1330 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. December 24, 1914. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ quoted at Is. 2|d. per cwt. Flimby best coal delivered is quoted at 23s. 4d. per ton delivered, with washed nuts at 21s. 8d. per ton. St. Helens best coal is quoted at 23s. 4d. per ton delivered, with seconds at 20s. per ton. IRON. The condition of the Cumberland haematite iron trade continues satisfactory. The improvement which set in a month ago is being steadily maintained, and business is brisk in all branches. The home demand has increased quickly ; in fact, the output is not by any means in excess of the requirements, and employment is fuller than it has been for the past 12 months. There is a large amount of forward buying, and users are purchasing larger deliveries of both special hsematites and ordinary Bessemer classes for immediate consumption. Smelters have good order books, and the outlook for the beginning of the year is extremely encouraging. Bessemer mixed numbers are quoted at 72s. per ton f.o.b. at the usual ports. There are 22 furnaces in blast in West Cumberland and the Furness district, but if the present activity continues it is more than probable that one or two additional furnaces may be lighted in the course of the next few weeks. A furnace which has been put out of blast at Barrow this week will be replaced shortly. The steel trade is good and both Workington and Bartow are working six days a week. The whole of the iron ore mines are fully employed, and there is an increased demand from Scotland and the east coast. ________ ■ . — -<>■------------ South-West Lancashire. COAL. The inland housecoal trade is brisk. Orders, in prepara- tion for the Christmas stoppage, exceed supply. Work ceases on Thursday for the week. With regard to shipping, things have become more congested with the nearer approach of the hblidayg. Requirements of steam coal are1 heavy, and few if any collieries have fuel to spare. The position is aggravated by the delay in getting berths for steamers owning to the crowded state of the docks and shortage of labour. Prices of any Lancashire steam coals that may be available may be said to range from 13s. to 13s. 9d. f.o.b. The coastwise and cross-channel trade in household coals suffers for lack of suitable tonnage. High freights elsewhere tempt vessels off their usual beat. Slack is in very satisfactory call, and very different from two or three months ago. Buyers are all for long period renewals of contracts, and sellers reluctant to fasten themselves except at prices that justify themselves. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). The scarcity of gas coal is still more iharked. Not only are contract deliveries in arrear, but the pits are unable to accept the tempting orders that are being offered. It is said that some of the works in the London district and in the south of England are getting near to the end of their reserves. Sales of screened gas coal have been reported this week at 12s. to 13s. per ton at the pits, with gas nuts 11s. to 12s. Factory fuel is scarce, and supplies at the depots in the Bradford and Leeds district are insufficient in face of the holidays. All qualities are firmer in price. There is very little change in the position of washed furnace coke, best brands being still quoted at about Ils., with average qualities about 10s. 6d. Buyers generally are showing more disposition to book forward to the end of March or to the end of June. The pits will suspend work on Thursday noon, and will probably resume operations on Tuesday morning. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-157 Wallsend & London best 14/6-15/6 14/6-15/6 14/ -14/6 Silkstone best 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 Do. house 13/ -13/6 13/ -13/6 12/ -12/9 House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull:— 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 11/6-12/6 Haigh Moor best 17/6-18/ ■17/6-18/ 17/ -18/ Silkstone best 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Do. house 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 14/9-15/9 Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 13/6-14/ 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/9 Screened gas coal 11/ -12/ 10/6-12/ 12/ -12/6 Gas nuts 10/ -10/6 9/6-10/6 11/ -11/3 Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts :— > Prices at pit: 9/6-10/ 9/ - 9/6 9/9-10/3 Washed nuts Large double-screened 10/6-11/6 10/6-11/6 9/9-10/9 engine nuts 10/ -10/6 9/6-10/6 9/9-10/6 Small nuts Rough unscreened 9/3- 9/9 9/ - 9/6 9/ - 9/3 engine coal 9/6-10/ 9/ - 9/6 9/3- 9/9 6/9- 7/3 Best rough slacks 7/6-8/3 7/6- 8/3 Small do. 6/6- 7/ 6/6- 7/ 6/ - 6/6 Coking smalls Coke:— Price at ovens: 6/6- 7/ 6/ - 6/6 6/ - 6/6 Furnace coke 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 12/ -13/ House coal i— '! i! .Best ’.......;.J Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium .'