ Silkstone best 13/6-14/6 13/ -13/9 13/6-14/6 Do. house 12/6-13/ 12/ -12/6 12/ -12/6 House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull:— 11/9—12/3 11/ -11/6 11/6-12/ Haigh Moor best 17/ -18/ 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 Silkstone best 16/ —17/ 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 Do. house 14/3-15/ 13/9-14/6 14/6-15/6 Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 13/6-14/6 13/ -14/6 14/ -14/9 Screened gas coal 11/ -12/ 11/ -11/6 12/3-12/9 Gas nuts 10/ -11/ 10/ -10/6 11/ -12/ Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit : 9/6-10/6 9/6-10/ 10/6-11/ Washed nuts ________ Large double-screened_______ 11/ -12/ 11/ -11/6 11/6-12/ engine nuts 9/6-10/9 9/6-10/6 10/9-11/3 Small nuts Bough unscreened 9/ -10/ 9/ - 9/9 10/ -10/6 engine coal 9/6-10/6 9/6- 9/9 10/ -10/6 Best rough slacks 7/ - 8 6 7/ - 8/3 8/ - 8/9 Small do. 6/ - 7/ 6/ - 6/9 7/6- 8/ Coking smalls Coke.-— Price at ovens: 6/ -7/ 6/ -7/ 7/3- 7/9 Furnace coke 10/6-11/6 10/ -10/6 13/ is accountable for a considerable falling off in the demand for slack for boiler firing. There is a better enquiry for coke for blastfurnaces, and prices have a hardening tendency. IRON. There is a distinct improvement in the tone of the market since the outbreak of war. The demand for pig iron is stronger, and some good enquiries are coming to hand for all kinds of finished iron, prices of which have advanced 20s. per ton during the last few days. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 17/3-18/ 17/3-18/ 16/6-17/ Medium 16/ -16/9 16/ -16/9 15/3-16/ Common 13/3-14/ 13/3-14/ 12/6-13/ Furnace coal 12/6 12/6 12/6 Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) 1, 14/ / x- 14/ 14/ Best slack 9/6-10/ 9/6-10/ 10/ -10/6 Common slack 8/6- 9/ 8/6- 9/ 9/ - 9/6 B&rnsley. COAL. There is practically little alteration in the position of affairs as reported a week ago. The effect of war on the export trade is again of a serious character, although most of the collieries which are largely dependent on the export trade worked three or four days this week, an experience which was hardly anticipated at the outset of the crisis. The demand by the railway companies has been fairly well sustained, and possibly a considerable amount of the tonnage is being put into stock to provide against the possible entire stoppage of any of the pits. Generally, however, there was little activity shown by buyers in regard to large steams, and producers are also holding off owing to the difficulty of offering quotations in the present unsettled state of affairs. Other collieries, not so largely ________ ________ Nottingham. COAL. The outbreak of war has helped to unsettle the position of the coal trade in Nottinghamshire, but at the time of writing the public mind is less agitated than a week ago, and all round a calmer and steadier tendency is being mani- fested. With regard to the domestic fuel section, although there has been no inclination to inflate prices, local merchants have had quite a rush of orders, but their efforts have been in the direction to avoid a panic by assuring their customers that there will be no scarcity in the supply, despite the fact that hostilities may be prolonged. The demand for best house coal has been particularly brisk, and at the same time nearly all other qualities have been in active request. Coming to the steam coal section, the stoppage of exports from the east coast ports has caused many of the hard coal pits to go on short time, and business in this section is on a comparatively small scale, while it is anticipated that the home demand for industrials will decline following a curtailment of work in manufacturing centres. Gas coal is going out of hand fairly well, a good tonnage leaving the district on contract account. There is a weaker tone in the slack market, and prices show a disposition to decline. Prices at pithead. IRON. Pig iron is up 5s. per ton from the bottom, and foundry iron is quoted at 60s. per ton and upwards; this price is rather choking off the foundries, who will not get any increased price for the castings. The effect of the present crisis, of course, is that the importation of all foreign material has ceased, and the men who have orders to carry out and are relying on this foreign material have got to come to the makers at home for it; this is at a price at, roughly speaking, <£1 per ton up, but prices were slaughtered to such an extent that even at this material advance makers have not begun to see a profit on it, and it is expected that prices will go up higher if works are able to be kept going. A. lot of engineering works have closed down ; otherwise, the trade of the district remains just as it was. engaged in the production of steam coal, have worked fairly well under the circumstances, although it appears likely that the scarcity of business will be more keenly felt in the manufacturing districts, and the demand for fuel on that account will hardly be so strong. Washed steam nuts are in fair request, and the renewal of gas coal contracts continues to be made at about the same reduction as formerly from 9d. to Is. per ton. The enquiry for house coal is of a very variable description, but for some parts of the country the demand is stronger for the best class of coal. In regard to coke there is very little change, and the demand is easily met. Generally speaking prices are fairly well maintained, but to a great extent quotations are only nominal in character, and hardly afford a reliable comparison. Hull. