530 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN, September 4, 1914. GERMANY’S MARKETS. IL — COAL (continued'). The preceding article in this series was devoted more especially to a general survey of the German coal indus- try from the productive point of view. It is now necessary to consider the export trade in greater detail. On p. 478 a table was given showing Germany’s exports of coal to various foreign countries in the period 1885- 1913. The following table shows the exports of various classes of fuel from Germany in 1913 :— Coal Lignite Coal. Lignite. Coke bri- bri- To quettes. quetes. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Belgium ....... 5,728,406... — ... 936,515... 442,843 .103,720 Denmark........ 219,711... — ... 52,337... 95,600... 55,240 France......... 3,242,175... — ...2 354,918. 319,908... 64,075 Grt. Britain 11,061... — ... 5,418 .. — — Italy ........... 892,463... — ... 183,456... 304,707... — Netherlands. 7,217,606 ..10,133... 285,223... 140,871...282,225 Norway ........... 19,170... — ... 44,492... — ... — Austria- Hungary ... 12,152,500...49,527...1,051,670... — ...116,756 European Russia ..... 2,103,210... — ... 546,191... — ... — Sweden......... 177,656... — ... 208,107... ■ — .... — German Sti;- west Africa — ... — ... — ... 6,569... — Switzerland.. 1,638,745... — ... 363,596... 652,093...210,587 UnitedStates — ... — ... 18,549... — ... — Spain ........... 279,015... — ... 37,276... — ... — Mexico......... — ... — ... 68,599... — ... — Egypt ............ 90,003... — .. — ... — ... — Total 1913 (all countries).. 34,573,514...60,345...6,411,418...2,302,607...861,135 Increase com- pared with 1912 ...... 3,428,457... 594... 561,068... 183,066...234,140 Exports of coal to Austria-Hungary increased by 1,137,185 tons, those to Belgium by 359,934 tons, those to Russia by 592,709 tons, and those to the Netherlands by 673,964 tons. Other increases were : France (184,673 tons), Italy (167,981 tons), Switzerland (129,955 tons), and Spain (118,988 tons). Notable increases in coke exports took place to Belgium (181,143 tons), Russia (113,826 tons), Austria-Hungary (85,872 tons), and France (79,894 tons). In considering the development of the German export trade in coal, two understanding factors appear. One of these we can term the economic factor, which may be said to comprise the intelligent development of traffic facilities by rail and water, with the assistance of the Government, and the careful adjustment of resources to market requirements; the other factor has been the skilful preparation of the coals, the appreciation of customers’ wishes, and the commercial organisation of sales and prices. In the first place the German export trade has been fostered notably by means of “ exceptional ” railway rates, known as “ Ausnahme ” tariffs. The “ Aus- nahme ” tariffs, under which about two-thirds of the goods traffic over the Prussian State Railways is dealt with, vary considerably, both as regards the kilometric rate and the terminal charges. The most comprehensive “ Ausnahme ” tariff, i.e., the raw material tariff, is based on a kilometric rate of 2-2 pf. per ton up to a dis- tance of 350 metres, and 1-4 pf. per ton beyond, plus terminal charges of 0-7 m. per ton. The objective of “ Ausnahme ” tariffs is declared to be : (a) The advancement of the internal industrial and agricultural production by the granting of facilities for the supply of raw materials; (5) to assist the native pro- ducts to obtain markets in competition with foreign rivals by granting facilities for export; (c) to support the trade of German commercial centres, and more especially the sea ports against foreign competition; and (d) to support the inland means of communication, and principally the railways, against foreign com- petition. It should be clearly understood that these tariffs are not primarily devised in the interests of certain large industrial groups, but are founded ostensibly on sound political and economic considerations. Thus excep- tional rates have been granted to facilitate the transport of foreign materials from the Baltic ports to Southern Germany, the object being not only to provide the popu- lation of these regions with cheap commodities, but also to counteract the competition of Belgian, Dutch, and French harbours. At the time of the Ruhr strike a few years ago, considerable reductions were made in the railway freight charges on English coal imported at Stettin, Lubeck, and other ports in Northern Germany. The “ Ausnahme ” tariffs do not as a rule attempt to compete with the waterways, except in so far as it is necessary to maintain the traffic of the railways. In her magnificent network of waterways Germany has undoubtedly possessed a valuable asset, and any sojourner at Rotterdam or Antwerp must have noted the huge Rhine barges loaded with coal, which incessantly ply to and from those ports. The following list is condensed from Mr. Lindley’s elaborate report on German waterways prepared for the Canals Commission :— Waterways in Prussia. Free and regulated rivers :— Length in miles. Rhine ... ... ... ... ... 