March 19, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

601

firm, and are expected to rise, the cost of production
having gone up considerably during the war. In the
pig iron market, the demand for war material has not
only led to the whole of the output finding a ready
sale, but also diminished the old stocks, to such an
extent that every endeavour will have to be made to
increase the output during the next few months. The
possibility of accomplishing this object will greatly
depend on the ability to procure a sufficiency of ore,
stocks of which are being used up and need replenishing.

Rhine Traffic Conditions.

The depth of the river at Caub having fallen to about
6 ft. at the beginning of the month, shipment up the
river has become somewhat irregular, and craft have
had to be lightened en route for the Main and Upper
Rhine. Consequently, increasing difficulty is being
experienced in supplying the recently improved demand
for coal in South Germany. Stocks arc few, and
oncoming shipments are taken over at once. The traffic
has also been seriously retarded by fogs. The canal
traffic with inland towns in Belgium is suffering from a
shortage of barges.

The Belgische Stahlwerkskontor has increased the
prices of its products by 15-20 per cent.

Rhenish-Westphalian Iron Market.

The principal change in the market of late has been
the considerable upward movement in prices owing to
the increased cost of production, a factor which is likely
to remain in operation for a long time by reason of the
scarcity of labour and raw material. Ores are still
scarce and in active request, especially manganese ore,
which cannot be raised in sufficient quantities. The
supply of foreign ores is short and is all absorbed by
existing contracts, none being available in the open
market. Prices are going up. though Siegerland
ironstone is still quoted at 12'80 mk. for crude and
19'50 mk. for roasted. Nassau red ironstone is in
particular demand, and the mines cannot produce fast
enough. The standard quotation of 16’50 mk. per
ton on a 50 per cent, basis is being exceeded, contracts
having been placed at 17 mk. Hessian brown iron-
stone sells freely at 12’50 mk. ex Mucke-Hungen.
The supply of minette ore is insufficient, labour being
very scarce in the south, and traffic delayed. Com-
plaints are also heard about the low-grade character of
the consignments. Prices are based on 3’50 to 3’60
marks per ton for 30 per cent. ore.

Pig Iron.—The demand continues unabated, especially
for foundry pig intended for war mateiial ; and the
works cannot meet the supply. Luxemburg foundry
pig, also, is in growing request. The active enquiry for
all grades of steel, open-hearth in particular, has forced
up the price of scrap, which is also scarce, many holders
keeping out of the market in the hope of obtaining
better prices later. Heavy casting scrap fetches 100 mk.
and more per ton, as compared with 70-75 mk. a little
while back. Melting scrap is now quoted at 40 mk.,
iron turnings at 45 mk., prime core scrap at 66 mk.,
and railway and machine-shop scrap at 69 mk. Cropped
rail ends fetch 80-85 mk., fresh heavy scrap 69-70 mk.,
and plate scrap 65 mk. per ton.

Semis.—There is no great change, though larger
deliveries have been called for, buyers anticipating a
rise, which has now come to pass, rates being 7’50 mk.
higher. The Steel Union has also cancelled the export
rebate. Prices for the second quarter have been fixed
at: Crude ingots 97’50 mk., cogged ingots 102’50 mk.,
billets 110 mk., plate bars 112’50 mk., open-hearth
grades being 5 mk. higher than these figures.

Bars. — The market is considerably firmer, the
Convention having increased prices by 5 mk. per ton,
so that the ruling rates are 117’50 mk. for delivery up
to the end of March, and 120 mk. for delivery up to end
June, ex Oberhausen or Neunkirchen. For deliveries
to the Balkan States, an agreement with the Silesian
works has fixed the lowest basis price at 125 mk.,
ex Konigshiitte. Small parcels for prompt delivery
are selling at 125-130 mk., and even higher; and. still
more is obtainable for export. Universal iron sells at
the same rate as bars, and hoop iron, which is much
wanted for war material, fetches 130 mk. Welding iron
costs 148 mk. ex works, and horse-shoe and rivet bars
163 mk. Business in sections is improving, but is not
expected to be very good owing to the depression in the
building trade. Prices have risen by 10 mk. under the
influence of higher cost of production, are now 120mk.
ex Diedenhofen, with the usual trade discounts, and the
customary zonal additions.

