March 5, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 409 Sunderland. . , > COAL. The exports from Sunderland last week amounted to 67,070 tons of coal and 980 tons of coke, as compared with 102,375 tons of coal and 2,075 tons of coke for the corre- sponding period of 1914, being a decrease of 35,305 tons of coal and 1,095 tons of coke. The coal market continues to show strength, especially for steams, this section of the trade being decidedly firmer, and sellers have again raised their limits for this month’s shipments, buyers being numerous and supplies limited, but for April delivery the high prices demanded by sellers has brought business practically to a standstill. Gas descriptions are steady, with a fair enquiry. Coking unscreened is also steady, and this also applies to bunkers and coke. The Gas Light and Coke Company (London) are reported to have already purchased large quantities of the cheaper classes of Durham coal at 14s. per ton, and are now negotiating for some of the better classes at 15s. per ton. It is said that few of the collieries are able to offer more than 50 per cent, of the quantities asked for. A large quantity of Tyne second steams are said to have been sold at 20s. shipment May to October. The following are nominal market quotations :— Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Gas coals:— Special Wear gas coals Secondary do. House coals:— Best house coals Ordinary do Other sorts :— Lambton screened South Hetton do Lambton unscreened ... South Hetton do Do. treble nuts Coking coals unscreened Do. smalls Smithies Peas and nuts Best bunkers Ordinary bunkers Coke:— Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. Teesside furnaces) ... Gas coke...1. Current prices. 13/ 12/3 20/ -22/ 17/6-18/ 20/ 20/ 12/6-12/9 12/6-12/9 14/ 13/ 12/ 15/ 16/ -17/ 13/6 12/3 22/ -23/ 21/ 13/ -13/6 L’st week’s prices. 13/ 12/ 18/ -18/6 17/ -17/6 17/6-18/ 17/6 12/6 12/3 16/3 11/9-12/ 11/6 14/ 17/ -17/6 13/ 12/3 20/6 19/6 13/ Last year’s prices. 13/6 12/ 16/6 15/ 14/3 14/ 12/6 12/6 15/9 12/6 12/3 15/3 15/9 13/3 12/6 20/ 19/ 14/ Outward chartering has been brisk, the coasting and French ports marking advances. Mediterranean is also very firm, and Bay rates remain at the same high level. Recent fixtures include London 15s. 6d., Havre 23s., Rouen 25s., Bordeaux 30s., St. Nazaire 30s., Elsinore 24s., Odense 23s. 6d., Faaborg 22s. 6d., Genoa 43s. 6d., Barcelona 40s., Marseilles 37s. 6d., Naples 43s., Oran 32s. 6d., Port Said 32s. 6d., Las Palmas 26s. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. In the fuel trade a stronger tone all round is noticeable. Producers of Durham coal have still ground for complaint as to the inadequate supply of steamers, but they report increasing enquiry for fuel, and they are stiffening their quotations. Best Durham gas coal ranges from 12s. 6d. to 13s., and second sorts run from 11s. to 12s. according to quality; whilst special Wear gas is put at 14s. Bunker coal continues in good request. Ordinary Durhams are Ils. 6d. f.o.b., best kinds 12s. 6d., and specials 13s. 6d. to 14s. Household coal is very strong. Coking coal is in good demand, and shows a marked upward tendency. The Altos-Hornos Ironworks of Bilbao are enquiring for a large quantity of Durham coking coal for delivery over the present year. Coking smalls are a good deal enquired for on French and Italian account. Smalls are 10s. to 10s. 6d., and unscreened kinds 11s. 3d. to 12s. Coke prices are stiffening. Foundry kinds for shipment vary from 18s. to 20s. f.o.b. Gashouse coke is scarce, and is quite 13s. Furnace coke is in good request for local consumption, and average Durham kinds are firm at 18s. delivered at Teesside works. IRON. February shipments of pig iron from the Tees were on a very small scale, amounting to only 16,888 tons, as com- pared with 19,110 tons in the previous month, and 96,202 tons in the month of February a year ago. There were no shipments of pig iron from Skinningrove during last month. Of the pig iron loaded at Middlesbrough, 12,368 tons went foreign, and 4,520 tons to home customers. Japan was the largest buyer, with 4,855 tons; whilst the Tyne received 2,400 tons, Italy 2,200 tons, Denmark 1,629 tons, Norway 1,254 tons, and Holland 1,110 tons. The loadings of manu- factured iron on the Tees during the second month of this year reached 14,109 tons, of which 9,003 tons went foreign and 5,106 tons to home Customers; and those of steel amounted to 18,234 tons, 