214 Weser ... ...... ... ... 210 Elbe ............................... 252 Oder ............................... 337 Warthe ............................. 215 Vistula and Nogat .................. 176 Pregel .............................. 78 Memel................................ 69 Various less important navigable rivers ... ... ....... 625 Total.................2,176 Artificial Waterways. Canalised rivers and canals :— Length in miles. Saar ... 19*5 Main (Rhine to Frankfort) ... ... 23*5 Dortmund-Ems Canal ... 155’0 Fulda ... 17*0 Saale ... 89*5 Unstrut ... 40*5 Mark waterways ... 715*0 Oder (canalised) ; ... 48*5 Diversion Canal at Breslau 4*7 Bromberg Canal and Lower Netze 25*5 Brahe 7*5 Upper Netze ... 65*0 Pregel-Memel ... 42*0 Smaller and secondary canals and waterways ... 214*0 Total 1,576’0 The dues on some of these canals do not exceed a-tenth of a penny per ton mile; on the rivers, traffic is free. At the time Mr. Lindley’s report was published, there were four coal shoots, 53 coal tips, and 54 elevators at the various Rhine ports; 59 coal shoots and three elevators on the Saar and Main; four coal tips and four elevators on the Ems, Dortmund-Ems Canal, and branches, and five coal tips on the Weser. On a general basis the rates by water are from 52 to 74 per cent, of those by rail. At Frankfort the influence of the canalisation of the Main has been to reduce the cost of transport of coal from the Ruhr district by about 2s. per ton. Quite recently improvements on a generous scale have been carried out at the inland harbour of Frankfort. One of the chief outlets from the Rhenish-West- phalian coalfield is the Dortmund-Ems Canal. In 1909, 2,591,136 tons of merchandise were transported over this waterway, but by 1913 the total had risen to 4,268,707 tons. Of this total, 2,109,270 tons were conveyed by the Westfaliche Transport A.G., a subsidiary of the Syndicate. In 1913, 19,176,743 tons of coal were delivered at the inland ports of Duisburg, Duisburg-Hochfeld, and Ruhrort, or no less than 3,834,754 tons more than in 1912. The consignments by water from these ports, including shipments from collieries situated on the Rhine, amounted to 21,456,158 tons, an increase of 3,268,046 tons as compared with 1912. The following Table A shows the movements of fuel in some of the principal Rhine ports during the last nine years (in 1,000 tons) :— Table A. Year. Stras- bourg and Kehl Lauter- burg. Rheinau. Mann- heim. Ludwigs- hafen. Worms. Gustav s- burg. Mayence, including Kastel and Amone- burg. Duisburg- Ruhrort. Total, all ports. 1900 185 194 412 2,347 681 126 830 169 8,285 13,737 1905 524 374 1,567 1,619 459 130 674 152 9,839 16,703 1906 374 217 1,361 1,866 543 118 643 161 9,052 15,930 1907 402 242 1,710 2,447 783 150 920 194 9,087 17,777 1908 670 309 1,749 2,419 811 139 1,060 223 10,730 21,278 1909 692 4*3 1,564 2,267 840 145 936 218 11,954 22 556 1910 795 413 1,537 1,934 725 156 799 223 12,882 23,112 1911 646 322 1,426 1,921 683 121 886 259 13,315 23,781 1912 1,070 314 1,326 2,001 817 134 911 282 15,101 27,066 Table B. Year. Arrivals by rail. Consignments by water. Up stream. Down stream. Ruhrort. Duisburg. Hochfeld. Total. Ruhrort. Duisburg. Hochfeld. Total.t 19oO 4,786 2,711 746 8,243 4,851 2,680 692 8,223 5,922 2,078 1905 8,828 762 9,590 8,842 762 9,604 5,937 3,463 1906 8,580 715 9 296 8.259 724 8,983 5,505 3,297 1907 8,558 503 9,061 8,540 526 9,066 5,950 2,870 1908 10,661 386 11,047 10,318 377 10,725 6,805 3,682 1909 11,622 139 11,762 11,797 145 11,942 6,804 4,885 1910 11,621 268 11,889 12,187 272 12,882 6,205 6,073 1911 12,449 : 396 12,814 12,718 396 13,496 6,363 6,567 1912 14,877 465 15,342 14,640 456 15,521 7,050 7,827 f Including consumption by barges (in 1912, 424,398 tons). Table B above shows the movement of fuel in the Ruhr ports in 1,000 tons (State and mineral ports only). No study of the German export trade in coal would be complete without a consideration of the constitution of the Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate. In 1913 the Syndicated pits produced 101,652,000 tons, or 7,850,000 tons more than in 1912, an increase of 8-4 per cent. The foundation of the Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate dates from 1890, and was preceded by several attempts on a smaller scale to regulate prices and output. The task of the Syndicate consists, according to the statement of the founders, in securing for its members lucrative, if moderate, prices, and a regular sale, whereby the fluctuations of produce and profit were to