October 16, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 8^9 12,601,000 tons compared with 14,711,000 tons in the corresponding period of last year. The Cardiff Journal of Commerce publishes a table compiled from official' sources, showing the average declared prict? of coal shipped from the four principal Bristol Channel ports during the month of August. The following particulars have been extracted :— ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Swansea. Cardiff. Newport. Talbot. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Large steam .. 17 6 . ... 16 6 ... . 19 1 .. .. 16 9 Through-and-throug h 12 7 . ... 13 2 ... . 11 11 .. .. 11 0 Small .. 8 5 . ... 9 10 ... 7 9 .. .. 9 0 Large anthracite .... .. 25 8 . 18 10 .. .. 16 7 Household .. 13 0 . 15 3 .. yield of ingots, and registered good outputs of tin-plate bars, 90 per cent, of which were used at local tin-plate works. Trade was quiet in tin-plates, although many of the works were actively engaged. Employment was, generally good at the Morriston group, and the two new mills which were started at the Worcester Works were going splendidly. Sheet mills were still idle. Shipments of tin-plates last week totalled 88,423 boxes, receipts from works were 56,336 boxes, and stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 215,083 boxes. Llanelly. Swansea. 5 . .. 16 4 .. .. 16 4 . .. 15 4 7 .. .. 14 10 .. .. 11 0 .. .. 11 3 8 .. . 11 4 .. . 8 7 .. .. 9 10 0 .. . 29 6 .. . 16 7 .. .. 17 ■7 4 .. .. 13 8 In August 1913 the figures were as follow .*— Cardiff. Newport. Talbot Large steam ........17 Through-and-through 15 Small .............. 9 Large anthracite....21 Household..........16 Chartering last week slightly improved, the tonnage taken up being over 205,000 tons or 10,000 tons more than in the preceding six days. This, of course, is outside the vessels on time charter by the Admiralty. Pitwood rather easier and does not command more than 20s. 20s. 6d. per ton. is to THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—There is really very little change in the market as a whole. Benzols continue firm. The chief feature of the market is the steady appreciation of toluol prices. Naphthas are steady, and solvent is in good request. Creosote unaltered. Carbolic acids are uncertain, and pitch unquotable. Nearest values are :— Benzols____________...............................___.... Do. North..____.......................________ Toluol ............................................................. Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.) __...... Do. crystals (40 per cent.) ........ Solvent naphtha (as in quality and package)... Crude ditto (in bulk) ..................................... Creosote (for ordinary qualities) ............ Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) ........................... Do. (f.a.s. west coast) __............____ Tar (liquids in 1 ton) .........s..._____ [Benzols, toluol, creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acids, usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at maker's works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch- f.o.b. net.] Sulphate of Ammonia.—There is a steadier tone about the market, and in the north prices are certainly firmer. Forward business is as yet restricted because buyers are adhering to their hand-to-mouth policy, while sellers continue to hold very firm ideas as ' ’ ‘ prompt prices are :— London (ordinary makes) ‘.......... Beckton .......................... Liverpool __....................... Hull......................................... Middlesbrough.................................. Scotch ports ......................................... Nitrate of soda (ordinary ex-Liver- pool) per cwt..................... [Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2| per cent, dis- count; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality ; allowance for refraction, nothing for excess.] /mtoi/ . /9| to J10 ‘ to 1/31 ’ 2/2 . /81 . 