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals.....__ Secondary do............. Best hard coals.......... Secondary do............. Slacks (best hards) ..... Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............. Current prices. 13/ -13/6 n/ -12/ 10/ -n • 10/3-10/9 9/6-10/ 6/6- 7/ 5/6- 6/ 5/6- 6/ L’stweefs prices. 13/ -13/6 n/ -12/ 10/ -11/ 10/6-11/ 9/6-10/3 6/6- 7/3 5/6- 6/ 5/6- 6/ Last year’s prices. 12/6-13/ n/ -12/ io -n 11/6-12/6 10/6-11/ 8/3- 8/9 7/3—7/9 7/3- 8/ _______________ COAL. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The market on Tuesday was pretty well attended under the circumstances, but business was limited to small parcels of house coal and gas coal for inland consumption. Local merchants were well represented, and there was also a fair muster of shippers from Hull and Grimsby. It was reported that the pits in West Yorkshire had averaged about four days’ work, but the output will be scarcely more than equal to three days. There is a great scarcity of wagons, so many being held up with shipping coal. It was said on the market that there will be nearly 50,000 tons of coal under load at Hull alone, while Goole, Grimsby, and Immingham are also very heavily stocked. Shipments have practically ceased, except with regard to a little coastwise trade. In this department, however, business is very difficult to negotiate as owners of boats are not willing to pay the high rates of insurance. One of the greatest difficulties from the point of view of the colliery owner is the growing scarcity of pit props and mining timber, and it is said that on the average, supplies are only sufficient for the needs of the collieries for about a month ahead. Imports of this class of material have been lately restricted almost entirely to Russia, and these cannot be resumed until the trade routes are secured. It is also said that most of the exporters have refused to accept, liability for supplies sent to the ports which they have not been able to ship, pleading the out- break of the war as their justification. Of course, there is a good deal of uneasiness in a financial sense, as it is known that a number of firms on this side are heavily involved in their commitments on the Continent, particularly in Germany. So far, very few indeed connected with the coal trade have availed themselves of the relief offered by the moratorium, and it is hoped and expected that the July accounts as they become due for payment will be met in the ordinary way. The only brisk demand is in connection with house coal. London merchants and also local merchants have sent a large number of orders to the collieries’ which are being dealt with as promptly as possible under the circumstances. Supplies of best coal are very scarce, and it is reported that a well known colliery has refused 15s. at the pit from London merchants this week. The supply of manufacturing fuel is limited, but the consumption is gradually lessening, as the majority of the works in the industrial districts are either working short time or have stopped altogether. There is an advance in the price of washed furnace coke of about Is. per ton, but this is less on account of the increase in the demand than the reduction in the output. The question of the renewal of gas contracts has for the time being been deferred, as both buyers and sellers prefer not to do business under present conditions. The summary of pit prices which follow is only an estimate of current values, as prices vary, and every transaction is dealt with on its merits. For example, the prices named for house coal for the coastwise trade are mainly nominal, as very few boats indeed have been loaded. The Humber coal trade continues in a state of suspension, though the prospects for the resumption of exports are much brighter than they were a week ago. The per- mission to export coal to Norway granted by the Board of Trade has given rise to the hope that it will soon be con- sidered safe to send to other neutral countries in Europe which, as a rule, are big customers. The coal supply from Germany having been cut off, there are plenty of buyers as soon as ways and means can be found for exporting English coal. Large quantities have yet to go to Russia, Sweden, Holland, Denmark, and other countries under contract, and exporters are now anxiously waiting for news that the British fleet are masters of the situation in the North Sea, and that there is nothing to fear from the German menace. At present it is impossible to send English ships out, but several neutral foreign-owned steamers have left th e Humber during the week for Holland and Sweden. The chief