be removed. The syndicated mine owners undertook to sell their produce of coal, coke, and briquettes, with the exception of those quantities used for their own pur- poses, to the Syndicate, which bound itself to buy such output and to sell it. The Syndicate, however, is empowered to buy coal, coke, and briquettes also from mines outside the Syndicate. Subsequently the obliga- tion on the part of the Syndicate to buy from the partici- pating mines all coke and briquettes produced was transferred to the Westphalian Coke Syndicate at Bochum, and to the Union for sale of briquettes at Dort- mund. The committee of the Syndicate, inter alia, fixes the selling and purchase prices of coal and the conditions of sale, the quantities and descriptions to be delivered, and otherwise secures the fulfilment of con- tracts. The Syndicate was reconstituted in 1905 for 10 years, and, although difficulties have been encountered, it has progressively increased in power. For our present purpose we may consider only the policy of the Syndicate so far as the export trade is concerned. The chief factors in this policy may be briefly stated as follows (1) The division of markets into zones—contested and uncontested—lower prices being generally charged in the former; (2) the fixation of prices for long periods; (3) long-term contracts; (4) the advantage of a large selection of coals to satisfy indivi- dual requirements; (5) the payment of bounties on fuel exported and on materials exported, in the manufacture of which Syndicate fuel has been used; (6) effective control over merchants, dealers, and carriers. Techni- cally speaking, the coal and coke syndicates have now been merged in a larger organisation, the “ Kohlen- handel und Rhederei Gesellschaft Limited.” This has now practically secured complete control not only over the production and sale of fuel, but also over its distri- bution. The activities of the Syndicate have been greatly extended by the formation of the Kohlenkontor, which not only has established branches in France and elsewhere for the distribution of Syndicate coals, but has opened depots in this country for the purchase and sale of British coals, and at foreign coaling stations for. the bunkering of German and foreign merchant vessels. It was even said that, at the time of the last great strike in the Ruhr district, the Kontor purchased large quantities of inferior British coals, which were sold to its customers to prevent them from obtaining for themselves British coals that might prove more serviceable and wean them thereafter from the servitude of the Syndicate. An important factor in the policy thus outlined is the preservation of an uncontested zone in Germany, for such district forms the nucleus of all the Kontor’s commercial enterprise, since the prices there obtained enable it to underbid the competition in the contested districts. The uncontested district may be defined as that part of Germany which is bordered on the north by Holland, East Friesland, and the Hamburg district; in the east partly by the province of Saxony and the Elbe; and in the south by the district supplied by the Bohemian competition, and in the west by Belgium and France. The borders of this zone are elastic, and respond to the state of trade, the ruling conditions in foreign coalfields, etc. The total participations at the end of 1913 amounted to 88,383,200 tons of coal, an increase during the year of 8,878,366 tons, or 11-17 per cent. When the Syndi- cate was founded in 1893 the participation was 33,575,976 tons. The total capacity of the collieries in 1913, however, was 101,652,297 tons, or 7,840,334 tons more than in 1912, an 8-36 per cent, increase, Actually 82,331,619 tons were used, this total including the quantities sold, and those used at coke ovens and other works associated with the collieries. At the end of 1913 the coke participation was 17,737,850 tons, an increase of 1,050,500 tons, or 6-3 per cent., but, owing to the poor demand for coke during the latter part of the year, the disposals amounted to only 13,715,117 tons. The total participation of briquettes was 4,849,960 tons, an increase of 72,000 tons, or 1-51 per cent., and the total disposals 4,361,052 tons. During 1913 the hiittenzechen, or works mines, con- sumed 14,404,033 tons. The position of these adherents has constituted one of the main difficulties of the Syndicate. Their adherence is welcomed on account of their importance, but their claim to have the portion of their output of coal designed for wrorks consumption freed from the restric- tions imposed upon the “ pure ” mines has created jealousy and suspicion. It has been implied that portions of these surplus supplies have been placed upon the open market. In addition to the totals already stated, the works mines purchased from the Syndicate