March 26, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 661 THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, March 25. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. The tone of the coal market in this coalfield is just as firm as ever, and quotations of all kinds are still maintained at high figures. All the collieries are working at full stretch, and are yet unable to get a sufficiency of fuel to meet with the demand which at present prevails for all classes of coal. Empty wagons appear to come to hand fairly freely, which is a source of satisfaction to all the colliery owners. With reference to the house coal trade, now that the weather is taking up, there is a slight falling off in the number of new enquiries in this department, but as many merchants are still in arrears in respect of orders already placed, there is no lack of demand for all that is on the market. With reference to future business, for the next few months at any rate, orders will be maintained in goodly numbers, as the War Office authorities are placing large orders for house coal to be supplied to the military camps now being constructed. In addition to these orders, the fact of so many of the military being billeted at our North Wales seaside resorts makes the demand for house coal to be well maintained in those towns, and it is stated that further battalions are expected in the near future. Things are very slow as regards making new contracts for house coal. Owing to the high advance expected, buyers are loth to close, but with the advent of the advance in the miners’ wages, there is little chance of lower prices being asked for some time to come. The demand for gas coal is very keen just now, all gas companies striving to get as much tonnage as they can delivered on account of the expiring contracts before the new one is fixed up. The work of fixing contracts for the ensuing year has now fairly commenced, and the advance is almost abnormal, it being to the extent of several shillings per ton, 5s. apparently being about the average figure. In the steam coal department, the railway companies are demanding large quantities, and as far as is possible these demands are complied with. In the case of coal for manu- facturing purposes, things are not very much improved, and many of the local works are still on short time. The con- tinued rise in the price of fuel has severely handicapped many, as it means a compulsory advance in the goods they manufacture, without a. corresponding demand in the market at the present time. At the Mersey shipping ports, in regard to shipment of coals, matters continue to be particularly lively. Coal in this trade has sold freely and at good prices during the past week, and there is no lack of orders at the present time, provided the vessels can get into berth. The bulk of slack and other small coal is being sold for manufacturing purposes, while a certain tonnage goes for shipping, and prices all around have improved now for some little time past. There is no change in the demand or price for gas coke, which is as quoted for some weeks past. In the open market the following quotations have been given during the week. Current L’st week’s Lastyear’s Prices at pit f.o.r.: — prices. prices. prices. Best house coal 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ 15/6-16/6 Secondary do 17/ -18/ 16/9-18/ 14/6-15/6 Steam coal 15/ -16/6 15/ -16/ 13/ -13/6 Gas coal 16/ -17/6 15/ -16/ 13/ -13/9 Bunkers 15/ -15/9 14/ -15/ 12/3-12/6 Nuts 12/ -14/ 12/6-13/6 11/3-12/3 Slack 7/6- 9/6 6/6- 8/4 6/9- 8/6 Gas coke (at works) 11/8-16/8 11/8-16/8 13/4-15/ Prices landsale: — Best house coal 23/4-26/8 23/4-26/8 17/9-19/2 Seconds 20/ -22/6 20/ -22/6 16/8-17/6 Slack 10/10-13/4 10/ -13/4 10/ -12/6 Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. The steam coal trade shows no sign of relief to ease the abnormal conditions which have dominated the market for many weeks, but rather the reverse. Tonnage has arrived in huge quantities, and there are now sufficient steamers in dock to ship all that is likely to be got away before Easter, for outputs are still much below what would be wound if labour were sufficient. The French railways have been making very heavy demands for Monmouthshire semi- bituminous coals to be shipped, but as to new business, this