1/H ' i/3 COAL. There has been a decided improvement in the coal market during the past week, and the prospects are better than they have been for a considerable time. Only quite recently pits were putting in half time, and some collieries made no effort to restart. Now, practically every pit is at full work, and the demand for most kinds is excellent. The improvement is due to a recovery in the Continental trade, and to France more especially there have been heavy shipments. It is not thought the improvement is but temporary, and the colliery people are hoping to have a busy winter. There has been a welcomed change in prices, and several advances have been made for most sorts. All the large qualities have a good sale at former figures. The colder weather has considerably affected the demand for horticultural coals, whilst stove nuts are in big request at. better prices. Beans and peas are both going well, but culm and duff are in poor demand. There is no change in the enquiry for steam and bituminous coals, and the market is exceedingly quiet. Large, only is in good demand.* Prices this week are :— Prices f.o.b. 15/9 to 17/3 : to values. Closing IRON. There has been a slight improvement in the volume business done in the tin-plate trade, but prices are low, and show a tendency to still further weakness. This is owing almost entirely to lack of new business, and competition is keen to obtain new specifications in order to keep the works going. Exports of tin-plates and black plates during September only amounted to 23,973 tons, compared with 41,336 tons in the corresponding month of last year, and it is estimated that out of 574 mills in operation in normal periods there are only 378 mills at work to-day, or a decrease of 28 per cent, compared with the corresponding month of last year. Shipments last week amounted to 88,423 boxes, whilst receipts from works were 56,336 boxes, leaving 215,083 boxes in stock in docks warehouses and vans. Bessemer standard cokes are easy at 12s. 9d., whilst oil sizes do not command more than 13s. 3d. to 18s. 6d. respec- tively. In the galvanised sheet trade there is little sign of improvement, although the price of spelter has now fallen to about <£23 per ton, or nearly 100 per cent, less than it was a month ago. Certain Government orders are being executed, but there is an entire absence of ordinary specifications, and 24-gauge corrugateds are freely offered at £13 10s. During the month of September the exports of galvanised sheets only amounted to 19,573 tons, compared with 63,654 tons in the corresponding month of last year. Work is slack ______________________________ in many districts, and some mills have a difficulty in keeping going. In the heavy steel industry there is also a lack of orders, and the keen competition of American makers is likely to have an adverse influence upon the trade of this district. Welsh steel bars are still quoted at £5 2s. 6d. to £5 5s. for Siemens and Bessemer qualities respectively, and a fair amount of business is being done. Welsh pig iron is rather easier at 72s. f.o.t. The iron ore market is extremely dull, with practically no business doing. Quotations for best rubio are 17s. 6d. to 18s., seconds 15s. 6d. to 16s., and Almeria 17s. per ton. In scrap metal the market is firm, but there is no appreciable alteration in quotations. Swansea. of 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..... Thr ough-and-through... Small ............... Bituminous small coal... Current prices. 21/ -23/ 19/ -21/ 17/ -19/ 13/6-14/ 20/ -22/ 22/ -23/ 22/ -24/ 22/ -24/ 20/6-22/6 13/6-14/6 5/ - 5/6 3/9- 5/6 16/ -18/ 10/ -10/6 8/6- 9/6 11/ -11/6 L’st week’s prices. 21/ -23/ 19/ -21/ 16/ —18/ 13/6-14/ _______ 20/ —22/ 21/ -23/ 21/ -23/ 21/ -23/ 20/ -22/ 13/6-14/6 6/ - 6/3 3/9- 5/6 16/ -18/ 11/ -11/6 8/6- 9/6 11/ -11/6 Last year’s prices. 20/6-22/6 19/ -21/ 18/ -19/ 14/ -15/ 19/6-20/6 23/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 23/ -25/ 18/ -20/ 12/6-13/6 5/9- 6/3 4/6- 6/6 17/ -18/ 11/ -11/6 9/ -10/ 11/ -12/ £10/5 £9/12/6 ' £10/7/6 . ; • <£10/6/3 £10/5 to £10/6/3 £10/12/6 to £10/15 10/ . • ; COAL. Last week, the returns of the port showed considerable improvement, the coal trade was much more active, but on the other hand the patent fuel exports were very small. The shipments of coal and patent fuel were 80,805 tons. A capital attendance assembled on ’Change, and the anthra- cite coal market continued to exhibit a steady tone. Swansea Valley large was very strong, this being especially the case in the Genoa option qualities, and values were again marked up. Red Vein large, however, continued slow. Machine-made nuts and cobbles were in excellent request, whilst peas were a shade easier. There was very little demand for rubbly culm and duff, and for these low prices were asked. In the steam coal market large continued firm, but smalls were difficult to dispose of. Prices f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Anthracite:— Best malting large (hand picked) (net)... Secondary do. Big Vein large (less 2| per cent.) .......... Red Vein large do. ... Machine - made cobbles (net) ............. Paris nuts (net) .... French do. do........ German do. do........ Beans (net) ......... Machine - made large peas (net)........... Do. fine peas (net) Rubbly culm (less 2 £ p.c.) Duff (net) .......... Steam coals:— Best large (less 2|p.c.) Seconds Bunkers Small Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large (less 2| p.c.) ... Through-and-through (less 2 A p.c.) _____ Small (less 2| p.c.) ... Patent fuel do......... do. do. do. Current prices. L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. 21/6-24/6 20/ -22/ 21/6-24/ 17/6-19/6 17/ -18/ 19/6-20/6 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 17/6-18/6 12/6-14/6 12/6-13/6 14/6-16/ 20/ -23/ 19/3-21/3 21/6-23/ — — 23/6-26/6 21/6-24/6 21/ -23/ 23^6-25/6 22/ -23/6 21/ -22/ 23/6-25/6 18/6-19/6 18/6-19/6 16/6-18/6 12/ -13/ 12/ -13/ 12/6-13/6 4/ - 4/6 4/ - 4/6 6/ - 6/3 3/ - 3/6 3/ - 3/6 4/6- 5/3 18/9-21/6 18/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 14/9-15/6 13/6-15/6 14/ -15/ 10/3-11/ 10/3-11/ 11/ -12/ 5/6- 8/6 7/6- 8/6 7/9- 8/6 17/6-18/6 17/ -18/6 17/ -18/ — — 13/6-14/6 10/6-10/9 10/ -10/9 10/6-11/6 16/ -16/6 16/6-17/6 18/ -19/ Wilsons and Clyde Coal Company Limited. — After pro- viding for depreciation and allowing for interim dividends on the preference and ordinary shares, paid in April last, there remains £55,139 from which the directors recommend a further dividend at the rate of 7 per cent, per annum on the preference shares, and 2s. per share on the ordinary shares, both less tax, leaving £35,389 to be carried forward. Last year the total distribution on the ordinary shares was 5s. per share. American Coal Trade.—For the present the export busi- ness at the United States ports is very quiet. At Hampton Roads ports it is stated there is a large supply of New River and Pocahontas, and several shippers are reported as offer- ing small and large amounts at less than $2'85, the official quotation. But even at reduced prices there has been a falling-off in the off-shore trade, and purchases by foreign Powers continue disappointingly small. The Pennsylvania soft coal mines on the average are not being worked more than half time. Alabama operators are still looking for- ward to a big business. Dr. 0. Crovetti, of Genoa, Italy, accompanied by Mr. Walter L. Loeb, of New York, as interpreter, has been in Birmingham, and a thorough inspec- tion of coal mines in the district, including the mines of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company, was made, data on prices, quality of coal, quantity which could be obtained, and means of transportation to the Gulf ports of Mobile Pensacola, and New Orleans being obtained. It is said that cablegrams between New York and Italy are being exchanged in reference to a contract which may inean the sale of many thousand tons of coal. ml the exports during July and the seven with :— The following shows months ended there- January-July. July. Coal:— 1913. 1914. ' 1913. 1914. Anthracite— Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Canada 378,692... . 328,175. .. 2,411,892.. . 2,175,407 Other countries 2,282... 10,822 37,021... 36,257 Total 380,974... 338,997 .. 2,448,913.. . 2,211,664 Value (dols.).. Bituminous— 2,037,683 ..1,803,990. ..12,855,806.. .11,543,636 Can.da 1,576,481... 1,0)5,859.. .. 7,120,245.. . 4,525,830 Panama 42,725... 17,450. .. 321,507.. 168,898 Mexico 18 515... 38,571.. .. 350.961... 190,363 Cuba Other W. Indies 88,088... 77,880.. . 772,366... . 616,574 and Bermuda 33,236... 42,239.. . 377,164... 355,246 * Argentin a 20,899... 15,320.. 48,626... 112,408 *Brazil 50,786 .. 4,612.. . 187,555... 100,530 *Uruguay — — — 45,594 Other countries 145,394... 138/ 56.. .’ 829,2881’ 974,641 Total 1,976,124 .1,339,987 . 10,008,012... 7,090,084 Value (dols.).. 