1130 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. November 27, 1914. THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, November 26. The London coal trade for the past week has been unusually brisk, and the wintry weather has given the market a very firm tone. Buying has been freely indulged in, and the tonnage coming forward has increased very largely. The serious delays to many of the loaded trucks, especially on the London and South-Western Railway system, has led to a terrible shortage of fuel at some of the stations, and the pressure .is very keen. On Friday last the merchants decided to advance public prices Is. per ton on all qualities except stove coal. The sudden turn to colder weather was the principal cause, but many of the traders urged the final decision because of the difficulty in delivery, and the extra expense in cartage. So many horses and vans had been commandeered by the War Office, and the shortage of men made it extremely difficult to deal with the sudden inrush of orders, and coupled with this also, there are some- what alarming reports, especially from the East End of London, of a serious epidemic of influenza and pneumonia amongst the horses. This advance will bring the advertised prices to 30s. for best Wallsend, 29s. best Silkstone, and 28s. Derby brights, and was quickly followed by the with- drawal of all special quotations by the colliery representa- tives in the open market, and full current pit prices have since been strictly adhered to during the week. In a few cases a slight advance has been maintained. There has been a good attendance on ’Change on each market day this week, and the improved demand has brought to light the serious diminution in the output at all the collieries. In the seaborne market the tonnage continues scarce, and freights are high. Business is freely retarded on account of the difficulty in securing suitable boats. The tonnage from the Humber ports, as well as from Newcastle and Cardiff, are small. Seventeen vessels are reported as arriving in the River Thames for Monday’s market, but as all were loaded with contract cargoes, no coal was offering in the open market. Only three vessels were returned for Wednesday’s market. Steam coals, especially the better sorts of hards, have been very firm, and a satisfactory tonnage has come forward. South Yorkshire hards are still quoting at 10s. 9d. to Ils. 3d. per ton at pit, or 12s. 9d. to 13s. f.o.b. in the Humber ports. Derbyshire steam hards, at 13s. 3d. to 13s. 6d. f.o.b. Kitchener cobbles have been somewhat slow, but the colder weather has given an impetus to the demand. Bakers’ nuts have all along had a good enquiry, and have sold well. Small nuts and nutty slacks have also benefited by the increased demand, and prices have in all cases slightly advanced. The continuance of the lessened lights all over the Metropolis and the suburbs has had a telling effect upon the price of all qualities of smalls, and for many weeks past the London market has been seriously congested with this quality of fuel. Now, however, the demand is improving. Gas coals also are moving steadily, and a good quantity has been shipped during the week for France. The serious question of the siding rent and wagon detentions has been occupying the attention of the London Coal Merchants’ Society lately, and communications have beep sent to the Railway Clearing House, asking that the various railway companies should agree to suspend all claims for siding rent during the continuance of the war. This, however, has been refused, and subsequently found to be impossible. The committee are now taking the matter up with the Govern- ment direct through the Board of Trade. Some intimation has already been made that special consideration will be given to any instances of special hardship which might be brought before the managers of the different railway