is almost impossible for this month or next, collieries being so heavily booked, while the amount of free coal grows steadily less. The demand for smalls has been scarcely equal to that for large, but supplies are very scanty, while throughs also have become almost unobtain- able. House coals, cokes, and patent fuel maintain firmly their high values, although as regards the former supplies are now better than for some months past. Pitwood is still very scarce and dear, 41s. being paid to-day for some good wood. Tonnage has been offering pretty freely in the freight market, where fewness of orders and tightness of stems combine to bring down rates a little. Naples 19s., and Plate 25s., both for prompt loading are latest figures. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. IRON. The local iron and steel trades show no relaxation of recent conditions, works generally being fully engaged and pressed to make deliveries. Welsh tin-plate bars and sheets are being quoted <£6 15s. to £7 for both Siemens and Bessemer qualities. Steel rails are quite firm at last quoted figures, and with rather more enquiry on the market. Pig iron continues a steady trade. Stocks are plentiful, with a fair amount of business passing. Welsh haematite is quoted 97s. 6d. delivered to works in the district. Iron ore quotations are nominally round 30s. for best rubio c.i.f. Newport. Tin-plates show business fairly brisk; with values based upon 16s. 6d. for Bessemer or Siemens primes 20 x 14 x 112. Cardiff. COAL. There is little change to report, except that the market is, if anything, a trifle easier. Outputs, generally, are reported to be at least 20 per cent, below normal and Admiralty requirements are rather increasing than showing signs of abatement. The result is that all the best descriptions of coal and several of the superior seconds are exclusively reserved for Government purposes and nothing is obtainable in the open market. As a consequence, quotations for other qualities are relatively higher than they would otherwise be. A week ago it was reported that permission was difficult to obtain for shipment to Italy, where there is a pronounced shortage of steam coal, and it was then stated that the Italian Government had contracted for large supplies from America. This report was appar- ently founded on fact, for a number of British vessels have since been engaged on time charter by the Italian authorities, and a number of them are already on the way to the States to bring back coal. The terms arranged are on a liberal scale, and are said to be on the basis of 12s. 6d. to 13s. 6d. per ton. Another item of interest which is now being discussed relates to the payment for coal by foreign buyers. Until a year ago the custom was for payment in 30 days, less 2| per cent. The latter condition was abolished, and the present basis is net cash in 30 days. When war broke out it was ascertained that between a million and a million and a-half sterling was owing abroad to Cardiff colliery proprietors and merchants, and it has been argued that if the terms of credit had been shorter, as they are at Newcastle and Glasgow, not more than one-half of this amount would have been outstanding. A proposal has, therefore, been made that the terms of credit should be limited to 14 days or seven days and that the new regula- tions should obtain as from July 1 next. The Newport District Board of the Coalowners’ Association has already approved the idea, and the matter is to be brought before the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce at an early date. There is much to be said in favour of the suggestion, and it is not anticipated that there will be much difficulty in bringing it about, as some shippers are even now insisting on more stringent conditions, and will only ship on payment of spot cash. Exports continue to be satisfactory, and there were shipped last week from the chief Bristol Channel ports 487,758 tons, compared with 597,590 tons in the corresponding week of last year, or a decrease of 109,832 tons. These figures, of course, do not include shipments on Admiralty account. From Cardiff there were despatched 305,237 tons, against 394,857 tons, or a decline of 89,620 tons ; from Newport 81,043 tons, or a decrease of 38,825 tons ; from Swansea 80,131 tons, or an increase of 