Plate is in greater demand both in the home and
neutral markets, and the works are therefore keeping
prices up. Ordinary basic plate fetches 127^ mk. ex
Essen, Siegen or Dillingen, less H per cent., and a
rebate of 1-2 mk. according to quality. Structural plate
costs 132J mk., boiler plate 140 mk. For export, basic
plate is quoted at 125 mk., structural plate 135 mk., and
boiler plate up to 150 mk. net cash ex works. Medium
and fine plate also make higher prices, 135-140 mk., or
still more for export, although not under the Conven-
tion.

Wire.—The depression has passed away, the works
having got into touch with one another, and the demand
being better. The price for mild steel rolled wire has
been fixed at 115 mk. ex works, and a further advance
is probable. Galvanised is quoted at 165 mk., and
barbed at 220 mk.

Bailway Superstructural Material.—The Prussian
State Railways are taking large quantities, and as the
Union recently booked several heavy foreign contracts,
the works are full up with orders for a long time ahead,
and prices are going up. Heavy rails are‘quoted 137 to
150 mk. for the home market, and 120-130 mk. for
export. Very little is doing in pit rails and field
railway rails, especially for export, but prices have risen
to 120-130 ink. for home, and 115-120 mk. for export.
Tramway rails are very quiet, both for home and

abroad, prices ruling at 145-150 mk., and 125-135 mk.
respectively.

Traffic on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in 1914.

The “down” traffic amounted to a total of 1,687,194
tons (2,045,778 tons in 1913), of which 1,256,335 tons
(1,636,144 tons) were coal, 50,288 tons (51,431 tons)
iron and steel, and 280,571 tons (358,203 tons) other
merchandise. The “up” traffic totalled 1,731,477 tons
(2,222,929 tons), including 1,105,596 tons (1,499.602 tons)
of ore. 66,257 tons (113,663 tons) timber, and 96,450 tons
(126.156 tons) sand and stone. The total receipts of
592,119 mk. (696,157 mk.) included 513,684 mk. (617,581
mk.) for canal dues, and 78,435 mk. (78,576 mk.)
from other sources. The expenditure, 1,035,548 mk.
(1,158,850 mk.) included 215,267 mk. (220,985 mk.) for
salaries, wages, &c., and 820,281 mk. (937,865 mk.) for
materials.

Coal Syndicate Report for January.

In addition to the particulars of output, &c., given
last week, the full report states that the output of the
pits having a sales agreement with the Syndicate
amounted to 378,516 tons (507,868 tons), a decline of
129,352 tons in comparison with January of last year.
The total coal distribution was 342,131 tons (459,558
tons), a deficit of 117,427 tons; and of this total 124,825
tons (168,695 tons) were sold through the Syndicate, a
deficit of 43,870 tons. The total production of coke was
106,761 tons (127,975 tons), a deficit of 21,214 tons ; the
sales through the Syndicate being 64,710 tons (82,940
tons), a deficit of 18,230 tons. The briquette output
was 3,023 tons (nil), of which 3,020 tons (nil) were for
Syndicate account. During the first six months of the
war the total coal output of the syndicated pits was
33,522,416 tons (49,969,571 tons for the corresponding
period of 1913), a deficit of 16,447,515 tons, or 32 91 per
cent. The calculated distribution was 25,073,208 tons
(38,946,308 tons), a deficit of 13,873,100 tons, or 35’62
per cent. The total coal distribution of the syndicated
pits was 32,875,673 tons (49,245,943 tons), a deficit of
16,370,270 tons, or 33'24 per cent.

Exports of German Coal to Italy.

