134 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 15, 1915. Cumberland. Maryport. COAL. The coal trade continues to be fairly steady. Orders are coming in well for household coal, and manufacturing requirements, which are at present considerable, may be expected to increase shortly. The export trade has been slightly easier than it was a week ago. The number of vessels has been larger, but the tonnage has not been so heavy. Best house and steam coal are still in fair request for the Irish market. The collieries are again handicapped by a shortage of labour owing to recruiting, and since the new year outputs have been below the normal. The pits are working on an average of five days a week, and the whole of the coal raised is meeting with a ready market. The shipments from Maryport to the Irish ports last week amounted 3,670 tons, a decrease of 1,330 tons compared with the previous week—1,230 tons were shipped to Belfast, 420 to Dublin, and 400 tons to Londonderry, while the remaining cargoes were for White Abbey, Donaghadee, Larne, Drogheda, Carrickfergus and Port Rush. The shipments from the various collieries were as follow:— Brayton Domain 1,620 tons, St. Helens 1,320 tons, Allerdale 730 tons. The export tonnage from Workington to Ireland amounted to 870 tons. The coke trade is very busy, and all the home supply is being freely absorbed by the local smelters. Prices are firm and unchanged. Flimby best coal is quoted at 23s. 4d. per ton delivered, with best washed nuts at 21s. 8d. per ton. St. Helens best coal delivered is quoted at 23s. 8d., with seconds at 20s. per ton Current L’st week’s prices. prices. Best Cumberland coal, at pit 20/6-21/ 20/6-21/ Flimby best coal „ 20/ 20/ Washed nuts ,, 19/2 19/2 Old St. Helens best coal ,, 19/2 19/2 Best house nuts ,, 17/1 17/1 Oughterside best coal 20/ 20/ Washed nuts 18/4 18/4 Best Cumberland coal, f.o.b 14/6 14/6 Bunkers „ 13/6 13/6 Coal for gasworks 14/6 14/6 IRON. The Cumberland iron trade is again stronger in tone, and prices are steadily rising. In fact, the appreciation of values during the last three months has been nothing less than marked, and has rarely been more rapid and sub- stantial even in boom times. The prices of warrants have risen from 61s. per ton in August last to the present figure of 71s. per ton, the highest figure recorded since August 1913, and the general opinion is that the limit of apprecia- tion of values has not yet been reached. Bessemer mixed numbers are quoted at 76s. to 77s. per ton free on board at the usual ports ; special hsematites from 83s. to 84s. per ton, while ferro-manganese is unchanged. Of course, the steady rise in prices is partly due to the increased demand by steel makers engaged in the manufacture of shot, shell and armaments from the low phosphorus iron of which the north-west coast smelters make a speciality, and also partly to the competition by east coast and Scotch makers. As there is little iron in public stores, and makers’ stocks being exceedingly low, the position may be regarded as a strong one from the makers’ point of view. But all the activity is not entirely due to the war. While there is an increasing demand for the special brands of iron for the use of armament and ammunition makers, other qualities of hsematites are also in steady request. So far, however, there has been no increase in production, but if the present business continues it cannot be long delayed, as the output is now scarcely equal to the demand. There are 21 furnaces on draught, 13 in West Cumberland and eight in the Furness district. The Workington Iron and Steel Company have eight furnaces in blast, three at Moss Bay, three at the Derwent works, and two at Old Side. At Cleator Moor there are two in blast, while Millom has two, and Distington one in operation. In the Furness district, Barrow has five furnaces glowing, while North Lonsdale has two, and Carnforth one in blast. At the Old Side works one furnace is on spiegel, and the other is on ferro-manganese. The Workington Iron and Steel Company have one furnace exclusively on low phosphorus iron, a fair amount of which is converted into tyres and axles at the Derwent works. At both Barrow and Workington a fair amount is going into consumption at the steel works, while a large percentage of the make is being consigned to the Midlands for the use of the high-class steel manufacturers. The shipments from Working ton last week included 830 tons of steel rails for Liverpool; 480 tons of rails and sleepers and 420 tons of rails and fish plates for Liverpool; 530 tons of pig iron for Port Talbot; and 480 tons of pig iron for Ellesmere Port. The steel trade is fairly brisk at both Workington and Barrow. In the Cleator Moor and Egremont district there is more activity in the iron ore industry, and all the mines are fully employed. The tonnage sent to the east coast and over the border is now about 5,000 tons per week. ----------------------------------- South-West Lancashire. COAL. The inland household demand keeps very busy, great difficulty being experienced in meeting fully and promptly customers’ requirements. In the retail trade, too, there are difficulties peculiar to the present time, owing to the shortage of carting power. With regard to shipping, things are much the same as laat reported, except that the condition of the port is, if anything, more congested. The strong demand for steam coal is maintained, and as supplies are not increasing there is a scarcity of coal. Prices of Lancashire steam coals have hardened, and may be said to range from 14s. to 14s. 6d. f.o.b. The coastwise and cross- Channel trade for household coals is urgent for fuel, and stocks in the merchants’ hands are very low. Nothing like the same work is being got out of the coastwise vessels because of delays from either one cause or another, and prices for open sale are very firm. Slacks rule much better than in the autumn; then it was the seller who was anxious to dispose of his output, now it is the buyer who is anxious to secure himself. Odd lots of gas fuel are constantly asked for, and these are quoted for at Is. and upwards upon the prices current in the selling season. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium................ 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 ........ Common do............... Current L’st week’s prices. prices. 17/ 17/ 17/6 17/ -17/6 15/3 15/3 15/5-16/ 15/ -15/6 13/ !8/ 14/ -14/6 13/6-14/ 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/ 13/6-14/ 13/6-14/ 9/9-10/ 9/6-10/ 9/ - 9/3 8/9- 9/3 8/6 8/6- 8/9 Last year’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. The Manchester Coal Exchange was well attended on Tuesday. The demand for house coal continues good. Furnace coal is in moderate demand, while there is rather more enquiry for shipping coal and prices incline to harden. Slack is moving away in fair quantities. Prices generally are as below. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best .............. Medium............. Common............. Furnace coal......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack .......... Common slack ........ Current prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ —16/9 13/3-14/ 12/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ 8/ - 9/ 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 IRON. There was a fairly good attendance on ’Change in Manchester on Tuesday. Pig iron, if anything, is a little firmer, but there was not much actual business doing owing to the Birmingham quarterly meeting being held this week. Forges are not so busy and the Association price remains at <£8 15s. for crown bars, =£7 15s. second quality, and <£9 2s. 6d. for hoops. Steelworks are exceptionally busy and are asking =£8 less 2| per cent, for bars, and up to <£6 10s. net for billets. Generally speaking the trade of the district is fairly good. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The market on Tuesday was very largely attended by all sections of traders, and there was a full demand for all descriptions of fuel. Generally speaking, sellers had little to offer, a ? the reduced output is barely equal to meeting the needs of current contracts. The enquiries for spot parcels of gas coal and engine nuts were particularly strong, and there was also a good demand for steam coal for shipment. Colliery agents reported a great deal of broken time at the pits through the alarming scarcity of empty trucks. The delay to loaded wagons is becoming worse week by week, and unless something is done to clear up the difficulties on the railways it is practically certain that there will be a scarcity of supplies, particularly in the distant markets. It is a question whether more than four full days’ work has been put in at the collieries this week. The demand for house coal from London is as strong as ever, and producers with supplies available for the open market can realise high . prices for prompt delivery. The jump in freights has still further checked the coastwise trade, as it is now cheaper to get supplies all the way by rail from this district on to the south coast than to ship ex Goole or Hull. In the West Riding markets merchants report a very brisk demand from the public, but here again supplies are coming through very disappointingly. Instances are given where loaded trucks are taking anywhere up to 14 days to do short distances. Ground stocks at the local depots have practically disappeared, and should there be a spell of severe weather higher prices are certain. Officially there is no change in local pit prices, but the undermentioned quotations are mostly normal :—Haigh Moor selected 18s. to 19s., Silkstone best 17s. to 18s., Silkstone house 16s. to 17s., secondary sorts 13s. 6d. to 14s. 6d. The pressure for gas coal has in no way eased during the week. The output is quite 10 per cent, below market needs, and in these circum- stances higher prices are being paid for available supplies. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 14/6-15/6 Wallsend & London best 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 14/ -15/ Silkstone best 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ Do. house 14/6-15/ 14/ -14/6 12/6-13/6 House nuts 13/6-14/ 13/ -14/ 11/6-12/6 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 18/ -19/ 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 Silkstone best 17/ -18/ 17/ —18/ 16/9-17/6 Do. house 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ 15/6-16/ Other qualities 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 12/6-13/ 11/ -12/ 12/ -12/6 11/6-12/ Gas nuts 11/ -11/6 10/6-11/ Unscreened gas coal ... 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/6 9/6-10/ Other sorts:— Prices at pit : Washed nuts 11/ -12/6 11/ -12/ 10/6-11/ Large double-screened engine nuts 10/6-11/6 10/6-11/ 9/9-10/6 Small nuts 10/ -10/6 9/6-10/ 9/ - 9/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 10/ -10/6 10/ -10/6 9/3- 9/9 Best rough slacks 8/ - 9/ 8/ -8/6 7/3- 7/9 Small do. 7/ - 7/6 6/6- 7/6 6/6- 7/6 6/ - 6/6 Coking smalls 6/6- 7/6 6/3- 6/9 Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 11/6-12/6 11/6-12/6 12/6-13/ Several colliery owners have circularised their contractors, pointing out that the output has been reduced by 20 per cent., and that they will therefore be compelled under their contract conditions to reduce deliveries to this extent. Good quality screened gas coal and washed and unwashed gas nuts are scarcely to be had at any price, although one or two orders are reported to have been booked for the south at 13s. at the