15,919 tons of which went abroad, and 2,315 tons coastwise. India was the largest buyer, taking 4,384 tons of manufactured iron and 9,394 tons of steel. The Argentine received 4,093 tons of manufactured iron. There is little business passing in pig iron, prices of which are rather easy. No. 3 g.m.b. Cleveland is 56s. 9d., No. 1 is 59s., No. 4 foundry 56s. 3d., and No. 4 forge ancl mottled and white iron each 55s. 9d. East coast hsematite mixed numbers are offered rather freely at 90s. As a rule that figure is named by makers, but there are second hands who are prepared to entertain offers at 87s. 6d. Foreign ore is very strong. A cargo of best rubio has been sold this week at 28s. 6d. ex ship, and quotations for other imported ore are valued on that basis. Some sellers, however, ask more. Ore steamers are still difficult to arrange. The latest fixture reported is 14s. 6d. Bilbao- Middlesbrough. All branches of the manufactured iron and steel industries are going at full pressure and this is likely to continue for some time. A few orders continue to come. Quotations all round are very firm. Cumberland. Maryport. . COAL. The coal trade is; still in a healthy condition, and great activity continues to prevail in all branches. There is a Brisk demand from both works and best house fuel for the home market, and with 23 furnaces in blast, manufacturing requirements are likely to increase. The export trade is very brisk ; there is a growing demand for all sorts for the cross-channel market and merchants are still unable to secure more than one-half. of., their usual supplies. The shipments are not unusually heavy for the time of the year, but with the restricted outputs owing to the scarcity of labour, very few of the collieries have much surplus coal for shipping, after meeting the needs of the 300 odd coke ovens that are in operation in the county. The require- ments of Irish merchants have been so great during the past few weeks, that if coal could have been secured almost double the quantity could have been shipped from Maryport alone. In fact the demand from both home and Irish accounts have grown to such an extent that users are now mostly going short. At the recent annual meeting of the Maryport and Carlisle Railway Company, the chairman said that the coal from the local collieries was down 55,000 tons, and he thought that might be accounted for by the fact that the Oughterside Colliery were turning most of their coal into coke. This condition of things prevails more or less throughout the county. The amount of coal now going to the local ovens is so great that there is very little available coal for either shipping or landsale. All the collieries are working full time, and at some of the pits efforts are being made to induce the hewers to work more regularly in order to increase the outputs. For the last fortnight there has been no sailings to Cork, but with this exception, the whole of the steamers are sailing regularly between Maryport and the Irish ports. The tonnage from Maryport to Ireland last week amounted to 3,470 tons, a decrease of 910 tons compared with the previous week. The shipments from the various collieries were as follow : Brayton Domain 2,230 tons, St. Helens 820 tons, Allerdale 350 tons and Flimby 70 tons; 1,050 tons were consigned to Belfast, 420 to Dublin, 380 to Carrickfergus and 300 to Londonderry, while the remaining cargoes were for Port Rush, White Abbey, Portaferry, Killyleagh, Larne, Polnachie, Kircubbin, and Port William. The shipments for February amounted to 17,030 tons. Coke is in heavy demand and the whole of the output from the Cumberland ovens is being absorbed by local smelters. The east coast supplies of coke to West Cumberland are between 3,500 and 4,000 tons weekly. Prices of best coal are firm but unchanged. At Workington, Allerdale best coal delivered in bags is quoted at Is. l^d. per cwt., best coal 21s. per ton, with best washed nuts at 20s. per ton. At Maryport best coal delivered in bags is quoted at Is. 2^d. per cwt., best coal 23s. 4d. per ton, washed nuts 21s. 8d. per ton 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 prices. 20/6-21/ 20/ 19/2 19/2 17/1 20/ 18/4 15/6 13/6-14/ 14/6-15/ L’st week’s prices. 