....; i........... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen ________ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Screened forge coal.,....... Best scrnd, steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ..______.............,...... Secondary slack ... ,4.‘..... Common do. ____ Current prices. "17/ 16/9-17/3 15/3 15/ -15/6 . ‘13/ L13/6-14/; 11/6-12/ 13/ -13/9 9/3- 9/6 "8/6- 8/9 . 8/ - 8/3 L’st week’s prices. 17/ 17/ -17/3 15/3 15/ -15/6 13/ 13/6-14/ 11/6-12/ 12/6-13/6 9/3- 9/6 8/6- 8/9. 8/ - 8/3 Lastyear’s prices. 17/ 16/9-17/3 15/3 15/ -15/6 13/ 13/9-14/6 12/6-13/ 13/3-14/ 10/ -10/3 9/3- 9/6 8/9- 9/ ________ _______ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. Thefe w&s A 'good' attendance of members on the Manchester Coal Exchange yesterday, and house coal was in good demand with prices firm. Furnace coal is still in moderate request, and there is a better demand visible for shipping cdal. There is good business doing in slack in anticipation of the coming holidays at the collieries. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). ... House coai:—. • Best .......____ Medium......________ C onimon....!...__........ Furnace coal........ Bunker (f.o.b. Tartingtbn) Best slack __...... Common slack _____....., Current prices.. 17/3-18/ ' 16/ -16/9 •13/3-14/ ; 12/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ 3/v~r9/ ' L’st week's prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ ■ 8/ - 9/ Last year's prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 _________________ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. ’ COAL. The ,market on Tuesday was well attended by all sections of the trade, and/ there \yas a very good demand for most descriptions/; Colliery /representatives, however, were unable to accept orders1 for prompt delivery, as colliery stocks, are quite/bleared, while most order books are full to the end of the ,yehr. The great difficulty during the week, however, has been’ the '/carcity of empty trucks. Many collieries have had to ground part of the output, and even then have not Deen able to Work more than four days. The movements of mineral traffic have also been infinitely worse on the week., Numberless' cases are reported of trucks being labelled from the colliery siding and not being taken out by the railway companies until a week or 10 days after they should have been' taken out. In addition to this, traffic is taking from a fortnight to three weeks to travel from the local pollieries tq the London depots. As a matter of fact, the condition of things on the railways is rapidly approaching a state of chaos, and unless a cofisiderable clearance is' effected during the forthcoming holidays, there is likely to be a great scarcity of coal, particularly in the distant markets. Business with London is greatly hampered as suggested above, and those with prompt supplies’of coal available have been) able to Secure from 2s. to 2s. 6d. a ton more than their ordinary quotations. Practically nothing is being done coastwise, and this makes it all the worse for the depots in the south of England. In the West Riding jnarkets'merchants have about cleared ground stocks, and have more orders in than they can possibly get out before the holidays. There has been nb altera- tion in pit prices, which are more or less nominal as under;-— Haigh Moor selected 18si to 19s., Silkstone best 17s. to 18s., Silkstone house 16s. to 17s., secondary sorts 13s. 6d. to 14s. 6d’ Barnsley. COAL. With only four days available for working this week owing to the holidays, collieries have shown little anxiety with regard to immediate new business. The rush of orders referred to last week has been maintained in a marked degree, and owing to the extraordinary delay with traffic on the railways there has been great anxiety shown by manufacturers with low stocks, who will perforce, owing to the orders on Government account, be compelled to .'set down for a shorter period than the collieries will do. The greater demand on export account suggests the probability of a more active demand for steam coal, and with the quick recovery in