34,919 tons and from Port Talbot 21,347 tons, or a falling- off of 16,306 tons. The freight market has eased consider- ably, especially for Mediterranean ports, with the result that owners have not shown the same readiness to charter. The amount of tonnage taken up during the week was 132,000 tons compared with 26,260 tons, or a decrease of 158,260 tons. The fixtures during the year up to date show a decline of nearly 2 million tons. According to the Custom House Beturns, which have just been published, the total shipments from the Bristol Channel ports during February amounted to 1,762,784 tons, against 2,538,805 tons in the corresponding month of last year, or a decrease of 776,021 tons. From Cardiff alone there were shipped 1,073,285 tons against 1,656,652 tons, from Newport 334,251 tons against 403,805 tons, from Port Talbot 111,519 tons compared with 156,380 tons, and from Swansea 235,453 tons against 303,953 tons. The following table gives the details of the shipments to the chief foreign countries of the world and British Possessions for the month of February compared, with the exports in the corresponding month of last year :— With regard to prices, best Admiralties are purely nominal at 35s., whilst 32s. to 33s. is obtainable for best seconds, and 30s. to 31s. for ordinary qualities. Monmouthshires show, little change, Black Veins being 31s. 9d. to 32s. 3d. western-valleys 31s. 3d., and easterns 30s. 3d., in each cast f.o.b. Cardiff. The small coal market is not quite so-firm, best bunkers realising 21s. to 21s. 6d., ordinary grades about 20s., and cargo qualities 16s. 9d. to 17s. 6d. per ton. Bituminous coals are still scarce and dear, No. 3 Bhondda large being 30s., No. 2 27s. to 28s., and other sorts in pro- portion. The coke market is unaltered. Patent fuel is also without change, and it is reported that most makers have full order books until the end of June. Best brands are quoted at 35s., and second grades at 32s. to 33s. Ship- ments last week amounted to about 30,375 tons, of which Swansea despatched 21,344 tons, and the Crown Company 7,187 tons. Pitwood remains steady at 40s. to 41s. per ton. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Lastyear’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam coals 35/ nom. 35/ nom. 18/ -18/3 Superior seconds 32/ -33/ 34/ -35/ 17/9—18/ Ordinary do. ... 30/ —31/ 31/ —33/ 17/3-17/6 Best bunker smalls 21/ -21/6 21/ -21/6 11/ Best ordinaries 20/ 20/ -20/6 10/6-10/9 Cargo qualities 16/9-17/6 18/6-19/ 8/3- 8/6 Inferior smalls 16/ -16/6 18/ -18/6 6/6- 7/3 Best dry coals 33/ -34/ 30/ -32/ 17/ -17/6 Ordinary drys 30/ -32/ 28/ -29/6 14/9-15/6 Best washed nuts 23/ 23/ -25/ 16/ Seconds 21/6 21/ -22/ 15/ Best washed peas 22/ 21/ -22/ 14/6 Seconds 20/6 .20/ -20/6 13/6-13/9 Dock screenings 19/ -20/ 20/ -21/ 11/9-12/ Monmouthshire— Black Veins 31/9-32/3 31/6-32/6 17/ Western-valleys 31/3 30/ -31/ 16/6 Eastern-valleys 30/3 28/ -29/ 16/ -16/3 Inferior do 28/ -28/6 27/6-28/ 15/ -15/6 Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) 30/ 30/ 20/ Second qualities (at pit) 29/ 29/ 17/6-19/6 No. 3 Bhondda— Bituminous la^ge 30/ 30/ -32/ 17/6-17/9 Through-and-through 27/6 26/ -27/ 14/9-15/ Small 25/ 23/ —24/ 12/ -12/3 No. 2 Bhondda— - Large 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 14/ -14/3 Through-and-through 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 11,6-12/ Small 20/ 18/ -19/ ' 8/9 ' Best patent fuel 35/ 35/ 21/ Seconds 32/ -33/ 30/ -31/ 19/ -20/ Special foundry coke 40/ -44/ 40/ -44/ 25/ -27/ Ordinary do. 35/ -38/ 35/ —38/ 21/ -23/ Furnace coke 28/ —32/ 28/ -32/ 18/ -20/ Pitwood (ex-ship) 40/ —41/ 41/ 19/6-20/ Steam coals: — Best Black Vein large... Wes tern-valleys, ordin’y Best Eastern-valleys ... Secondary do. Best small coals ..... Secondary do.......... Inferior do........... Screenings ........... Through coals ........ Best washed nuts...... Other sorts:— B$st house coal....... Secondary do. ........ Patent fuel .......... Furnace coke.......... Foundry coke ......... Current prices. 30/6-31/ 29/6-30/ 29/ -29/6 28/6-29/ 19/3-19/6 18/6-19/' 18/ -18/6 19/6 22/ -23/ 19/6-20/6 27/ -29/ 25/ -27/ ■ 30/ -33/ .26/ -28/. 32/ -33/ L’st week’s prices. 29/6-30/6 29/ -29/6 28/6-29/6 28/ -28/6 19/3-19/6 18/6-19/ 18/ -18/6 19/6-20/ 19/ -20/ 19/6-20/6 Last year’s prices. 