184 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN January 22, 1915. bought from Newcastle to meet the requirements of Irish merchants. The collieries are all working full time, but the outputs at the present are not by any means sufficient to satisfy the needs of either the home or cross-Channel market. Fifteen steamers left Maryport last week, the shipments amounting to 4,630 tons, or an increase of 960 tons compared with the previous week; 1,500 tons were shipped to Belfast, 480 tons to Carrickfergus, and 420 tons to Dublin, while the remaining cargoes were consigned to Larne, Limerick, Bangor, Ramelton, Londonderry, Letter- kenny, Coleraine and Newry. The tonnage from the various collieries was as follows :—Brayton Domain, 2,470 tons; St. Helens, 1,200 tons; Allerdale, 960 tons. The exports from Maryport also included a cargo of pitch for Port Talbot from the West Cumberland By-product Works. The coal shipments from Workington last week amounted to 960 tons. Things are very brisk in the coke trade, the whole of the ovens and by-product works being in full employment, but a scarcity of coal is being keenly felt, and in consequence the outputs are slightly below the normal. The whole of the supply, however, is being freely absorbed by local smelters. The price of best Cumberland coal delivered in bags is Is. 2|d. per cwt., or 23s. 4d. per ton, with washed nuts at 21s. 8d. and seconds 20s. per ton. Other quotations are as follow :— Best Cumberland coal, at pit.... Flimby best coal „ ....... Washed nuts ,, ...:.... Old St. Helens best coal „ ..... Best house nuts ,, ....... Oughterside best coal........... Washed nuts..................... Best Cumberland coal, f.o.b..... Bunkers „ ....... Coal for gasworks............... Current L’st week’s prices. prices. 20/6-21/ 20/6-21/ 20/ 20/ 19/2 19/2 19/2 19/2 17/1 17/1 20/ 20/ 18/4 18/4 14/6 14/6 13/6 13/6 14/6 14/6 IRON. The Cumberland hsematite iron trade is in a remarkably brisk condition, and prices are still rising quickly. The rapid appreciation of values which took place last week is probably unprecedented in the history of the Cumberland iron trade. At the beginning of last week warrants were quoted at 71s. per ton, and before the week end they had risen to 80s. per ton, while the price of Bessemer mixed numbers, which were quoted at 75s. and 76s. per ton, increased to 82s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. in the course of a few days. Since then, however, there has been another rise in prices, and Bessemer mixed numbers are now quoted at 86s. 6d. to “87s. 6d. per ton free on board at the usual ports. The opinion has been freely expressed that 90s. will be touched soon. Special iron is in brisk request for Govern- ment orders, and prices have advanced to 92s. per ton f.o.b., while ferro-manganese is now quoted at <£12 per ton. There are 22 furnaces in blast in West Cumberland and the Furness district, and it is stated that smelters are making preparations for putting additional furnaces into blast. The Workington Iron and Steel Company have one furnace on ferro-manganese, and another on spiegel. Both Work- ington and Barrow are making partly for the market, and partly for consumption at the steel works. Fully one-half of the furnaces are employed in making special iron, nearly the whole of which is being consigned to the high-class steel makers in the Sheffield and Birmingham districts, who are engaged in the manufacture of munitions of war. The steel trade is very busy, and full time is being worked at both Barrow and Workington. The exports from Workington included 450 tons of ferro-manganese and 550 tons of pig iron, for Port Talbot; 450 tons of pig iron, 780 tons of steel rails, and 212 tons of steel bars, for Liver- pool. The exports from Maryport included 2,000 tons of ferro-manganese for Sydney, Cape Breton. Trade is brisk at the local iron ore mines, but outputs have fallen con- siderably, owing to the number of men who have enlisted, and the greatest difficulty is being experienced by smelters in obtaining ordinary requirements. The tonnage going out of the district weekly amounts to between 5,000 and 6,000 tons. The price of local ore at the mines is now quoted at from 16s. to 25s. a ton according to grade. ------------------ South-West Lancashire. COAL. The call for household coal for inland is greater than can be promptly attended to, but it is caused more by the fact that the available supply has been so seriously decreased rather than that there is a greater winter demand than usual. Screened coal for forges and other manufactories is in rather better request. With regard to shipping, the steam coal market instead of becoming easier after the holidays, as was expected by many, has steadily hardened. The delay to steamers in getting to the tips in consequence of the congested state of the port is causing shipments to be less than they otherwise would be, but the demand is strong and in excess of supplies which, if anything, tend to diminish instead of improve. There is very little free coal available and it is difficult to give any definite indication of prices, but 15s. net f.o.b. for Lancashire steam coal is a minimum at the moment, and up to 16s. or more may be paid according to circumstances. In the coastwise and cross-Channel household coal trade more is demanded than can be provided and open sale nrices rule very firm. In slacks there is a growing scarcity, manufacturers one by one getting nearer to their usual consumption and less being produced day by day. Prices are steadily rising. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current L'st week's (Last year's House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 17/ 17/ 17/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 17/6-18/ 17/6 16/9-17/3 Medium 15/3 15/3 15/3 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 15/9-16/6 15/6-16/ 15/ -15/6 Kitchen 13/ 13/ 13/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 14/9-15/6 14/ -14/6 13/9-14/6 Screened forge coal 12/ 11/6-12/ 12/6-13/ Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. 