values of recent date there is little doubt there will be less disposition to arrange contracts over next year except at far different prices than were talked of recently. The railway companies' contracts, however, have been fixed up for the whole of next year on the basis of Ils. per ton for the best hards, this figure being a reduction of sixpence per ton compared with last year. Probably, had not tenders been submitted before the revival of a week ago occurred, coalowners would have preferred to hold off, but as expected the railway company have not unduly hesitated, and it is thought their judgment will prove to have been well founded. Usually, the settled price for the large tonnage required by the railway companies has been accepted as a data for the export trade and the supplies to the trawler companies, but it does not follow that such will be the case under the exceptional circumstances prevailing this year. Obviously a great difficulty exists in attempting to calculate what tonnage will be required, but a solution may be found by the arrangement of short period contracts in regard to the trawler companies that exporters will no doubt rely upon the open market. So far as the best hards are concerned, there has been no difficulty in maintaining values, and for special deliveries higher prices could have been procured, whilst secondary sorts are also in larger demand, the railway companies taking more tonnage than usual, and pressing for arrears. The production of steam sorts is still inadequate to meet the needs of the market,1 quite a large tonnage being used by the large manufacturing centres; and, again, values, if anything, show an upward tendency, where the necessity for procuring deliveries is of immediate need. The consumption of slacks in the textile and cotton districts appears to be well sustained, so much so that the best brands are particularly scarce. Best sorts make fully 7s. 3d. per ton, whilst the stocks of rougher brands are being reduced and values are firm at about 6s. per ton. The supplies of gas coal under contract are hardly sustained, and consumers are in the market for special lots to supplement. The best quality fuel is in particularly keen request, and again values have slightly improved, screened nuts being in especially good demand. The collieries are still fully employed in dealing with orders for most classes of house coal, the best grades falling short of the demand, whilst secondary sorts are more largely taken, and stocks are practically nil. The' prices all round are well sustained, and little fuel is on offer. The recent improvement in the demand for coke is well marked, and the advanced prices are standing the test well, with the prospect of greater improvement in the near future. HulL COAL. After a trying week business is now at a complete stand- still, and nothing more will be done till after the Christmas holiday. Most exporters last week had their foreign orders well in hand, and there were only left a fewr cargoes to complete when intimation was received on ’Change from the Admiralty that, in consequence of German mines dropped during the raid on Scarborough, Whitby and the Hartlepools, the authorised trade route to the Baltic and the north was unsafe, and that it was closed for the time being. Vessels already loaded were held up, but fortu- nately there was nothing to interrupt shipments to France^ and the Mediterranean. On Saturday, thanks to the work of the mine-sweepers, shipments to all parts were resumed^ and everything restored to the normal again. Actual business in the past few days, except for a few small “ spot" lots, has been as near as possible absolutely nil, and if prices are quotable at all it is on the basis of those ruling last week, when 14s. to 14s. 3d. was paid for the best South Yorkshire steam hards. In view of the extraordinary position with regard to freights, “ forward ’’ business c.i.f. cannot be negotiated, while f.o.b. contracts hang fire awaiting the outcome of the pourparlers re the railway supplies which are expected to result in about Ils. per ton at the pit being paid over the first half of the year. This represents about 14s. f.o.b. at the Humber ports-—less than what was paid a month ago when the colliery position was weak in comparison with the firmness exhibited now. Exporters, however, look for lower terms, though the European outlook combined with the necessarily restricted output at home rather favours the colliery owners. The view in uninterested quarters is that prices for