16/9-17/3 16/3-16/6 15/9-16/ 15/ -15/3 8/6- 8/9 7/9- 8/ 7/ - 7/6 8/9 12/3-12/9 13/ -13/6 27/ -29/ 25/ -27/ 29/ -31/ 26/ -28/ 32/ -33/ 18/ -19/ 17/ —18/ 19/9-20/ 19/6-20/6 23/ -25/ Sweden Feb. 1915. Tons. 11,203 Feb. 1914. Tons. . 13,542 Norway 10,422 11,004 Germany Dutch Possessions in the — 15,747 Indian Seas — 5,402 Belgium — 31,793 France 699,185 ... 702,160 Algeria 39,097 ... 55,974 French Somaliland 4,921 ... 10,644 Portugal 66,235 ... 57,609 Azores 5,447 2,546 Madeira 11,146 5,355 Spain 68,512 109,144 Canary Islands 55,268 35,182 Italy 325,863 543,711 Austria-Hungary — 26,423 Greece 27,349 ... 37,684 Bulgaria — 5.155 Turkey (European) — 22,641 „ (Asiatic) — 6,720 Tunis 4,892 ... 14,828 Peru — 6,993 Chili 4,065 20,759 Brazil 43,143 128,626 Uruguay 33,376 54,919 Argentine Bepublic 288,032 155,040 Channel Islands 5,639 ... 4,624 Gibraltar 25,668 ... 10,725 Malta and Gozo 10,429 ... 35,809 Egypt 97,551 137,930 Cape of Good Hope 512 ... 7,156 Anglo-Egyptian Sudan — 6,999 Aden and Dependencies...... 11,481 11,841 British India — 18,616 Ceylon and Dependencies... 9,022 ... 26,206 West Africa (French) 6,028 ... 12,276 „ (Portuguese)... 22,104 ... 21,168 „ (British) — 15,331 IRON. The shipments of tin-plates were not so satisfactory as they were a week previously, but considering the high prices, dear freights, and other restrictive influences, there is little cause for complaint. Exports amounted to 72,480 boxes, compared with 81,810 boxes a week ago. Beceipts from works were 83,987 boxes, against 79,393 boxes the previous week, and stocks in the docks warehouses and vans now amount to 303,795 boxes, against 354,063 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. Prices are still on the upward grade, although makers’ ideas were not quite so firm. Bessemer standard cokes are obtainable at 16s. 6d., and even a trifle less for prompt specifications. Oil sizes, 18| x 14, are 16s. 9d. to 17s., and 20 x 10 sheets 24s. In the galvanised sheet trade there is little change to report. Several orders have been placed on colonial account, but the volume of business is not great, and new contracts are badly needed by a number of works. Quotatians for 24-gauge corrugateds are on the basis of <£14 to £14 10s., but makers are unwilling to commit themselves beyond June. Welsh tin-bars are in good demand at £6 15s. to £7, both for Siemens and Bessemer qualities. Welsh pig iron is again rather firmer, and is quoted at 95s. to 97s. 6d. f.o.t. Bail mills are fairly well employed, but there is little new business. The iron ore market is exhibiting a harder tendency, best rubio being 29s. to 29s. 6d., second grades 27s. to 27s. 6d., and Almeria 27s. 6d. per ton. Scrap metals are practically unaltered. Llanelly. COAL. Generally speaking, the coal market of the district is very similar to what it has been for the past week or two. Most of the coals are in very firm demand, and prices are being fully maintained, but for some of the anthracite sorts there is a weakness and prices are not as firm as they have been. The scarcity of the steam and bituminous qualities is still great, and buyers have to pay very high figures. From the manufacturers’ point of view the position is serious both as regards prices and the quantity available. The former have now got so high that some of the works are threatening to close down and other works Prices f.o.b. Anthracite Best malting large .. Secondary do. ....... Big Vein large....... Bed Vein do.......... Machine-made cobbles.., German nuts ......... French do......... . Paris do............ Machine-made beans .. Do. peas......... Culm ................ Duff................. Other sorts:— Large steam coal..... Through-and-through... Small ............... Bituminous small coal... Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. 21/6-23/ 21/6-23/ ' 21/6-22/6 18/ -19/6 18/ —19/6 ' 19/ -21/ 17/ -18/6 17/ -18/6 16/ —17/ 17/ -17/6 : 17/ -17/6 ' 14/6-15/6 28/6—29/6 28/6-29/6 ! 19/ -21/ 29/ -31/ 29/ -31/ ! 21/ -23/ 30/ -34/ . 30/ -34/ 21/ -23/ 30/ -32/ 30/ -32/ ; 21/ -23/ 21/ -22/6 21/ -2216 ; 15/ -20/ 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ , 12/ -13/ 11/ -13/ 11/ -13/ 6/ - 6/6 4/ - 5/ 4/ - 5/ 4/ - 6/ 26/ -28/ 26/ -28/ 16/ -17/ 23/ -25/ 23/ —25/ 11/ -11/6 13/6-17/6 13/6-17/6 9/ -10/ 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ 11/ -11/6