The total consignments vid the St. Gothard Railway
in January amounted to 59,634 tons (34,436 tons), an
increase of 25,198 tons. These figures include 37,984
tons (18,336 tons) from the Ruhr district, an increase of
19,644 tons; 8,596 tons (10,746 tons) for the Saar, a
deficit of 2,150 tons ; 9,058 tons (3,872 tons) from Upper
Rhine ports, an increase of 5,186 tons; and 2,750 tons.
(585 tons) from Lothringen, an increase of 2,165 tons
During the first six months of the war the traffic
declined by 37,576 tons as compared with 1913, the Saar
district sending 61,706 tons less, whilst the Ruhr con-
signments increased by 21,888 tons.

Company Reports.

The Siegerlander Bisensteinverein G.m.b.H., Siegen,
has raised the price of raw ore by 1-1’40 mk. per ton
according to quality, and that of roasted ore by 2 mk.

Steinkohlen A.G. Bockiva - Hohndorf - Vereinigtfeld,
Lichtenstein.—The coal output for the year was 237,401
tons (261,810 tons), of which 205,244 tons (225,915 tons)
were sold, at an average price of 15T3 mk. (15T1
mk.) per ton. After writing off 270,108 mk.
(315,043 mk.), a net profit of 504,273 mk. (571,285
mk.) was obtained. The distribution amounts to
160 mk. (180 mk.) per share.

Zechau - Krebitscher Kohleniverke Glilckauf A.G.,
Zechau.—The outbreak of war affected the company to
such an extent that no dividend is to be paid (2 per cent,
last year). The Herzog Ernst pit has been closed,
since, with the lessened output, it could not be worked
without serious loss, and all new and development work
is to be restricted to the minimum.

The Deutsch - Oesterreichische Bergwerksgesellschaft,
Berlin, proposes to pay a dividend of 12 per cent., the
same as last year. .

The Bheinisch-Nassauische Bergwerks und Hiitten
A.G. has made a net profit of 1,003,880 mk.
(1,108,061 mk.).

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.

The Editors are not responsible either for the statements
made, or the opinions expressed- by correspondents.'

All communications must be authenticated by the name and
address of the sender, whether for publication or not.
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications.

As replies to questions are only given by way of published
answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped
addressed envelopes are not required to be sent.

THE REDUCTION OF WORKING COSTS
AT THE FACE.

Sirs,—I have learned many useful lessons from Mr.
H. W. Halbaum’s writings on mining, but I am afraid
that I’cannot accept, sans phrase, his dicta in logic and.
the ethics of criticism. He says in your issue of 12th
inst., “ Mr. Gibson’s attitude reminds one of that taken
up by the mining engineers of 30 years ago.” My,
criticism of Mr. Cashmore’s paper was based largely on
his fallacy of ratiocination in supposing that a principle
true in the abstract must hold under all sets of circum-
stances.

Mr. Halbaum falls into a somewhat similar error. He
infers, because of my criticism of Mr. Cashmore’s pro-
posals, that I want to stop or delay the use of labour
saving appliances—a totally erroneous conclusion.’

Further, Mr. Halbaum says, “ Proposals made at
that time suggesting that improved conditions were
possible were then, as now, described as ‘inept’ and
‘ impossible,’ ” with similar charitable suggestions that
the proposerwas out* of his depth.”

Let us see one or two of the fallacies in this sentence.

(1)	Changing the. premisses. He assumes that I. tried
to show the impossibility of the proposals,-whereas I
directed criticism against their impracticability only.

(2)	Error of observation. He implies that I used the
word “ impossible ” with reference to the proposals
generally, whereas it was used with reference to- a
detail. (3).Error of inference. He says that to use the
word “ inept ” is wrong, but he does not say anything
regarding the inferences ■ and data which led to that
conclusion. Until ho puts mo right, I must assume
that he bolieves that while wo may prove that the
reasoning is incorrect, the conclusion should not be
■stated.

I shall pass without comment over Mr. Halbaum’s
glowing description of what our sons will do when they
get above our groove; but I shall state again a simple
economic fact : a machine of any kind designed to com-
pete with or displace . hand labour, or assist hand
labour, must do one of these-two things :—(1) It must
produce more cheaply; or (2) it must increase the value
of the product.