15/ -16/ 13/6-14/ 13/3-14/ Best slack 10/3 9/9-10/ 10/ -10/3 Secondary slack 9/6 9/ - 9/3 9/3- 9/6 Common do 8/9 8/6 8/9- 9/ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance of members on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. In regard to house coal, full time is worked at the collieries, but owing to the decreased number of workers there is not as much fuel put upon the market, and the demand is scarcely met. The result is that in some cases more than the list rates are obtained. Furnace coal meets with good enquiry, and there is better business offering in shipping coal at full list rates. The recent advance on slack has not prejudiced the demand, which is brisk. 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. The trade of the district is considerably better than it has been. Firms engaged either directly or indirectly with Government work are, of course, all very busy; in fact, they are full up, but those whose business is only with the home trade are the ones who say there is little improvement. Prices have been moving this week, more especially in haematite, which records an advance of something like 10s. per ton, and ferro-manganese and spiegeleisen. The forges have put up their prices of what they call their second quality iron 5s. per ton, making it now with crown iron at <£8 5s., and report more business coming forward. Iron hoops <£9 2s. 6d., sheets <£8 15s. to <£9. The galvanised sheet makers are not flourishing, there being no market at present, and prices have consequently dropped. Steelworks are very busy on bars and billets at <£8, and up to <£6 10s. respectively. Engineers of the heavier sorts have now plenty of work. Textile machinery engineers are also busier, a lot of them having turned to use their light automatic tools on Government work. Wagon works are fairly well off for work at the moment. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The market on Tuesday was probably one of the most active in the history of the Yorkshire Coal Exchange. The talk of the threatened strike, the diminution in the output, and the strong demand for all qualities of coal, combined to produce great activity. Sellers were in a very marked minority, and most enquiries were met with the reply “Nothing to offer.'’ The colliery representatives stated that the pits had worked probably 44 days on the average, and that the wagon question was still causing no end of trouble. There are practically no stocks of any description at the pits, and values all round are firmer on the week. The movements of loaded trucks are still slow in the extreme, and supplies from this district to London and the south are taking from ten days to a fortnight to arrive at the destination. The house coal trade shows no falling off since our last report, the demand from London, indeed, showing, if anything, an increase. For prompt supplies of the better class coals as much as 17s. per ton at the pit has been paid this week, while secondary descriptions are quite 4s. per ton dearer than they were six weeks ago. There is a little more doing in the coastwise trade, but in this department the prices realised are not so good from a producer's point of view. In the West Riding, although no concerted action has been taken by the coal owners, nearly all of them have circularised their customers advising an immediate advance of Is. per ton in both house coal and manufacturing fuel. Average pit prices for the local trade may therefore be summarised as follows: — Haigh Moor selected, 18s. 6d. to 19s. 6d.; Silkstone best, 17s. 6d. to 18s. 6d.; Silkstone house, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d.; secondary sorts, 14s. to 15s. The position with regard to gas coal is even stronger than last week. Contract deliveries are quite inadequate to meet the needs of the situation, and very few producers have any coal to spare for the open market. Works in the south of England and in the metro- politan area are pressing for supplies from this district, and for the better qualities of screened gas coal there is no difficulty in getting 13s. per ton at the pit, with washed gas nuts up to 12s. 6d. Very little forward business is being put through, as producers prefer to wait for a more House coal:— Current L'st week's Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 16/6-17/6 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/ 14/6-15/ 12/6-13/6 House nuts 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/ 11/6-12/6 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 18/6-19/6 18/ -19/ 17/6-18/6 Silkstone best 17/6-18/6 17/ -18/ 16/9-17/6 Do. house 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ Other qualities 15/6-16/6 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 11/6-12/ Gas nuts 11/6-12/ 11/ -12/ 10/6-11/ Unscreened gas coal ... 