com- panies. The dislocation of the traffic, and the peculiar circumstances of the Government taking over the working of the railways, has created an unprecedented situation, and many of the London merchants are suffering considerably by the serious delays. The collieries also are brought into the difficulty by the fact that whilst the marshalling and re-labelling junctions are so crowded with troop trains, etc., it is impossible to bring the ordinary coal traffic forward, and the loaded trucks are left in the colliery sidings until the final destination is received from the contractor. Market quotations (pit mouth) : Note.— Although every care is exercised to secure accuracy, we cannot hold ourselves responsible for these prices, which are, further, subject to fluctuations. Yorkshire. Current prices. Last week’s prices. Last year’s prices. Wath Main best coal 13/6 13/6 13/ Do. nuts 13/ 13/ 12/ Birley cube Silkstone 12/6 12/6 12/6 Do. branch coal 16/6 16/6 16/ Do. seconds 11/ 11/ 11/ Barnsley Bed Silkstone 13/6 13/6 13/6 West Riding Silkstone 12/6 12/6 13/ Kiveton Park Hazel . 13/ 13/ 13/ Do. cobbles 13/ 13/ 13/ Do. nuts 12/6 12/6 12/ Do. hard steam 12/6 12/6 12/ New Sharlston Wallsend Wharncliffe Silkstone coal 15/6 15/6 15/ selected 15/6 15/6 16/ Do: Flockton Main ... 14/ 14/ 15/6 Do. Athersley house coal Newton Chambers best Silks. 11/6 11/6 12/ cobbles 13/6 13/6 17/ Do. Grange best Silk. 15/6 15/6 15/6 Do. Hesley Silkstone... 14'6 14/6 14/ Do. Rockingham selec. 14/6 14/6 14/ Do. Rockingham Silk.. Derbyshire. 14/ 14/ 13/6 Wingfield Manor best 12/ • 12/ 12/6 Do. large nuts... 11/9 11/9 12/3 Do. small nuts... 9/ 9/ 10/ Do. kitchen coal 9/ 9/ 10/6 West Hallam Kilburn brights 12/6 12/ 12/6 Do. do. nuts ... 12/3 11/9 12/3 Do. London brights 11/ 10/6 11/ Do. bright nuts 11/ 10/6 11/ Do. small nuts 9/ 9/ 10/ Manners Kilburn brights 12/6 12/6 12/6 Do. do. nuts 12/3 12/3 12/ Shipley do. brights 12/6 12/6 13/ Do. do. nuts 12/3 12/3 12/6 Mapperley brights 12/ 12/ 12/6 Do. hard steam- 11/ 11/ 11/6 Cossall Kilburn brights 12/ 12/ 12/6 Current Last Last prices. week’s year’s Derbyshire - (cont.) prices. prices. Cossall Kilburn nuts 11/9 11/9 12/ Trowell Moor brights 1j ■ 12/ 12/ 12/6 Do.; do. nuts 11/9 11/9 121 Grassmoor Main coal . 13/ 12/6 x^l 13/ Do^ Tuptpn : I 11/6 11/ 11/6 Do. do. nuts . 11/ 10/6 11/6 Clay Cross Main coal 13/ 12/6 • 13/ • , Do. do. cubes . 13/ 12/6 13/ Do. special Derbys ...... 11/6 11/6 AU/ 12/ Do. house coal 11/6 11/ 11/6 Pilsley best blackshale 13/ 1 12/6 13/ Do. deep house coal 11/6 11/ 11/6 Do. hard screened cobbles > 10/6 10/6 11/ Hardwick best Silkstone 13/ 12/6 13/ Do. Cavendish brights... 12/6 12/ 12/6 Do. cubes 12/6 12/ 12/6 N OTTINGHAMSHIRE. Clifton picked hards 12/ 12/ 12/6 Do. small hards ....'. 12/ 12/ 12/6 Do. deep large steam .... 9/ 9/ 12/ Annesley best hards 12/6 12/6 12/6 Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 11/9 Linby best hards 12/6 12/6 12/6 Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 11/9 Digby London brights 13/ 13/ 13/ Do. cobbles 13/ 13/ 13/ . 13/ 13/ 13? Do. High Hazetceal.i., 15/6 15/6 AU/ 14/6 Best wood hard steam coal .7....... 12/6 12/6 13/ Do. bright cobbles 11/3 11/3 AU/ 11/9 Hucknall Torkard main hards ... 12/9 12/9 12/9 Do. do. cobbles 11/3 11/3 11/3 Do. do. nuts 10/6 10/6 11/ Do. do. High Hazel H.P. 15/6 15/3 14/9 Do. do. London brights 12/9 12/9 12/3 Do. do. large nuts... 12/9 12/9 12/3 Do. do. bright nuts 11/6 11/6 11/3 Sherwood H.P. hards 12/6 12/6 12/6 Do. hard steam 11/6 11/6 11/6 Do. brights 11/6 11/6 11/3 Do. cobbles 10/9 10/9 11/3 Do. large nuts 11/6 11/6 11/3 Warwickshire. Griff large steam coal 11/6 11/6 11/ Do. screened cobbles 11/6 11/6 11/6 Do. bakers’ nuts 11/ 11/ 11/3 Do. Loco Two Yard hards 14/ xx/ 14/ 14/6 Do. Ryder nuts 12/ 11/6 11/9 s Do. do. cobbles 13/6 13/6 XA/i7 13/ Nuneaton steam coal 11/6 11/6 AU/ HZ Do. screened cobbles ... 