4,833,780...3,151,064.. .25,641,223... .17,584,483 IRON. During the past week the iron and steel trades in the district were fairly good on the whole. The blastfurnaces were busy, and the outputs of past months were fully main- tained. The steel-producing establishments had a splendid * The above figures do not include bunker or fuel coal laden on vessels in the foreign trade, which aggregated during the month and seven months ending July, as follows :— July 1913, 676,257 tons, valued at $2,190,014; 1914, 681.370 tons, valued at $2,243,396. Seven months, July 1913, 4,400,370 tons, valued at $14,3/5,557; 1914, 4.525,876 tons, valued at $14,964,154. In the case of the Chilian Railway contract for 300,000 tons, for three years, many U.S. exporters have fought shy of the cash guarantee clause in the specifications. Trade Notes. It is always as well to keep an eye on any possible source of competition, and the principle of inoculating soils with nitrifying bacteria is feasible, and may prove a serious rival to sulphaite of ammonia. It would be interesting to hear how the field trials with Prof. Bottomley’s bacterial = peat vice artificials are progressing. . Oats and turnips were to be tried on farms near Wick. Do any readers thereabouts know? Indifference is a terrible drag on British industry, bust with the technical knowledge involved the by-products trade should prove to be an exception to the rule. Never- theless this section of the chemical industry seems to be following the footsteps of other industries in the matter of very slowly “ moving ” after the German trade the war has left open to us. It is to be hoped the selling and export section of the Sulphate of Ammonia Manufacturers’ Association is well at work. In any case, on broad lines the following facts deduced; from the returns of British and German trade in coal by- products are useful as primary pointers to this section of the trade. In tar oil and creosote we do but little with France and the Netherlands. Germany sent them half her output (worth about £350,000). Belgium can be left out of con- sideration for the present, but the other two are friendly, or neutral, and their industries fairly normal. For supplying coal tar, Germany practically had the: whole of the Russian, Belgian, and French trade. The present time is favourable for arranging to secure some of the £74,000 per year they did with Russia and France . alone. Fears have been rife as to the effect of the increasing benzol output from coking plants. France is our best7 customer, but she took more than a corresponding amount. from Germany as well. A goodly portion of that £292,000 a year should be ours if the initiative is taken promptly and advisedly. Even then there is the chance to at least double our trade with the Russians and Swiss, after assum- ing a decreased demand of about one-third on the consump- tion in 1912-13. . We can also quadruple our trade in benzol and toluol with the Netherlands and Sweden, even assuming the same falling-off of one-third the present demand. Still, it must be remembered that the value of the trade to be captured in these two countries is only about £7,000. But it is worth having. ... In reckoning Belgium hors de combat industrially, it must be noted that against this very conservative estimate of the trade to be gained, we only lose £300 by her. Applying the same test to tar oils and creosote, we lose £700 by Belgium, and stand to gain £200,000 worth of trade. In coal tar also the loss by Belgian trade is £1,500) and the possible increase £74,000. With pitch, however, the case is different.' We have been sending Belgium £297,000 worth a year, and the whole of the German trade (worth having) only amounts to some £167,000. The problem is to estimate rightly whether Belgium will be an absolute non-buyer of pitch. Also will France require all her usual £470,000 worth next year? If not, we need to hustle after every pennyworth of that £167,000 of German trade, of which unfortunately Ger- many sold our best customer (France) £103,000. There is a great temptation to look sideways on Mr. Edison’s claim that he is now producing better carbolic acid at Silver Lake than either we or Germany used to supply, and in quantities sufficient to meet the shortage of the imported article in U.S.A. It is a fairly well long way back since we first heard of that ideal electric storage bat- tery, and it is not exactly “ fit ” industrially yet. Anyway, : he will have to get a mighty slick move on his works to,: make up for the £58,000 worth Germany cannot send now, even supposing he gets 1 Kingdom. And there’s As regards the trade leaves open to us, there £16,000 with France, present £2,200. With the Swiss, £13,000 against our £300. Japan, £34,000 to add to the £5,800 worth We sent last year. It looks as if the prices of carbolics should shift/ out of the 2s. area before long. Last week we exported 3,760 tons of sulphate of ammonia, about 1,840 tons of pitch, and over 28,000 galls.,; of tar. * . ; , . . the usual £60,000 from the United a doubt. • ■ . . in carbolic acid that Germany now is £34.000 extra against our present’ With Russia, £15.000‘ against our?