11/ -11/6 10/6-11/ 9/6-10/ Other sorts:— Prices at pit : Washed nuts 11/6-12/6 11/ -12/6 10/6-11/ Large double-screened engine nuts 10/9-11/6 10/6-11/6 9/9-10/6 Small nuts 10/3-10/9 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/6 9/3- 9/9 Best rough slacks 8/ -9/, 8/ -9/ 7/3- 7/9 Small do. 7/ - 8/ 7/ - 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/ settled outlook before committing themselves. The position with regard to manufacturing fuel is nearly as bad as in gas coal. Large consumers in the Bradford and heavy woollen districts are quite unable to secure sufficient to keep themselves working, while prices of all qualities are appreciably higher. Washed furnace coke shows a little more firmness on the week, with average qualities about Ils. 6d. to 12s. 6d. per ton at the ovens. Barnsley. COAL. Although there was again a very strong enquiry for all descriptions of fuel at the usual weekly market, the general factor was the small quantity of coal which was available. The margin between the reduced production and contract supplies is reported to be unusually small, and coal owners could afford ’ to pay little attention to proposals for new contracts, and realise the present surplus at very advan- tageous prices. The threatened trouble in the West Yorkshire area has already had some slight effect upon the market, but there appears to be a quiet evidence prevailing that a settlement will be effected before the notices are allowed to expire. The greatest factor in the present situation appears to be due to the extraordinary delay in delivery by rail, some loaded wagons .for the south being practically held up for a month. The amount of tonnage in the hands of the railway companies, owing to non-delivery, must be extraordinarily large. It is obvious that when it is possible—at present this seems to be somewhat remote—to obtain some relief from the “hold up," there will be a considerable reaction and the present alarm will pass off. Buyers are seeking supplementary lots of contract deliveries in the hope of eventually obtaining something like adequate supplies to make their position more assured than at the present time. The revival in the demand has led to an interesting development in regard to the Great Central Railway Company's yearly contracts. Unlike other companies, the company in question would not accept a. reduction of 6d. per ton, making best Barnsley hards Ils.,, when arrangements were generally concluded in December. The railway company asked for a reduction of Is. per ton,, but the coal owners have now acted jointly in demanding 12s. per ton for best hards for the renewal of the contracts. The railway companies have been making enquiries for an unusually large tonnage of Parkgate fuel, but again the owners have demanded an increase of 6d. per ton upon the expiring contracts. In the same way the position is apparently acting adversely to the steam trawler companies, and although the Hull concerns are reported to have made arrangements for several classes of coal, the Grimsby concerns have not yet concluded arrangements. They also have been asked to pay at the rate of 12s. per ton for the best hards. In regard to large steams, the enquiry on export seems to have improved considerably and with short supplies of fuel at Hull, prices have advanced to something like 13s. per ton for the best hards, but this figure is rather nominal, and about 12s. 6d. per ton will represent the position of the market. Secondary descriptions are in a stronger position, owing to the short supply, and prices are from 11s. to 11s. 6d. per ton. There still continues to be a scarcity of all kinds of steam fuel, and exceptional prices have been obtained in cases where special delivery is possible. The position is very firm, some sales being reported at an advance of Is. per ton higher than a week ago. Coal owners also find it difficult to deal with the large number of orders on hand for slacks for the textile districts, and prices show a higher tendency. In respect to house coal, although values were advanced last week to the extent of 2s. per ton for best sorts, there appears to be no shortage of orders, particularly for London and the south, and the higher prices are readily paid for the best classes of coal. A good deal of enquiry continues for special lots of gas coal to supplement contract deliveries and there is also evidence of a continued slight improvement in respect to coke, although prices do not show any material advance. Prices at pit. Current L'st week’s Last year’s- House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 17/6-18/ 17/6-18/ 15/6-16/ Best Barnsley softs 16/6-17/ 16/6—17/ 15/ -15/3 Secondary do 13/6-14/6 13/6—14/6 12/6-14/ Best house nuts • 14/ —15/ 14/—15/ 13/ -14/6 Secondary do 11/6-12/6 11/ -12/ 11/ “12/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 12/ -12/6 11/6-12/6 11/6 Secondary do 11/6-11/9 11/3-11/6 10/9-11/ Best washed nuts 11/9-12/3 11/9—12/3 11/ -11/3- Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/3 Best slack 8/6- 9/ 8/6—9/ 7/ - 7/3 Rough do 7/ - 7/6 7/ - 7/6 5/9- 6/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/ -12/6 Unscreened do 10/6—11/6 10/6-11/6 10/ -10/6- Gas nuts 10/6-11/6 10/6-11/6 11/6-12/ Furnace coke 11/6-12/ 11/6 12/6 Hull. GOAL. The position in the export coal trade of the Humber is very little different from that stated in last week’s report,, only that the difficulties there enumerated are even still more pronounced. The question of transport dominates everything. Steamers simply cannot be had, and where one- by chance happens to come into the market, the competition for it is so great that the owner can command practically what he likes to ask. The current rate for French ports (whence comes the greatest demand at present) is 17s. to- 20s., the last-named figure having been paid this week for a small steamer from Hull to Rouen. Mediterranean busi- ness is practically at a standstill, the Italian Government taking all steamers that can be had for the conveyance of coal from this country. To-day 35s. is quoted as the- nominal rate from Hull to Genoa, though something less is reported to have been paid for a steamer, the actual terms not having transpired. There is nevertheless a good demand from France and in a lesser degree from Italy, and it would have made its effect felt upon coal prices ere now had not the freight handicap operated so pronouncedly. There is not so great a demand from Scandinavia, though Sweden has been a good buyer of Derby shires, but in these cases shipping tonnage is arranged on the other side, English shipowners being all against taking risks in the- Baltic. Prices of steam coal are firmly held, the short