steam coal are not likely to suffer another serious relapse, but that the effective foreign demand will centre more than ever on the question of transport. Up to 15s. has been paid for Rouen, and high rates are still asked for Mediterranean ports, but some easing off may be expected after the present rush. Chesterfield. COAL. •. A strong tone pervades the market generally, and the demand for coal of all classes is more active than it has been for many months past. Owing, however, to the great difficulty in obtaining an adequate supply of railway wagons, it is impossible to satisfy customers’ requirements. Prices of all qualities of fuel are advancing, while stocks at the collieries are disappearing rapidly. Contracts for varying periods of next year are being renewed at advanced prices in many cases. Buyers are now showing some eager- ness to buy their fuel for delivery over the whole of 1915, while colliery owners hesitate to commit themselves beyond the first six months. Heavy orders are coming to hand from the large armament works of Sheffield where work will be continued without interruption during the general Christmas holidays. The various railway companies are pressing collieries to increase their deliveries of loco- motive coal, but this is impossible owing to shortage of wagons. Under these circumstances the railways are compelled to draw upon their reserve stocks. A strong demand is experienced for steam coal for-shipment-which it is equally impossible to meet at .present. Prices are steadily advancing. There is also a brisk demand for * various classes of house coal for shipment to France, while steam coal is urgently wanted for Italy. Enquiries are numerous for cobbles and nuts, all of which are very scarce. There is a continued improvement in the demand for slack for steam raising. Coke is stronger both in respect of demand and prices. Washed fuel moves freely. Prices at pit. Best house coals Current prices. 13/6 L’stweek’s Lastyear’s prices. 13/6 prices. 15/6 Secondary do 12/6 11/6 10/6 7/6 12/6 11/ 13/6 12/6 Cobbles Nuts j-/ 10/6 7/6 11/6 8/ Slack IRON. Work is more plentful, and the prospects for the New Year are more hopeful. Prices at pit. House coals:— Best Silkstone ...... Best Barnsley softs.. Secondary do. ....... Best house nuts ..... Secondary do......... Steam coals :— • Best hard coals....... Secondary do......... Best washed nuts..... ...... * Secondary do........J Best slack ........______ I Rough do.............I Gas coals >— i Screened gas coals 1 Unscreened do. __...... Gas nuts.............. Furnace coke........__ Current prices. 15/6-16/ 15/ 13/ -14/ 12/9-13/6 10/9-11/6 11/6-11/9 10/6-11/ 10/6-10/9 9/9-10/ 7/3 ' 6/ / 10/6-11/ 10/ 10/ -10/6 11/ -11/3 |L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. ; 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ i 15/ 15/ -15/3 13/ -14/ 12/6-14/ 1 12/9-13/6 , 13/ -14/6 ; 10/9-11/6 , 11/ -12/ 11/6 12/3 10/6-11/ 11/ -11/3 - 10/6 11/3 9/9 i 10/3-10/6 7/3 ' 7/ - 7/3 I ■ 6/ i 6/ 10/6-11/ i 12/6 10/ ■ ' 11/ -11/3 10/ -10/6 i 12/ j 11/ -H/3 ; 12/ -12/6 ________________ Nottingham. COAL. With the Christmas holiday near at hand, there has been a brisk demand in one or two branches of the coal trade in Nottinghamshire during the past week, but owing to a scarcity of railway wagons some collieries have been at a great disadvantage in endeavouring to carry out orders. Activity has been most pronounced in the domestic fuel section, the orders from local merchants and those in the surrounding counties being weightier, whilst increased sales have been made at the local landsale depots. In addition to the good business done in better class qualities, second-grade fuel has been in improved request. Coal owners have consequently had no difficulty in maintaining late rates. The most prominent feature in the steam coal branch is the demand for industrials, which has improved considerably of late. Railway companies have been taking good supplies of locomotive fuel in view of the holiday Hand-picked brights Good house coals... Secondary do. ....... Best hard coals..... Secondary do_____’.. Slacks (best hards) .. Do. (second) ..... Do. (soft)............ Prices at pithead. ___________________ i Current L’st week's Last year’s ' prices. ____■ 14' -14/6 .....‘ 12 6-13 6 ..... 116-12/ prices. 14' -14/6 12 6-13’3 11/6-12/ 10/3-10/9 , 10/3-10'9 4 9 6-10' ’ 9'6-10/ I' 6/6- 7/3 66- 7/3 ! 5/9- 6'3 ’ 5/9- 6'3 ! 5/9- 6/3 : 5/9- 6/3 prices. 14/ -14'6 : 13/ -13 6 11 6-12/3 11/6-12/ ; 10/ -11/ ' 7/9- 8/ 6'9-73 i 6 /6- 7/6