THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN _______________________________________ ________________________________________ January 22, 1915. 185 output and a good home demand being the chief factors in sending them up. Fully 15s. 9d. has now to be paid for best South Yorkshire hards for prompt shipment at Hull and other Humber ports, and 15s. 6d. for best Derbyshires at Grimsby or Immingham. There is still a brisk demand for secondary sorts, and steam nuts are worth from 14s. to 15s. 3d., all manufacturing fuels also being in good request at enhanced values. There is more activity in the placing of contracts for future supplies, and a fair amount of business is reported done at about 14s. 9d. for best South Yorkshire hards for export over the first half of the year. The Hull steam trawling companies are also reported to have taken up 100,000 tons of their usual quality of Yorkshire steams at 14s. 6d. delivered at Hull Fish Dock, 10s. 6d. to Ils. 3d. having also been paid into Keel at pit. At the docks shipments, chiefly under usual contract, are only light, and there is no waiting for berths. The opinion here seems to point to the ballot of West Yorkshire miners being in favour of notices being sent in, but the disposition is not to take too serious a view of possible eventualities. Chesterfield. COAL. A strong market all round, with an active demand for all classes of fuel; indeed, it is now impossible to execute orders with anything approaching promptitude. The situation is made much more difficult owing to the con- gestion on the railways. Prices of coal are rising rapidly, but this does not tend to lessen the demand. Stocks at the collieries and in consumers’ possession are very low, and at the present rate of consumption will have disappeared altogether very shortly. Coal for manufacturing purposes is in extraordinarily great request, and where contracts were not arranged at the close of last year buyers find it almost impossible to obtain all the fuel they require. Railway companies are badly in need of larger supplies of steam coal for locomotive use, and in many cases they are compelled to draw upon their reserve stocks. The export trade is active, and a strong demand is experienced for all qualities. The best brands of Derbyshire Top Hards cannot be obtained under 15s. 9d. per ton delivered at Grimsby. Cobbles and nuts are urgently called for. Slack for boiler firing is in great demand, but the supply is much below the requirements of the market. Prices have advanced substantially until prime qualities fetch as much as 9s. per ton at the pit. The coke market is much improved. There is an excellent demand for all qualities at advancing prices. Prices at pit. _______ Prices at pit. Best household coal .............. Second, hand picked .............. Deep screened cobbles ............ Deep large nuts .................................... Bakers’ nuts....................... Small nuts ................................... Deep breeze...................... Peas ............................. Small dust ...................... Main nuts for London kitcheners ... Steams, best hand picked .......... Steams, seconds .................. Main cobbles for kitcheners ........ Main breeze...................... ________________________________ Current prices. 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ 14/ —15/ 13/6-14/6 13/ -14/ 11/6-12/ 11/ -12/ 8/9- 9/9 2/ - 2/3 12/3-12/9 11/6-12/6 10/6-11/6 12/3-12/9 10/6-11/6 L’stweek’s prices. 15/6-16/6 14/6-15/6 14/ -15/ 13/6-14/6 12/6-13/6 11/- 11/6 10/ -10/6 8/9- 9/6 1/9- 2/3 12/3-12/9 11/6-12/6 10/ -11/6 12/3-12/9 9/6-10/ ________________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The question of the adequate supply of coal is becoming a serious problem. Manufacturers are living from hand to mouth, and output is curtailed owing to shortage of fuel. There is a shortage of labour at the collieries. One estimate puts the number of men at work in the Cannock district at 77i per cent, of the normal, and from Hamstead Colliery over 200 men have'joined the Colours, and to make matters worse, work has been hindered not only there, but in Bloxwich and Walsall districts, by inroads of water. One pit, at least, is entirely closed, and there may be others. Traffic, too, is congested, and proper supplies are not likely to be obtainable till February. The following are the basic prices, but some irregularity prevails :— Prices at pit. Current L’stweek’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 16/ 13/6 15/6 Secondary do 15 6 12/6 13/6 Cobbles .... 15/ 11/6 12/6 Nuts 13/6 10 6 11/6 Slack 9/ 7/6 - 8/ IRON. The iron trade is steadily improving, and prospects are encouraging. Pig iron is in better demand, and orders for finished iron are coming to hand in satisfactory numbers. It is feared that shortage of labour will seriously interfere with the expansion of trade. , --------------------------------________ _______ Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 19/6 19/6 18/6 Do. seconds deep 17/6 17/6 16/ Do. best shallow 16/6 16/6 14/9 Do. seconds do. 15/ 15/ 14/ Best hard 14/6 14/6 15/ Forge coal 10/6 10/6 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 7/ 7/ 7/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 17/6 17/6 16/6 cobs 15/6 15/6 14,1 Best hard spires 16/ 16/ 15/ Forge (steam) 11/6 11/6 11/ D.S. nuts (steam) 10/6 10/6 10/ Small (do.) 9/ 9/ 8/3 Prices at pithead. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack Steam coal:— Large Small Current prices. 18/6 17/6 i 17/9 ! 16/ i 7/6 14/ 8/6-9/ L’stweek’s prices. 18/6 17/6 17/9 16/ 7/6 13/6-14/ 8/6- 8/9 Last year’s prices. 