No amount of writing will alter that fact. ■ If my
opinion is of any value, I am an enthusiastic advocate
of every labour saving appliance; but I hold that to
advocate their application under every set of circum-
stances is — well, illogical. By causing unnecessary
expense and disappointment, such blind advocacy must,
to some extent, defeat its own. end.

Coming now' to Mr. Halbaum’s next argument, he
says that my sentence, “ ... . -while perhaps a great need
of the mining industry ... is bold speculative" thinking,
such wrould be useless unless the data used- would stand
critical examination by practical men,” is a platitude.
Now, a platitude is an empty remark, made as if it
were important. Yet he says it is “ capable of a two-
edged meaning,” and he writes at some length on the
matter. I shall leave him to settle with you his
fallacy of the “ undistributed middle,” and I cannot
follow him in the tangle of “ thinkers ” and “ practical
men” he has made. Whether I am either, neither, or
both, is of supremo unimportance, but if the subject
pleases Mr. Halbaum—there is plenty of data for the
■exercise of his logic in my letter published in your issue
•of 5th inst.

As for- my alleged rudeness and that of many of my
contemporaries, he is less.than just; I mean to himself
and Mr. Cashmore. If the criticism I made was just
—or even approximately so—the latter would not cavil
at mere vorbalities.

If the criticism was unjust, I can be shown to be
ridiculous — a more serious matter than a charge of
rudeness. There is an opening for Mr. Halbaum.

I admire Mr. Cashmore’s paper very much. It show's
both courage and forethought; but to refrain from
criticism on account of admiration is unthinkable.

Fairview, Irvinc-road,	John Gibson.

Kilmarnock, ' .	-

March 13, 1915.

Sirs,—In your issue of the 12th inst., you append
certain editorial comments to a letter of mine which
you were good enough to publish. May I illustrate the
“ amiability ” for which you so kindly give me credit,
by now' stating what ought to have been obvious to you
at the first, viz., that my remarks anent “ rudeness ”
w’ere never intended to apply. to yourselves. If my
letter conveyed any other impression, I am honestly
sorry. I thank you for the kind remarks you commence
with, and, with one exception, I pass over all the
unkind things you say afterwards.

You have accused me of perpetrating a “ logical
fallacy!” As experts in logic, you ought to have
instantly seen that the statement you quote from your
Latin poet and that you quote from my letter are not
by any means on “ all fours.” Your author states :
“ Because all philosophers have dirty finger nails, it
doos not follow* that all those whose finger nails are
dirty are philosophers.” Quite so: but why not?
Simply because it is quite -easy to produce the dirty
nails without at the same time producing the philo-
sopher. But, with regard to my inverted sentence, the
logic is absolute. Because, if it be true that the bold
speculative thinker is no practical man, it does follow7,
ipso facto, that the practical man is no bold speculative
thinker. The reason’ w’hy the one follows’ from the
other is that it is clearly impossible to produce a
practical man w*ho is a bold speculative thinker without,
at the same time, and in the same person, producing’.a
bold speculative thinker wdio is also a practical man.
Both forms of my statement express the same idea;
both are, meaning for meaning, the same; each
embodies the same statement as the other; hence both
are equally true or equally false. I say that both are
false. You have taken up the impossible position that
one is true and the other not.

I trust, therefore, that in common justice to myself,
to say nothing of the claims of “ amiability,” you will
promptly withdraw7 from the position you have taken
up, or otherwise prove against me the curious fallacy
you have laid to my charge. H. W. Halbaum.

7, Mafeking-road,

Roath Park, Cardiff,

/March 15, ,1915.

[Mr. Halbaum’s logic, as stated above, is
undoubtedly correct. We w^ere rather thinking of
Mr. Gibson’s actual words, which might also be inter-
preted as implying the existence of men who w-ere both
practical and speculative. In this sense, wffiich we
believe to be the true one, the correct form of the
syllogism w7ould bo “ speculative thinkers are not all of
them practical men,” ergo, etc. The statement in
Mr. Gibson’s letter is certainly not ■ free from
ambiguity, and Mr. Halbaum’s reading differs from our
own.” On the essential points we are glad to be in
complete accord.—Eds., C.G.]