difficulty has been the arranging of insurance to cover war risks, and one hears of as low as 3 per cent, having been paid to cover a cargo of coal in a Swedish vessel from Immingham to a Swedish port. About 2 per cent, is being paid for cargo London and coastwise, whither shipments of coal on a moderate scale have continued during the past week. The shipments are, however, in the bulk only light. In the present state of things no prices can be quoted. Chesterfield. COAL. There is an active demand for house coal, orders for which are coming to hand freely. Prices are firm, but colliery owners are not disposed to advance these, from a feeling of patriotism. Many collieries are becoming anxious with regard to supplies of timber, as the stocks of props in the country, already small, are rapidly diminishing. There is a fair demand for fuel for manufacturing purposes generally, while coal for the large steel and armament works is particularly brisk. These establishments are working at high pressure on Government requirements. The export trade is at a standstill, and a large quantity of steam coal is locked up in wagons at the Humber ports, and there it must remain, it is feared, for some time. Some collieries, which are not wholly dependent upon the export trade, are able to work about four days per week ; others, however, who rely chiefly upon foreign requirements, are not able to work more than a couple of days per week. The condition of the cotton industry is such as to cause the stoppage of a good many of the Lancashire mills, and this __________________ Leicestershire. COAL. A very surprising change has come over the state of business at the collieries in this district, and the great pressure for deliveries clears off the whole of the output. Orders and particulars under yearly contracts come pouring in with requests for very speedy delivery, but the managers are acting with very great discretion, with the view of spreading the orders coming to hand over a longer period. In order to meet the situation the working has been extended to the full weekly period of five and three-quarter days, but even this extended output is unable to satisfy the demand. The result is that where people will persist in unnecessarily forcing orders on the collieries slightly higher prices are demanded. But these higher prices are enforced solely with the view of checking and steadying the rush for coal of all kinds. In view of the situation and the grave period which lies ahead, colliery managers are determined to do their level best to equalise the output, so as to provide a fair amount of work over a long period. Although from 50 to 70 per cent, of the output is at rates fixed a short time ago for the year, prices for the remainder tend to harden, and the best household coals are about Is. per ton dearer than a month ago. Engine fuel, however, is unaltered. Manufacturing fuel is in very good demand, and the whole of the increased output is taken up freely. This fuel is wanted to bring up stocks in the hands of users to a fairly full level, so as to ensure supplies to keep machinery running. Steams also sell more freely to keep up reserves of supplies. Cobbles and nuts for London bakers are now selling very freely indeed, and again this is largely due to the desire to extend the stocks of reserves as a measure of precaution. It is hoped that the demand will soon be steadied, as there will be ample supplies for all purposes if only normal quantities are taken to meet genuine requirements. The following are the prices now generally current at the collieries in this district:— Per ton at pit. s. d. s. d. Best household coal ................... 13 6 to 14 6 Second, hand picked................... 12 6 to 13 6 Deep screened cobbles ................. 12 3 to 13 3 Deep large nuts ....................... 11 6 to 12 0 Bakers’ nuts........................... 11 6 to 12 6 Small nuts ........................... 10 6 to 11 3 Deep breeze........................... 9 6 to 10 0 Peas ................................. 7 9 to 8 3 Small dust ........................... 2 0 to 2 3 Deep cobbles and nuts for London bakers 9 6 to 10 6 Steams, best hand picked .............. 9 0 to 9 6 Steams, seconds ....................... 8 3 to 8 9 Cobbles for kitcheners ................ 9 3 to 9 6 ____________________________________________________________ Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 12/6 12/ 14/6 Secondary do 11/6 1 11/ 12/6 Cobbles 10/6 10/6 12/ Nuts 9 6 9/6 11/ Slack 7/6 7/6 9/ _________________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Hadnesford. COAL. There is a good deal of uncertainty as to business in connection with the coal trade of the Cannock Chase district At present orders are plentiful, but empty trucks being scarce the collieries have not been able to run full time. Most of the coal standing in stock on the colliery sidings before the holidays has been cleared away. There has been a pressing demand for house coal, and a fair enquiry for fuel for manufacturing purposes. A fairly brisk business is being done at the landsale depots.