17/6 16/6 16/9 15/ 6/6 12/6-13/ 8/6- 9/ Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. _________________ Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that there is a good demand for house and steam coal, but owing to the abnormally high freights, supplies are chiefly confined to railborne coal from Wales, Forest of Dean, the Midlands and Yorkshire. From some districts the rail rate is only half of what is asked for seaborne, and in the case of extreme distances equal qualities of house coal can be obtained at from 3s. to 4s. cheaper by rail than by steamer. The result is that offers of steamers are now being largely disregarded by buyers on the south coast and inland, and until steamship owners are in a position to accept con- siderably lower freights, the seaborne means of transit are likely to be neglected. A good many steamers on old contracts are still coming forward to the various ports. Sailing freights are more reasonable. In some districts merchants who are working on old contracts have recently made but little advance in retail prices. ___________________________________________ THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, January 21. ___________________________________________ Nottingham. COAL. There has been no decline in the activity of the Nottinghamshire coal trade during the past week. If anything, business has been a little brisker, and the spell of colder weather has caused more orders to come to hand. With the increased output in consequence of many miners enlisting, most collieries are having to work full time to meet requirements, although in some cases scarcity of wagons prevents the output being as large as it might otherwise be. In the house coal section the demand for better-class qualities is very keen, and with owners being unable to execute orders as early as desired, some merchants are purchasing second-grade fuel more freely. Gas coal is in improved request, and, apart from contract supplies, Is. per ton advance is being given. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals......... Secondary do............. Best hard coals.......... Secondary do............. Slacks (best hards) ..... Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............. Current prices. 14/ -15/ 13/ -13/6 12/6-13/ 11/ -11/6 10/3-10/9 7/6- 8/ 6/9- 7/3 6/9- 7/3 L’st week’s prices. 14/ -15/ 13/ -13/6 12/6-13/ 10/9-11/3 10/ -10/6 7/6- 8/ 6/6- 7/ 6/6- 7/ Last year’s prices. 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 11/6-12/ 11/3-11/6 10 -10/9 7/9- 8/ 6/6- 7/3 6/9- 7/6 -------_______ _______ Leicestershire. COAL. The changes which are now developing in this district all tend to indicate further movements of the highest importance, and possibly Government intervention in some form or other so as to ensure that all the colliery output shall be devoted to the most pressing requirements of the State during this time of grave national peril. The working of the pits has been sadly interrupted, and the position daily grows more complicated. There is great difficulty in securing anything like adequate supplies of empty wagons. The congestion daily becomes more serious, and as an inevitable result the pits can only be worked according to the conditions which actually prevail at any given time. There are accumulations at every pit in the sidings of coal which has been consigned to various parts of the country, but it must be distinctly understood that there is no holding up of coal in the ordinary sense. Apart from household coal the vast bulk of the supplies are to meet the urgent necessities of this district and especially the large number of firms engaged in the most vital Governmental work for the Army and Navy. In all cases firms engaged in Government work have a distinct preference over everybody else, and this very wise policy will continue to be strictly enforced. Prices are very firm all round, with a decided upward tendency, and a number of adjustments have been made to meet the new conditions’ IRON. A large volume of business has resulted from the quarterly meeting, and during the next quarter there is a prospect of activity in most branches. Iron and steel producers are working to the full extent of their resources, and the claims of the recruiting sergeant are pressing heavily upon them. In the main business has been con- ducted during the week on the basis of last Thursday’s rates, but in some, departments the trend is still upward. For merchant bars, for instance, the range is now <£7 12s. 6d. to £7 15s. delivered Birmingham. This represents an advance of 2s. 6d., and is brought about by the high price of pig iron and of coal. Similarly, nut and bolt iron has jumped up, current quotations being £7 5s. to £7 10s. delivered Darlaston. A few weeks ago sales were made as low as £6 17s. 6d. to £7. A good trade continues to be done in marked bars, on the £9 basis, at which they have stood for some months. Producers of pig iron are working under difficulties. They find themselves short of ironstone and limestone, due partly to lessened production and traffic congestion. The output is, therefore, curtailed, and stocks are being rapidly reduced. Consumers are more willing to place contracts for future delivery than smelters are to accept them, as the latter are convinced higher prices will be attained during the quarter. Few of them, therefore, will book beyond three months. Northamp- tonshire forge was quoted in the neighbourhood of 55s. to 56s., Derbyshire 59s. to 60s., Staffordshire cinder 54s., ditto part-mine 59s. to 60s. There is not sufficient force behind the market for galvanised sheets to send up prices, which remain at £11 5s. for export and £11 10s. for the home trade. With spelter at £32 to £32 10s. delivered in Birmingham, sheet bars at a minimum of £5 15s., wages high, and coal difficult to get, there is little, if any, margin of profit in these rates. Black sheets are also inactive. Small rounds are about £8 a ton (three-eighths basis), though in special cases £7 17s. 6d. is accepted. Steel rounds are 12s. 6d. a ton more owing to the high price of billets—an altogether abnormal difference — and many users are getting supplies from South Wales in preference to this district, the South Wales prices being 2s. 6d. to 5s. cheaper. Gas strip makers have participated sufficiently in the improvement to justify them in raising prices to £7 5s. for lots of 25 tons and upwards, and £7 10s. for smaller lots. Steel strip is £8 5s., and hinge strip £7 17s. 6d. to £8. The steel trade, despite serious difficulties, is maintained at high pressure, and enquiries are coming to hand from various parts of Eorope which have hitherto relied for their supplies on German sources. Discounts on all classes of gas, water, and steam tubes have been reduced 2| per cent. ___________________ Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. GOAL. For a few days past tonnage has been arriving in much better quantity, and the position at the docks now is that stocks are being rapidly reduced, while at collieries there continues great difficulty in obtaining anything like normal outputs, because of the shortage of labour and the unskill- fulness of much that is available. A good demand for coal exists, while chartering goes along in a satisfactory way as regards the number of fixtures, although owners are not a bit pushful, even now expecting still higher freights. As compared with a week ago, these are still gaining strength, one of the latest fixtures being Gibraltar at 22s. for 1,350 tons, which has often been done at one-fourth the money. Both large and small coals are steadily firmer, with sellers’ prices quite up to the figures quoted, and in a few cases, where stems are very favourable, even higher. Through coals and nuts show little change, but coke is now firmer, in sympathy with the increasing activity in the iron and steel trades. Pitwood remains very dear, but the pressure has been relieved by the arrival of a few Useful lots, values now running near 28s. for good wood ex ship. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals: — Best Black Vein large... We stern-valleys, ordin’y Best Eastern-valleys ... Secondary do. Best small coals ..... Secondary do.......... Inferior do........... Screenings ........... Through coals ......... Best washed nuts...... Other sorts:— Best house coal........ Secondary do.......... Patent fuel ........... Furnace coke........... Foundry coke .......... Current prices. 17/6-17/9 17/ -17/6 16/6-17/ 16/3-16/6 11/9-12/3 11/ -11/3 10/ -10/3 12/ -12/3 13/6-14/ 15/6-15/9 18/6-19/ 17/ -17/6 19/ -20/ 20/ -22/ 24/ -26/6 L’st week’s prices. 17/3-17/9 17/ -17/3 16/3-16/9 16/ -16/3 11/9-12/3 11/ -11/3 10/ —10/3 12/ -12/3 13/3-13/9 15/9-16/ Last year’s prices. 17/3-17/6 16/6-16/9 16/ -16/3 15/3-15/6 8/3- 8/6 7/9- 8/ 7/3- 7/6 8/6 13/3-13/6 13/9-14/ 18/6-19/ 17/ —17/6 19/ -20/ 20/ -21/ 23/ —25/6 18/ -19/ 1Y/ -18/ 19/6-20/ 19/ -20/ 23/ -25/ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. There is still insufficient coal available to cope with the heavy demand, outputs being less owing to the shortage of labour. This applies to both the house and steam coal trades. All the pits continue to work at full pressure, and stocks of all descriptions are conspicuous by their absence. Orders from the inland districts are very plentiful, and there is a delay of two to three week - in despatching some qualities. Cargo orders are good, but there is much difficulty in securing boats. Smalls are in good request, and all produced is easily placed. IRON. Business is reported good in all departments, with prices firmer all round. Enquiry is better, but producers are not disposed to commit themselves further ahead, unless they receive considerable inducement in the matter of price. With freights still steadily increasing, and raw material becoming very scarce, values are gaining strength rapidly. Work at both bar and rail mills is consistently good, while mills in operation report full outputs. Prices have advanced on the week to £5 7s. 6d. to £5 10s. for Siemens tin-plate and sheet bars, with Bessemers Is. 3d. less. Heavy rails are firm at £6 7s. 6d. per ton, with the usual extras for light sections. Welsh haematite is in strong demand, with prices advanced to 83s. 6d. to 85s. delivered to works in the dis- trict. Iron ore is increasing in value, being now quoted 22s. to 23s. c.i.f. Newport for best Rubio. The tin-plate department shows a marked improvement. More actual business is being put through, while enquiry for both prompt and forward delivery is more active, and prices have advanced, being now based upon 13s. 3d. for I.C. 20 by 14. Cardiff. COAL. The position is very much the same as it was a week ago. Tonnage arrivals have been by no means satisfactory, with the result that even the best collieries have experienced considerable difficulty in providing full work. In numbers of cases there have been partial, if not whole day, stoppages. Chartering during the week, notwithstanding the extrava- gant rates which have had to be paid, was very satisfactory, being, with one exception, the highest total reported since the declaration of war. The actual figures were 275,000 tons, which, of course, does not include Admiralty tonnage. In consequence of the high rates of freight prevailing, ship owners are avoiding the coal ports as much as possible, as they run the risk of their boats being commandeered by the Government. It is reported that at least one boat has been taken in this way during the last few days. The Admiralty are still in need of tonnage, and there appears to be a feeling abroad that steps may be taken by the Government to compel owners to place their ships at the disposal of the Admiralty. In the words of the old Latin adage : “ The