12/6 12/6 11/6 Do. nuts .T.... 11/6 11/6 11/3 Haunchwood steam. '.-.. 11/6 11 ]6 11/ Do. screened cobbles 12/ 12/ 11/6 Do. nuts 11/6 11/6 11/3 Wyken steam coal ... 11/6 11/6 11/ Do. screened cobbles 12/ 12/ AA/ 11/6 Do. nuts 11/6 11/6 11/3 Exhall Ell coal spires 12/6 12/6 14/3 Do. large steam coal. 11/6 11/6 12/ Leicestershire. South Leicester steam 10/9 10/9 10/ Do. cobbles or small hards 11/3 11/3 AU/ 10/6 Do. nuts 11/ 11/ 10/6 Whitwick steam 11/ 11/ 10/ Do. roasters 11/fl 11/6 AU/ 10/6 Do. cobbles 11/6 11/6 10/6 Do. nuts . 11/6 11/6 10/6 Netherseal hards 18/ 18/ 18? Do. Eureka 13/ J.O/ 13/ AU/ 12/6 Do kitchen 10/ AU/ 10/ 10/6 Ibstock kibbles 11 J-'“7 11/ 9?9 Do. large nuts J-J-/ 11/ XX/ . 11/ 9/6 Do. bakers’ nuts 10/6 10/6 9/ Do. Main nuts 10/6 10/6 9/6 Do. hards 9/6 9/6 9/3 Granville New Pit cobbles .. 12/ 12/ 11/ Do. Old Pit cobbles 12/ 12/ 11/ North Staffordshire. Talk-o’-th’-Hill best 13/6 13/6 13/ Sneyd best, selected 15/ 15/ AU/ 14/6 Do. deeps 14/6 14/6 14/ Silverdale best 15/ 15/ 14/ Do. cobbles 14/6 AU/ 14/6 13/ Apedale best 13/6 13/6 AU/ 13/ Do. seconds 13/6 13/6 12/9 Podmore Hall best 13/6 13/6 13/ Do. seconds 13/3 13/3 12/6 S. Staffs. (Cannock District). Walsall Wood steam coal, London brights 12/6 12/6 11/ Do. shallow one way 12/6 12/6 11/ Do. deep nuts 12/ 12 11/6 Cannock steam J'W/ 10/ 15/ A*-/ 10/ 10/9 Coppice deep coal XV/ 15/ 14/6 Do. cobbles 14/6 AU/ 14/6 14/ Do. one way 13/ 13/ 12/ Do. shallow coal 14/6 AU/ 14/6 A^/ 13/6 Cannock Chase deep main 16/ 16/ 16/ Do. Deep kitchen cob. 12/ 12/ 11/6 Do’ best shallow main 14/ 14/ 13/ Do. shallow kibbles . 13/9 13/9 13/6 Do. best brights 13/6 13/6 13/ Do. yard cobbles 12/9 12/9 13/6 Do. yard nuts 12/ 12/ 12/6 Do. bakers’ nuts 10/9 A4-/ 10/9 10/3 Do. screened hards... 12/ 12/ 11/9 The Bolsover Colliery Company Limited, near Chesterfield, have placed an order with Simon-Carves Limited, of Manchester, for a complete coal washing plant on their British Baum system, capable of treating 100 tons of coal per hour. The following firms have recently been elected members of the British Electrical and Allied Manufacturers’ Associa- tion :—Ashworth and Parker, Greenwood and Batley Limited, Sandycroft Limited. The following firm has been elected an associate:—Harland Engineering Company. WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION. (Specially Contributed) A Shot-Firing Accident—Costs Against Approved Society. Dailey v. Cramlington Coal Company.—In this case (Newcastle, June 18) the applicant alleged that he had been injured by the results of a shot fired in the mine on December 24, 1913. It appeared that while charg- ing a hole which he had drilled an explosion took place, as a result of which his arms, legs, and face were burnt. The defence was that the applicant went too near exposed powder with a naked light. The county court judge found for the employers, holding that there had been negligence. In his Honour’s view, the respondents’ story was corroborated by the anxiety of the applicant to move his gear before his injuries were dressed. Counsel for the respondents applied for costs against the National Amalgamated Approved Society, by whom the proceedings were brought, and the application was granted. A Shot-Firing Accident. Pugh v. Earl of Dudley.—In this case (Court of Appeal, June 19) the widow of a workman appealed from an award under which it was held that the acci- dent alleged did not arise out of and in the course of his employment. The deceased had been employed as a “ brusher.” On November 5 he was engaged in getting up an old road, for which purpose some blast- ing was necessary. It was the duty of a man called a “ doggy ” to fire the shot, but it was the duty of the brusher to bring the powder and prepare the hole; but the doggy had to put it into the hole. An explosion occurred while the deceased was working a few feet from the hole which he had drilled. He was severely burned, and died within a few days. The county court judge held that “ accident arising out of and in the course of the employment had not been proved.” It could not have happened unless someone had uncovered the powder can, and as Pugh was the only person in the place, he must have done it. The Court of Appeal reversed this finding, holding that there was no evidence that Pugh had left the sphere of his employment when the accident occurred. *#* We shall be pleased to answer in this column questions relating to Workmen's Compensation and Employers' Liability. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anony- mous communications. At a meeting of the Institution of Civil Engineers on Tuesday, December 1, the following papers will be read :— “Tests of Reinforced Concrete Structures on the Great Central ’Railway,” by James Benjamin Ball, M.Inst.C.E.; “ Corrosion of Steel Wharves at Kowloon,” by Somers Howe Ellis, M.Inst.C.E.; “ Concreting in Freezing Weather and the Effect of Frost upon Concrete,” by John Hammersley- Heenan, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E. Russian Coal Trade. — The Torgovo Promyshlonnaya Gazeta (Petrograd), of October 22, states that the output of coal in the Urals for the first seven months of 1914 reached a total of 39,174,300 ponds, being an increase of 2,558,730 ponds as compared with the corresponding period of 1913. The Gazeta of November 10 states that the output of coal and anthracite in the Donetz Basin for the first nine months •of 1914 amounted to 1,258,630,000 ponds, representing an increase of 140,570,000 ponds, or 12| per cent., as compared with the corresponding period of 1913. Proposed Subsidies for Iron and Steel Production in New Zealand.—H.M. Trade Commissioner for New Zealand (Mr. W. G. Wickham) has forwarded a copy of a Bill presented to the New’ Zealand Parliament proposing to authorise the payment of bounties on pig iron, puddled bar iron, and steel produced in New Zealand. Bounties would be payable for the first three years after the date of commencement of pro- duction at the rate of 12s. per ton of pig iron, puddled bar iron, or steel produced from pig iron, and 24s. per ton of steel produced direct from the blastfurnace. The text of the Bill may be consulted by United Kingdom firms interested at the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the Board of Trade, 73, Basinghall-street, London, E.C. The- Origin of Anthracite.—In the Geological Section, at the meeting of the British Association in Australia, a paper on “ Structural Features of the Coalfields of Pennsylvania and their Influence on the Origin of Hard Coal ” was read bv Prof. E. S. Moore, M.A., Ph.D. He points out that there are two main coalfields in Pennsylvania, the bitu- minous and the anthracite. The latter field comprises an area of approximately 480 square miles, situated in the highly folded portion of the Appalachian Province, while the former - field covers a much larger area, with but gently folded strata. Between these two fields are limited areas underlain by semi-anthracite coal in strata which have suffered a medium amount of diastrophism. So close is the relationship between intense diastrophism and the development of anthracite coal, that the influence of pressure — combined with conditions favourable for the escape of the volatile con- stituents from the vegetable matter — seems to be self- evident, although other theories, such as the action of bacteria, etc., have been advanced to account for the origin of anthracite. The structure of some of the anthracite basins is extremelv complex, and the coal can often be mined only by special ’methods, especially where the Mammoth seam reaches 60 ft. in thickness. In the bituminous field “ rolls ’’ and “ horsebacks ” are common, and investigation has shown that these usually nearly parallel the larger mountain struc- tures. *