pit for screened gas coal. Quotations for forward business are not being given at present, some sellers suggesting that by the end of this half-year prices may be 4s. or 5s, per ton more than they were last June. Although the scarcity of manufacturing fuel is not so marked as in the case of gas coal, the output is quite insufficient to meet the demands of the consumers, and in Bradford, Huddersfield, the heavy woollen district, the Colne and Spen valleys, most large consumers are short of supplies. Under the circumstances pit prices are advancing. There is very little change with regard to washed furnace coke, producers declining to commit themselves forward, and business is confined largely to open market sales, with prices from 11s. 6d. to 12s. 6d. per ton at the ovens. Barnsley. COAL. The influence of something approaching panic was reflected on the business done at the local market this week. The possibility of a stoppage in West Yorkshire, owing to the minimum wage dispute, has already begun to arouse anxiety in the south, and in districts which take a substantial tonnage from the Yorkshire coalfield. The extraordinary delay in deliveries is now also creating great anxiety on the part of buyers, who are seeking to place extra orders to ensure adequate supplies. The collieries, on the other hand, are badly equipped to deal with the situation, the daily outputs being returned as exceptionally low, owing to the shortage of workers, and the result has been that prices show a substantial increase, mainly no doubt with the object of checking the scare which has arisen. The pressure is most keenly felt by the London and southern merchants, who are unsecured, so far as sea- borne traffic is concerned, and have very low stocks to hand. They are offering substantially higher prices, where something like prompt delivery can be obtained. Collieries producing the best class of house coal have intimated a general increase of 2s. per ton, and despite this, have more orders to hand than they can possibly supply. In the steam coal section many collieries have enforced a general advance of Is. per ton, and this has been paid by firms who are in great need of added supplies to those already contracted for. There is no doubt the cause of the present boom is more largely due to the remarkably reduced production than from any other reason. The steam trawler companies are now reported to be seeking to place their yearly contracts for about half-a- million tons instead of three-quarters million tons, which they usually require, and they are finding that the collieries producing the best hards are not unduly anxious to secure the contracts at 11s. per ton which the railway companies paid. No doubt should the present pressure of trade continue, coal owners will adopt a waiting policy, unless their terms are obtained. In regard to best hards the home enquiry continues to be of a strong description and 12s. 6d. per ton is now firmly quoted for special lots, and apart from special purposes very little of this class is being exported. Secondary sorts have also stiffened considerably and better prices have to be paid in order to procure prompt loading. The greater activity in respect to all classes of small steam coal is very pronounced and collieries have practically little to offer for some time ahead. Firms engaged on Government orders are showing a willingness to pay the higher prices to obtain prompt deliveries of best grade fuel. The demand for nuts is particularly brisk, and secondary sorts are making rather more money. The enquiry for slacks is also of a much stronger character. Best qualities are only procured with difficulty owing to the continued large consumption in the heavy woollen and Lancashire cotton districts, whilst stocks at collieries have been practically closed owing to shorter holidays in the textile areas. There is also plenty of enquiry for special lots of gas coal, and advances of from Is. to Is. 6d. per ton have been obtained. A better business is being experienced also in regard to secondary descriptions of house coal and there is some evidence that the threatened rupture in the West Yorkshire district is having some little effect even locally. A greater firmness has been experienced in respect to coke and prices have slightly improved on the week, with higher values being quoted in regard to contracts. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 17/6-18/ 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ Best Barnsley softs 16/6—17/ 15/ 15/ -15/3 Secondary do 13/6-14/6 13/ -14/ 12/6-14/ Best house nuts 14/—15/ 12/9-13/ 13/ -14/6 Secondary do 11/ -12/ 10/9-11/6 11/ -12/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 11/6-12/6 11/6-11/9 11/3-11/6 Secondary do 11/3—11/6 10/9-11/ 10/9-11/3 Best washed nuts 11/9—12/3 10/9-11/3 11/ Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/6 10/ Best slack > 8/6—9/ 7/6- 8/ 7/ Rough do 7/ - 7/6 6/6- 6/9 5/9- 6/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 12/6-13/ 11/6-12/ 12/6 Unscreened do 10/6-11/6 10/ -10/6 10/ -10/6 Gas nuts 10/6-11/6 10/ -10/9 11/6-12/ Furnace coke 11/6 11/ -11/3 12/6 Hull. COAL. There is very little improvement to report in the condition of the coal export trade from the Humber, the demand for steam coal being unable to make itself felt owing to the almost insuperable difficulties in the way of getting adequate shipping tonnage. Vessels are very hard to get, and shipowners are still able to command their own terms, with the result that what demand there is can only be supplied at exorbitant cost, or held over indefinitely. It is obvious that with 35s. to 36s. asked for Italian and Mediterranean ports, and 18s. and 18s. 6d. paid for Rouen, only very urgent business can be put through, and until there is some relief in this