20/6-21/ 20/ 19/2 19/2 17/1 20/ 18/4 15/6 13/6-14/ 14/6-15/ IRON. There has been very little change this week in the Cumberland haematite iron trade. Bessemer mixed numbers are still quoted at 90s. per ton free on board at the usual ports, with warrants at cash at 82s. 6d. per ton. Business in ordinary haematites is only quiet, and buyers appear to have satisfied their requirements for some weeks ahead. There is still a firm demand for special iron, which is quoted at about 100s. per ton, and ferro-manganese is fairly steady at the advanced price of <£13 per ton. Makers, how- ever, can look upon the present quietudeAvith complacency, as they are well supplied with orders, and on present contracts they can keep the whole of the furnaces in blast till June at the very least. The whole of the production of the 23 furnaces which are at present in operation in West Cumberland and the Furness districts is being fully absorbed, and the stocks which were in makers’ yards have now practically disappeared. The stocks in public stores at present amount to 3,912 tons, compared with 8,414 tons at the corresponding period of last year. No further depreciation in values is apprehended—in fact, it would be difficult to see how this could occur at a time when labour is so scarce and while the high price of raw materials continues. In some quarters it is held that the downward tendency has already been arrested, and that a further buying movement may be expected about the beginning of April, when users will be replenishing their stocks. There are 15 furnaces in blast in Cumberland and eight in the Furness district. The Workington Iron and Steel Company have two furnaces employed in the manufacture of ferro-manganese at their Old Side Works. Both Workington and Barrow are making partly for the market and partly for home consumption at' the steelworks. A number of the furnaces are making special brands of iron for the high-class steel makers at Sheffield and Birmingham. The steel trade is extremely brisk, and both Workington and Barrow are busy on rails, plates, tyres and axles. The iron ore industry in the Cleator Moor and Egremont district is in a satisfactory condition, all the mines being fully employed. Iron ore at the Cumberland mines, which is still in brisk request, is quoted at from 23s. to 32s. 6d. per ton according to grade. The imports at Workington last week included 206 tons of briquettes from Runcorn, and the exports consisted of 210 tons of sleepers and keys, and 330 tons of rails, sleepers and keys for Liverpool, and 990 tons of pig iron for Port Talbot. A large cargo of Spanish ore for the Workington Iron and Steel Company is due at Maryport to-day (Friday). South-West Lancashire. COAL. There is no cessation in the pressure for household fuel, and prices continue as last reported. The quantity of screened coal going into consumption for forge and manu- facturing purposes is still increasing. There is nothing fresh to report with regard to steam coal since last week. There is, perhaps, at the moment hardly so much enquiry for outside steamers. Supplies of bunker fueL on contract account continue limited, and not equal to requirements; There is still considerable delay in working traffic, which is aggravated by labour troubles with the dockers at Liver- pool. It is difficult to state exact price of Lancashire steam coal, there being so little on offer, for outside sale; 19s. 6d. to 20s. 6d. about represents the market at the present time; There is a brisk demand for coal for coastwise: and crOss- Channel shipments, and good prices are in vogue for what little quantity of coal is available for spot sale. Practically the whole output of slack is still going .in satisfaction of contract requirements. If some small quantity can be eked out here and there for open sale, high prices are quoted. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current. L’stweelPs Lastyear’s House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 17/9 < 17/9 . Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) About 22/ ■ 22/ 16/9-17/3 Medium 16/ 16/ , 15/3 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 1'5/'-15/6 Kitchen 13/9 13/9 13/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) About 18/ 18/ 13/6-14/3 Screened forge coal 14/ —15/ 14/ -15 12/3-12/6 Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. 19/6-20/6 19/ -20/ 13/ -13/9 Best slack 12/ 12/ 9/9-10/ Secondary slack 10/9 ' . 10/9 9/ - 9/3 Common do ■ 9/9 ; . . 9/9 8/6- 8/9 South Lancashire and Cheshire. GOAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange, was well attended on Tuesday. The demand for all classes of fuel is maintained. There is perhaps a little more house coal offered, but prices all round are very firm, and at higher rates in cases; The list rates are as below. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coal.-— prices. prices. prices. Best 18/ -18/9 18/ -18/9 17/3-18/ Medium , 16/9-17/3 16/9-17/3 16/ -16/9 Common 14/ -14/9 14/ -14/9 13/3-14/ Furnace coal A2/ - ' ' ■ 12/' ' ' 12 6 Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) .15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 14/ ' Best slack 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/6 Common slack 9/ -10/ 9/ -10/ 9/ - 9/6 IRON. Good foundry iron remains much as previously reported in the neighbourhood of 63s. There is not much enquiry at the moment, consumers seem to have covered themselves as much as they can and, makers are not anxious to sell forward. Forges are very busy in iron, which continues to be quoted at <£8 15s. .for crown, <£8 10s. second quality, and <£10 2s. 6d. hoops, but they again are not keen to book contracts. Steel works are very busy both on war material and for home trade. Bars are quoted at <£9 5s., and billets at <£7 10s., deliveries are very hard to:get hold of, and. the outputs, in spite of war boiiuses/contiriue to be on the low side. All the trades in the district, such as wagon builders, engineers, Ac., report themselves full or .orders. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. There was a very large attendance of traders at the market on Tuesday, all braUches being represented. The demand for coal was exceedingly active, and there were numerous enquiries concerning all descriptions, with special emphasis on the demand ;for steam Coal, gas nuts and specialised factory fuel. . Colliery representatives reported that about five days’ work had been possible at the pits, but that this time had been worked only with great difficulty on account' of the seHous position with regard to trucks. Matters in this respect seem to be worse this week than ever. Cases were mentioned on the market where private trucks fropi London and the south of England had been standing under load in colliery sidings for a month, and the railway companies decline to take them out. In most cases colliery owners are refusing to send their trucks to the distant markets and the railway companies also refuse to send railway trucks ; and, therefore, the position is one of very great difficulty" as regards business with London: -and the south. It -has been said that supplies are going \ through to the London market more freely, but this does not apply as regards this district. There will really have' to be some- thing done either in the way of pooling mineral trucks or giving better facilities for the transit of private trucks, or business will become impossible. In these circumstances pit prices are more or less nominal. Those able to guarantee prompt despatch have no difficulty in securing 21s, to 22s. per ton at the pits for the very best qualities of ' house coal for the London district, while common quality house coal has been sold for prompt delivery at 18s. at the pit. Merchants in the south of England are finding it quite impossible to pay the high freights which, ar ebeing quoted for the coastwise trade. It is said that 14s. 6d. per ton has been paid this week for a boat from Hull to the south coast, while another transaction is reported of 13s. 6d. from Goole to London. This question of freights has a direct influence on the railborne trade and causes increased pressure for supplies in that way. With the turn of the month the colder weather has further stimulated the retail trade at the West Riding depots, and merchants are fully employed. Supplies are still very difficult to. secure, 4 and prices all round are firm, as underHaigh Moor selected, 19s. to 20s.; Silkstone best, 18s. to 19s. ; Silkstone house, 17s. to 18s.; other qualities, 16s. to 17s. ' There is no falling off' in the demand for gas coal, and/ sales reported this week are at even higher prices than those named last week. Forward business is as yet uncertain, but those closely connected with the gas coal trade say ’that the' advance in price will - certainly be not less than 5s. per ton on last year’s contracts. We understand that business of - considerable magnitude has been booked already on these, ter ms. The settlement of the disputes in the Batley district has caused a little more factory fuel to be on offer, but supplies are still very meagre, and quite inadequate : to meet the demand.